Message of 5-27-09
Published: Sat, 05/23/09
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Read whatever chapter of Scripture you will, and be ever so
delighted with it -- yet it will leave you as poor, as empty and
unchanged as it found you unless it has turned you wholly and
solely to the Spirit of God, and brought you into full union with
and dependence upon Him.
... William Law
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 20:28-38; Ps 68:29-30, 33-35a, 35bc-36ab; Jn 17:11b-19
R. (33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
Show forth, O God, your power,
the power, O God, with which you took our part;
For your temple in Jerusalem
let the kings bring you gifts.
You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,
chant praise to the Lord
who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens.
Behold, his voice resounds, the voice of power:
"Confess the power of God!"
Over Israel is his majesty;
his power is in the skies.
Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel;
he gives power and strength to his people.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep
them from the Evil One."
The world was created for God's glory and our use and pronounced
"good" by its creator. Yet it is a battlefield, besieged by the
forces of evil. God calls us not to despise the world itself, but
to join in extending Christ's redemptive work to the ends of the
earth. The conversion and deliverance of the world and its people
is not completed as long as greed and violence go unchecked,
children weep uncomforted, and the helpless are abused and
exploited. We are commanded to make a difference and are promised
God's protection and help.
"Lord, reach out through me today to heal your world and establish
your kingdom here."
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
This passage from nothingness to real being, this quitting of
oneself is a birth accompanied by pain, for by it natural love is
excluded. All grief except grief for sin comes from love of the
world. In God is neither sorrow, nor grief, nor trouble. Wouldst
thou be free from all grief and trouble, abide and walk in God, and
to God alone. As long as love of the creature is in us, pain cannot
cease.
- #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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