Midweek Devotion 18 March 2026

on

Reading

1 Thessalonians 2:8

Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

Devotion


This week's art is by modern artist Sue Wookey.  Her watercolor, "The Forgotten Stone" I found on her website, Art inspired by nature, myths and dreams: Sue Wookey Art. Her work is inspired by her love of nature, the magic of myths, dreams and symbols and Britain’s megalithic past.   As yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to feature an artist who represents Celtic spirituality.

Celtic spirituality views the physical world as intimately connected with the spiritual realm, where rivers, hills, trees, and stones are seen as gateways to divine forces and otherworldly experiences. It emphasizes the sacramentality of creation, recognizing God’s presence in all aspects of life, and celebrates the equality of men and women in spiritual and communal roles. The Celts also valued imagination, poetry, and art as pathways to understanding both human nature and the divine.

This particular watercolor features a single stone with a sword and a swirling pattern reminding me of unity with the infinite.  Other circles are found on rocks, roots, trees, and in the grass.  The circles make labyrinths.  Do you know the difference between a labyrinth and a maze in spiritual terms, dear reader?  There are no dead ends in a spiritual labyrinth--there is a singular path that may have many and myriad turns but it always leads to the center.  What is the journey like to the center of your heart?  

Prayer

Thanks to you, O God, that I have risen today,

to the rising of life itself;

may it be to your own glory,

O God of every gift,

and to the glory of my soul likewise.

O great God, aid my soul

with the aiding of your own mercy;

even as I clothe my body with wool,

cover my soul with the shadow of your wing.

Help me to avoid every sin,

and the source of every sin to forsake;

and as the mist scatters

on the crest of the hills,

may each ill haze clear from my soul, O God.

Source: Adapted from Carmina Gadelica.