# Intimacy Day 5 > Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God. ### Opening Prayer: *O God, who existed before all things, draw near to my heart today as I draw near to yours. Grant that as we are together during this time—as well as this day—I will know of your presence to the very core of my being. Let me experience the intimacy with you that I was created for. In the name of Jesus, the Word made flesh. Amen. (JLB)* #### Psalm for the Week: Psalm 131 #### I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul #### A Song of Ascents. Of David. *131 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high;I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.* #### Scripture for the Day: Song of Songs 4:8-16 *8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon. Depart[a] from the peak of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon,from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards.9 You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.10 How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine,* *and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!* *11 Your lips drip nectar, my bride;honey and milk are under your tongue;the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.12 A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed.13 Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits, henna with nard, 14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all choice spices— 15 a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.* *16 Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden, let its spices flow. Together in the Garden of Love She Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.* #### Reading for Reflection: by Jim Branch *I can’t stifle the giggle when your mouth draws close to my ear whispers of affection light up my heart and then my face they make me beam others see and think it odd but they don’t hear they don’t feel your breath upon them if they did, they’d giggle too* *Intimacy is, in both love and faith, full of tensions. When fulfillment is delayed, desire is bitter. Between falling in love and consummating love, between the promise and the fulfillment, between the boundaries, that is, that are defined by covenant, it is the task of persevering and patient prayer to keep love ardent and faith zealous.* *Which is why prayer is the chief pastoral work in relation to a person’s desires for and difficulties with intimacy. Anything less or other than prayer fails to deal with either the ultimacy of the desires or the complexity of the difficulties. Prayer with and for persons centers the desire in God and puts the difficulties in perspective under God. Prayer is thus the language, par excellence, of the covenant: it is quintessential pastoral conversation that takes seriously the relationships that matter most, both human and divine. In prayer the desires are not talked about, they are expressed to God. In prayer the difficulties are not analyzed and studied, they are worked through with God. If the goal is intimacy, it will not be arrived at by teaching or counsel or therapy (although any of these ministries may provide assistance) but by dealing personally with those who count, with Creator and creature. (Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work by Eugene H. Peterson)* #### Reflection and Listening: silent and written #### Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself #### Song for the Week: Draw Me Close to You *Draw me close to You never let me go* *I lay it all down again* *To hear You say that I'm Your friend* *You are my desire no one else will do* *'Cause nothing else could take Your place* *To feel the warmth of Your embrace* *Help me find the way bring me back to You* *You're all I want* *You're all I've ever needed* *You're all I want* *Help me know You are near* ### Closing Prayer *Lord you are my Lover, it is you whom I desire. You flow through my body like a stream, you shine on my face like the sun. Let me be your reflection.~St. Mechthildis*