Message of 8-12-09
Published: Sat, 07/25/09
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has
been found difficult; and left untried.
... G. K. Chesterton
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Deut 34:1-12; Ps. 66:1-5, 8, 16-17; Matt 18:15-20
1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, "How terrible are thy deeds! So great is thy power
that thy enemies cringe before thee.
4 All the earth worships thee; they sing praises to thee, sing
praises to thy name." [Selah]
5 Come and see what God has done: he is terrible in his deeds among
men.
8 Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has
done for me.
17 I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"Where two or three are gathered in my name ... there is bound to
be conflict."
Jesus gives us a formula for dealing with conflict, one that
resembles the process of intervention recommended by Alcoholics
Anonymous. "Go and tell him his fault between you and him alone."
The first step is not calling in the authorities. Nor is the
second: "If he does not listen, take one or two others along with
you." This is the classic intervention. "If he refuses to listen to
them, tell the church." We involve the community only when the
first two steps have failed. "And if they refuse to listen even to
the church, treat them as you would a gentile or tax collector."
The point is not to harm the person, but to take away their power
to harm the community by treating them as a stranger.
"Lord Jesus, teach us to live together as your brothers and
sisters."
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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
Given these brief descriptions of false self, Ego, Self, and
God, several different unitive experiences can be acknowledged:
* False self-Ego union . Even though the false self has no sub-
stantial nature, its mode of operation is Egoic. This is one
reason why many have written about the sinful nature of the Ego,
and bemoaned the irresponsibility of the Ego. The problem is the
false self infection of Ego, however, and not the fact of the
Ego's existence. This understanding has many implications for
spiritual practice.
- Part 8 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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