Some scholars dispute the authorship of the letter to the Ephesians - based largely on style of writing and emphasis. Both of these are not typical of Paul and have led some academics to believe in the pseudonymous authorship of this letter - also of Colossians, 2 Thessalonians and the Pastoral letters (Timothy and Titus).

Perhaps that surprises you, but it was a relatively common ancient practice to attribute written material to a certain 'school' of thought by saying that it was by x,y or z. The intention was not necessarily to deceive but to give credit to the person attributed. If these epistles were not written by Paul, then it was probably known as such by the early church - although we have no written evidence of this.

But whatever your view on the authorship of Ephesians, it remains a beloved part of the canon of our scriptures. In chapter 3 there is a beautiful prayer that the author addressed to God. Very famous words, but I am about to bastardise them! It was written in the second person plural to the Christians in the church at Ephesus, but if you change the you's to I's it reads as a very personal prayer.

Why not take a few quiet moments to commune with God and speak these words?

Ephesians 3:14-21 - modified

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.
I pray that I may be strengthened in my inner being with power through the Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith, as I am being rooted and grounded in love.
I pray that I may know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that I may be filled with the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to accomplish abundantly far more than I can imagine, to him be glory forever and ever.
Amen.

Thanks be to God for the word.

And may you be rooted and grounded in the deep soil of God's love, as Christ dwells in you - within your trunk, your leaves, your fruit - throughout your being.

God's blessing be upon you.

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In the eleventh century Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote this prayer. It is a beautiful call to prayer which you can use in your own time of quiet meditation.

After reading the prayer, I suggest that you take the last two lines (or part of them) and use those words reflectively. Perhaps repeating them in time with your breathing - to allow yourself to move into a closer awareness of God - the God who surrounds and sustains you even when you are not conscious of the divine presence.

Come now, little one,
turn aside for a while
from your daily employment,
escape for a moment
from the tumult of your thoughts.
Put aside your weighty cares,
let your burdensome distractions wait,
free yourself awhile for God
and rest awhile in him.
Enter the inner chamber of your soul,
shut out everything except God
and that which can help you in seeking him.
And when you have shut the door, seek God.

Now, my whole heart, say to God,
'I seek your face, Lord,
it is your face I seek.'

Sometimes I imagine my inner life as a house - a house in which I dwell and in which God enters and lives alongside me. The doors, the windows, the view, are all significant to me. Anselm's words 'enter the inner chamber of your soul', put me in mind of this prayer picture I sometimes use. Perhaps some of you also pray like this occasionally?

If you are interested, I have written more about Anselm here.

The words are modified from the prayer in the Lion book, A Prayer Treasury.
 

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Methinks it's time for some more lectio!

If you are new to Lectio Divina - which is another name for 'holy reading', then you can get a more detailed explanation in this article.

Remember that lectio is not a bible study but a way of 'praying the scriptures'. Read the passage a few times s-l-o-w-l-y, then allow the part of the passage (a word, phrase or sentence) that speaks to you the most to move through your being. If it were chocolate, you would be allowing it to melt slowly in your mouth with your eyes closed, the sensation spreading through you!

This is a beautiful passage - words that Jesus spoke to his disciples before his imminent death. And words that he speaks to us, if we have listening hearts.

Enjoy!

John 14:23-27

Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Afterwards, have a conversation with God about your time of prayer. If you keep a journal, you might want to follow that with a journal entry.

May God's blessing be on you.

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Wikipedia gives the following top two definitions of 'Epiphany':

Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday on January 6 celebrating the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus
Epiphany (feeling), the sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something

The word comes from the Greek for "to manifest" or "to show". At Epiphany, we in the Western Churches acknowledge our understanding - our 'seeing' - of Jesus as 'God made man' - the manifestation of the deity in the form of a human being.

In particular, we focus this understanding on the visit of the Magi (wise men) to Jesus at Bethlehem. The Magi, in the story told in Matthew's gospel, represent the whole of humanity - as opposed to just the Jewish world. They came, saw and acknowledged the Christ-child, paying him homage and giving gifts, demonstrating that this child was given for the benefit of the whole world.

So what will we 'see' at this time? The wonder of 'God made man'? The intersection of God's mercy with human frailty at a moment in time?

Here are some words by TS Eliot from The Rock for you to reflect on...

Waste and void. Waste and void. And darkness on the face
of the deep.

Then came at a predetermined moment,
a moment in time and of time,
A moment not out of time, but in time, in what we call history:
transecting, bisecting the world of time,
a moment in time, but not like a moment of time,
A moment in time but time was made through that moment:
for without the meaning there is no time,
and that moment in time gave the meaning.
Then it seemed as if men must proceed from light to light, in the light of the Word,
Through the Passion and Sacrifice saved in spite of their negative being.

TS Eliot 1934

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... but it is still Advent and sometimes that fact gets lost in the preparatory rush for the 'big day'.

Here is a suggestion for some final Advent reflections for you.

The 'O Antiphons' (an antiphon is a spoken response in a church service) have traditionally been used - in the Church of England - as antiphons to the Magnificat at Evening Prayer during the period from 17th December to 23rd December. Their precise provenance is not known but they were being used as far back as the sixth century.

Here is a list of them - you can see that they comprise different ways of addressing Jesus.

O Sapientia – O Wisdom – 17th December
O Adonai – O Lord – 18th December (Adonai is actually plural - O Lords)
O Radix Jesse – O Root of Jesse – 19th December
O Clavis David – O Key of David – 20th December
O Oriens – O Sunrise – 21st December
O Rex Gentium – O Sovereign of the nations – 22nd December
O Emmanuel – O Emmanuel - 23rd December (where Emmanuel means 'God with us')

One way that you might consider using them at this time is as a 'prayer-word' during silent meditation. Simply choose one of the O Antiphons - either Latin or English - then close your eyes and repeat slowly your chosen prayer-word. If your mind gets distracted, don't worry, just come back to saying your prayer-word. You will probably find that the rhythm of saying your prayer-word with your breathing seems the most natural way to do this.

The aim in this type of meditiation is to simply rest in God's presence, to be more aware and to be open to the transforming power of God's Spirit. Aim for ten minutes initially, but the duration of this meditative form can be lengthened if and when you become more accustomed to it.

A more detailed description of praying in this way is described here.

The Benedictine monk, John Main, was a great advocate of this style of meditating.

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It is useless to try to make peace with ourselves by being pleased with everything we have done. In order to settle down in the quiet of our own being we must learn to be detached from the results of our own activity. We must withdraw ourselves, to some extent, from effects that are beyond our control and be content with the good will and the work that are the quiet expression of our inner life. We must be content to live without watching ourselves live, to work without expecting an immediate reward, to love without an instantaneous satisfaction, and to exist without any special recognition.

Thomas Merton in No Man is an Island

More Thomas Merton quotes

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For those who like praying using the method of Lectio Divina, then this is a lovely passage to meditate with.

The area round about Galilee is described here as the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphthali - two of the original twelve tribes of the Israelites. These words are used again by Matthew in his gospel.

Remember, Lectio is not a form of Bible study - it is a way of 'praying the scriptures' - of letting the Holy Spirit bring the words alive for you now. If you want to know how to pray with a passage using Lectio Divina then here is a description.

In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.

Isaiah 9.1-4

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