Greetings and blessings.
Welcome.
You are about to enter a sacred,
Beautiful,
Peaceful place in God's creation.
So close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Let go of all the concerns that have been on your mind today.
Now imagine yourself in a beautiful place in nature.
It may be on a mountain top,
Or beside a lovely lake,
Or it may be in a native woodland.
It may be somewhere you visited in the real world,
Or it could be imaginary.
And as you become aware of this beautiful place in your imagination,
Take a moment to feel the sky above you and the earth beneath.
And now as you begin to feel present in this holy,
Natural place,
Imagine the trees and the plants around you.
Realise that you are breathing the oxygen that these plants produce.
Take a moment to be thankful for these beautiful trees and flowers and plants.
And now in your imagination,
Listen.
Are there birds singing?
Maybe an eagle is crying far above you,
Or a deer bellowing far away in the forest.
Notice the creatures and birds around you in nature and welcome them.
Welcome fellow creatures.
Now lift your eyes to the sky and take a deep breath in,
Drinking in the freedom of the sky.
Now lower your gaze and notice the earth beneath you.
Thank God for the good green earth which sustains you,
And from which he brings forth food that you may live.
Thank God for the body which you have been given,
Which is sustained and nourished by this good green earth.
And now thank God for your fellow creatures,
For the trees,
The birds,
The animals,
The fish and the insects around you.
For the abundance of life that dwells on this planet with you.
And now as you realise that you are one with God's creatures,
With God's creation,
Take a moment to recognise that Christ,
The Prince of Peace,
Lives within you.
As the scripture says,
Christ in me,
The hope of glory.
Allow his peace to fill you,
Forgiving the wrongs that you have done,
As you let go of the hurts that others may have inflicted upon you.
Christ dwells in you and he loves you unconditionally,
As he loves all of his creation.
And now as you breathe in,
Imagine yourself being absorbed in the peace,
The balance and the harmony which exists in the natural world.
You are at one with God and at one with all creation.
And for a few breaths,
As you breathe in,
Imagine this peace filling you,
And as you breathe out,
Say to yourself,
Peace in my heart.
Peace in my heart.
Peace in my heart.
And now as you continue to let the peace of creation and the peace of Christ fill you,
Imagine your breath expanding as you breathe out,
Blessing all creatures of the natural realm,
The trees,
The birds,
The animals.
So as you breathe out for a few breaths,
Say,
Peace in this place.
Peace in this place.
Peace in this place.
And now as you breathe in,
Still sensing the peace of God dwelling in you,
Think of your friends,
Your colleagues and your family and all those who are close to you,
And say,
Peace in this land.
Peace in this land.
Peace in this land.
And for a final time,
As you breathe out,
Bless all the creatures and all the peoples of the whole world,
All of the life that dwells on planet earth.
So as you breathe out,
Say,
In the whole world,
Peace.
In the whole world,
Peace.
And in the whole world,
Peace.
Peace in my heart.
Peace in this place.
Peace in this land.
And in the whole world,
Peace.
Peace in this land.
Peace in this land.
Peace in this land.
Peace in this land.
Peace in this land.
Peace in this land.
Now,
Thank God for his peace and blessings which he has given to you.
And thank God for your ability to bless others and to be a person of peace.
Slowly open your eyes.
Stay in this attitude of peace for a few more breaths.
And when you feel the time is right,
Touch the ground or the seat you're sitting on.
Notice the world around you and return to normal life.
A blessing upon you.
A blessing upon creation.
Amen.
