Message of 4-22-09
Published: Mon, 04/20/09
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
That you cannot have Christian principles without Christ is
becoming increasingly clear [in the world today], because their
validity as principles depends on Christ's authority.
... Dorothy L. Sayers
(To what extent are the principles you live by connected with your
relationship with Christ?)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 5:17-26; Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Jn 3:16-21
R.(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"The light came into the world, but people preferred darkness."
Read this as a lament. God who loves us, who creates us free to
choose the light, laments as we turn toward the darkness. Just so,
we lament over a world where there is such waste, where so much
energy and creativity is dedicated to destruction. We lament over
our children who turn to that which will only cause them pain. We
lament over loved ones who cannot see their own loveliness. We may
even lament over our lost selves as we remember what we wanted to
be. Here's the good news: Easter is. The cross is not the last
word. Life from death is part of the plan.
"Creator God, shine your light into our hearts and raise us up out
of the darkness."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
The third faculty is the inward Will, which, always turned to God
like a face, absorbs to itself love from God. According to the
diverse directions in which redemptive Grace through the Holy
Spirit is imparted to the different faculties of men, it finds
corresponding expression as one of the Spirit's seven gifts. This
impartation constitutes man's spiritual birth which brings him out
of sin into a state of grace while natural birth makes him a sinner.
- #7, Outward and Inward Morality
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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
_________________________________________________
* Web Archive: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?dailyseed
* RSS: http://www.aweber.com/z/rss/?dailyseed