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A place of reflection from the contemplative Christian tradition featuring guided meditations in the spirit of lectio divina and centering prayer. Best experienced through headphones.
>>Welcome
Welcome to Breath of Love,
a weekly guided meditation
rooted in the sacred seasons of the Christian year.
This podcast is not a sermon or a commentary.
It is a gentle invitation
to move into Christ through
breath, presence, and sacred listening.
Each week, we follow the rhythm
of the Revised Common Lectionary --
a shared cycle of readings
that opens us to
the unfolding story of God’s love.
You may find it fruitful to spend time
with the full readings inspiring these meditations.
The podcast episode notes can guide you toward them.
Let’s begin.
>>Centering and Breath Prayer
Wherever you are right now –
sitting, standing, or moving through your day –
let your awareness begin to arrive.
You don’t need to stop what you’re doing
or even need to give my voice your full attention.
Perhaps you notice your breath, its rhythm, its flow.
Or the way your body is supported… or the way it carries you.
Or simply the sound of these words, joining the sounds already around you.
Your mind may drift near or far. That is welcome.
And each time you return, you return to the breath.
And the breath itself becomes prayer.
Breathing in: My hope is in God.
Breathing out: Who sets captives free.
Try it now, softly, inwardly.
Inhale… My hope is in God.
Exhale… Who sets captives free.
Let this rhythm open a threshold,
moving from outer concerns into inner listening.
>>Meditation 1 – Amos 6:1a, 4–7
Here is a vision from the prophet Amos,
speaking to those who rest easy while others suffer.
“Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory… who sing idle songs… but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!”
You may imagine the ivory couches, the feasts of lamb, the sound of idle songs.
And beyond the walls… the ruin of a people.
Breathing in: My hope is in God.
Breathing out: Who sets captives free.
And perhaps you notice how misplaced trust in comfort leaves a soul unsteady.
And how hope finds its anchor -- not in luxury -- but in God’s justice for the oppressed.
>>Meditation 2 – Psalm 146
Here is a psalm of trust in the God who brings freedom.
“Do not put your trust in princes… Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.”
You may feel how fragile trust becomes when placed in rulers or riches.
And how strong it feels to rest in God --
who opens blind eyes,
who raises those bowed down,
who loves the righteous,
who watches over the stranger.
Breathing in: My hope is in God.
Breathing out: Who sets captives free.
Perhaps you imagine that trust as a ground beneath your feet,
solid, steady, renewing your steps.
>>Meditation 3 – 1 Timothy 6:6–19
Here is counsel from the letter to Timothy, urging the community toward contentment and faithful living.
“There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment… For we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it.”
Maybe you notice how the love of money entangles,
how it pierces with many pains.
And how different it feels when life flows with gentleness, steadfastness, love.
“Do good, be rich in good works, generous, ready to share…”
Breathing in: My hope is in God.
Breathing out: Who sets captives free.
And perhaps you can imagine true freedom --
not in wealth that fades,
but in generosity that endures,
in a foundation of love that cannot be shaken.
>>Meditation 4 – Luke 16:19–31
Here is a parable of Jesus, about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus.
“There was a rich man… and at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores.”
You may picture the purple robes, the feasting table, the gate closed tight.
And you may see Lazarus, longing for crumbs, comforted only by the dogs.
And then, the reversal: a chasm that cannot be crossed.
Breathing in: My hope is in God.
Breathing out: Who sets captives free.
And perhaps this story awakens you to who waits at your own gate --
the neighbor, the stranger, the part of yourself in need.
And you may wonder what it feels like to notice… to open…
to cross the chasm now, with compassion.
>>Body Blessing
Now return to your body…
noticing it as it is, in motion or at rest.
Your body, beloved, held in God’s presence.
Bring awareness to your head and face… and perhaps soften.
To your neck and shoulders… easing what is carried.
To your arms and hands… noticing what they hold, what they might release.
To your heart and chest… feeling breath, feeling hope.
To your belly and core… strong, steady, centered.
To your hips, legs, and feet… sensing their power to support, to move, to walk toward freedom.
Now your whole body together… integrated, alive, blessed.
Breathing in: My hope is in God.
Breathing out: Who sets captives free.
Amen.
>>Farewell
Thank you for joining this circle
of listening and renewal
with Breath of Love.
These meditations trace
the turning of the Christian year,
calling us back -- again and again --
to the Presence that holds us.
If this time has nourished you,
may its grace linger
and find its way to someone
longing to breathe.
Until then -- go gently
and walk in light --
with the breath of love.