Message of 4-8-09
Published: Mon, 04/06/09
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
All of history is moving toward one great goal, the white-hot
worship of God and his Son among all the peoples of the earth.
Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not
missions, because God is ultimate, not man.... When this age is
over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their
faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a
temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.
- John Piper
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Is 50:4-9a; Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34; Mt 26:14-25
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's sons,
because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"My appointed time draws near ... "
Lent sometimes seems as if it will never end, until, of course, it
abruptly does. We have long anticipated the Paschal Triduum and the
joy of Easter, and now they will arrive whether we have fully
prepared or not. The immediacy of Jesus' words demands our
attention. It's not too late. We still have time to put aside
needless and frivolous activities and concerns and to enter fully
into these most holy days. We're about to commemorate the heart and
center of our faith; let's make it the focal point of our days. On
this day that marks Judas' decision to betray Jesus, let's dedicate
ourselves to commemorating these coming days that brought about our
redemption.
"That we may faithfully journey with our Lord, we pray."
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
The inner work is first of all the work of God's grace in the depth
of the soul which subsequently distributes itself among the
faculties of the soul, in that of Reason appearing as Belief, in
that of Will as Love, and in that of Desire as Hope. When the
Divine Light penetrates the soul, it is united with God as light
with light. This is the light of faith. Faith bears the soul to
heights unreachable by her natural senses and faculties.
- #7, Outward and Inward Morality
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REVIEW OF DAY
- from, "Handbook for Spiritual Directees"
http://shalomplace.com/view/hndbk-lite.pdf
Here is a practice used by many at the end of the day to see what
lessons can be learned and how God was present and active through
the day. Set aside fifteen to twenty minutes at the end of the
day for prayer and review of your day. A suggested format is
described below:.
1. Take a few moments of quiet. Breathe deeply. Ask God to help you
see yourself as you truly were during the day.
2. Look back over your day - not to see what you did wrong but to
honestly acknowledge what was going on with you and others.
* What happened? What did I do today?
* How did I feel? Why did I feel that way?
* Were my expectations and beliefs reasonable?
3. Affirm the healthy things you recognize.
4. Admit to yourself and God the unhealthy things. Ask God's
forgiveness, believe it is yours, then decide if you need to
apologize or make amends.
5. Use creative visualization to grow stronger. Honestly
acknowledge the troubling situations of the day. See and feel
yourself acting honestly and lovingly in these situations. Ask God
for the grace to help you act in this new way.
6. Close with simple awareness of the sights and sounds around you,
grateful for the good things in your life.
This process can be undertaken as a daily journal exercise or by
prayerfully reviewing your day in your own mind. I like to take a
walk before bedtime for examen. The important thing is to do it. It
is a discipline, to be sure, but a very important one.
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SHALOM PLACE PREMIUM GROUPS
- Life-long learning and formation in Christian spirituality.
Groups now open include the following:
A. Psychological Types and Spirituality
B. The Way of Christian Spirituality
C. Freedom from Codependency
D. Christian Spirituality Resources
E. Wonderfully Made (Christian Metaphysics)
F. Growing in Christ
G. Spiral Dynamics®
H. Discerning God's Will
I. Dark Night of the Soul
J. Silence, Solitude and Sabbath
K. Alpha Group -- includes all the above and all to come.
- see http://shalomplace.org/groups.html
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