Chorley Unitarian Chapel

Chorley
Unitarian Chapel

Park Street Chorley Lancashire

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Reflections 1

A Thought

I went out one afternoon for a walk alone. I was in the empty unthinking state in which one saunters along country lanes, simply yielding oneself to the casual sights around, which give a town-bred lad with country yearning such intense delight. Suddenly I became conscious of the presence of someone else.

I cannot describe it, but I felt that I had as direct perception of the being of God all round about me as I have of you when we are together. It was no longer a matter of inference, it was an immediate act of spiritual (or whatever adjective you like to employ) apprehension. It came unsought, absolutely unexpectedly.

I remember the wonderful transfiguration of the far-off woods and hills as they seemed to blend in the infinite being with which I was thus brought into relation. This experience did not last long. But it sufficed to change all my feeling. I had not found God because I had never looked for him. But he had found me.

JOSEPH ESTLIN CARPENTER
Unitarian Minister; Principal, Harris Manchester College, Oxford.
1906 - 15

A Hymn

O Living God, that bringest all to birth,
Thy power sheds its brightness on the earth;
All living things alike thy glory praise,
And trees and plants adorn the golden days.

The winter's cool and summer's heat fulfil
The purposes of thy almighty will;
The sun in splendour shines upon our land,
And all is nourished by thy loving hand.

The breath of life, to creatures high and low,
Thy everlasting bounty doth bestow;
To all thou givest freely of thy grace,
And makest one the members of our race.

And when the sun sets in the western skies,
In peaceful sleep thy children close their eyes;
The world is in thy hand as day departs,
Yet is thy habitation in our hearts.

O thou sole God, no other can possess
Thy power to uphold our lives and bless:
Majestic as the sun above us shines,
So excellent, O God, are thy designs.

JOHN ANDREW STOREY
after Akhenaton, c. 1400 BCE

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Song 24 - Printed Music
From Hymns for Living

A Prayer

In the holy quiet of this hour, let us draw near to the One who hears our prayer; and let us remember that He listens more to our hearts than to out words. Let each of us make an offering of love if not of holiness, of penitence if not of purity, of teachableness if not of wisdom, of devout resolution for the time to come if not the fruits of well-doing in the time that is past. For so may we gain strength, and find grace to help us in time of need.

Amen.

Reflections 2
Reflections 3
Reflections 4
Reflections 5
Reflections 6
Reflections 7