On Wednesday, June 8th, we hosted a hybrid L’Arche NC Prayer Night with St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Chapel Hill. We were excited to be able to host most of this service with Spanish translation, and reflected on the theme of “joy” together.
One of the songs we sang was “Peace Like A River”, led by one of our wonderful volunteers with a gift for music. We added hand motions throughout and encouraged everyone to join in the song however they wanted to express themselves:
For a small group activity, everyone had the chance to choose an image from a selection which represented “joy” to them. We were then able to share with each other about the things that give us joy, and reflect on what joy looks like to each of us.
Our scripture reading for the evening was also read in both English and Spanish. We reflected on the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-26:
22 En cambio, el fruto del Espíritu es amor, alegría, paz, paciencia, amabilidad, bondad, fidelidad, 23 humildad y dominio propio. No hay ley que condene estas cosas. 24 Los que son de Cristo Jesús han crucificado la naturaleza pecaminosa, con sus pasiones y deseos. 25 Si el Espíritu nos da vida, andemos guiados por el Espíritu. 26 No dejemos que la vanidad nos lleve a irritarnos y a envidiarnos unos a otros.
22 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.
We have plenty more events coming up if you missed this one, including Y’All Belong Here: an inclusive sacred space, hosted on Zoom the third Wednesday of every month. You can also help to plan our prayer gatherings by signing up for one of our volunteer committees here.
