Message of 8-5-09
Published: Sat, 07/25/09
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Jesus lived His life in complete dependence upon God, as we all
ought to live our lives. But such dependence does not destroy human
personality. Man is never so fully and so truly personal as when he
is living in complete dependence upon God. This is how personality
comes into its own. This is humanity at its most personal.
... Donald M. Baillie (1887-1954), "God was in Christ: an essay
on incarnation and atonement," Scribner, 1955, p. 93
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Nm 13:1-2, 25-14:1, 26a-29a, 34-35; Ps 106:6-7ab, 13-14, 21-22,
23; Mt 15: 21-28
R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
We have sinned, we and our fathers;
we have committed crimes; we have done wrong.
Our fathers in Egypt
considered not your wonders.
But soon they forgot his works;
they waited not for his counsel.
They gave way to craving in the desert
and tempted God in the wilderness.
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
Then he spoke of exterminating them,
but Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
to turn back his destructive wrath.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish."
Though the Canaanite woman knows that she has no kinship with Jesus
or clear tie to his ministry, she calls out for his mercy and
healing power anyway. While Jesus credits her for her great faith,
we must recognize a second extraordinary gift in this exchange --
Jesus' incredible compassion, which is deeper than faith and
broader than any boundaries others impose on his ministry. Jesus
steps outside the accepted parameters and takes pity on a woman
some equate with dogs. We, too, must move beyond the limitations of
prejudice and weakness and approach everyone and everything with a
deep faith and an even deeper compassion.
"For people of every faith, background and language who call upon
God, we pray."
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GOD, SELF AND EGO: Meanings and Discernments
by Philip St. Romain© (doctoral project manuscript)
- see http://shalomplace.com/view/godselfego.html
The universal human experience is that disharmony does exist in
the human psyche. The Ego-Self-God allignment is disordered, and the
overwhelming testimony of the world religions is that non-love is
the
reason for this dis-ease. In response to developing in a climate of
non-love, the Ego's desires becomes skewed in the interest of
minimizing pain and maximizing personal survival. A whole system of
dysfunctional behavioral conditioning develops, all premised on the
convictions that the individual is unworthy, unloveable,
unacceptable, and incapable. This system of conditioning is the
false self. It has no metaphysical reality as such, but because it
functions more or less autonomously--frequently against the better
judgement of the Ego--it feels as though it has a life of its own.
This false self conditioning, not the Ego, is the primary obstacle
to
the experience of union with God. Understanding the false self-Ego-
Self relationships is thus of primary importance in facilitating
ongoing union with God, the goal of spiritual direction.
- Part 7 of 15
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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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