Message of 12-30-09
Published: Thu, 12/24/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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Amazon.com gift cards - good for any occasion
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Jesus came!--and came for me.
Simple words! and yet expressing
Depths of holy mystery,
Depths of wondrous love and blessing.
Holy Spirit, make me see
All His coming means for me;
Take the things of Christ, I pray,
Show them to my heart today.
- Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
1 Jn 2:12-17; Ps. 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10; Lk 2:36-40
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts;
worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"The world and its enticements are passing away, but whoever does
the will of God remains forever."
The world itself is God's creation, awaiting God's rule, but John
uses "the world" here to mean the domain of Satan. Worldly
possessions and attitudes lead us away from God. The Christmas
season juxtaposes the image of the Savior as a helpless infant born
in a stable, the child of the poor, against the overkill bombast of
images touting the glitter of material things. Let us resolve to
learn what we can do to heal and preserve our planet and to ensure
an equitable distribution of the earth's resources to all God's
beloved children.
"Lord, grant us your wisdom and your grace that we may grow strong
in your service."
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AT THE MASTER'S FEET
by Sadhu Sundar Singh
The Disciple,-O Master, Fountain of life! Why dost Thou hide
Thyself from those that adore Thee, and dost not rejoice the eyes
of them that long to gaze upon Thee?
The Master: My true child, true happiness depends not upon the
sight of the eyes, but comes through spiritual vision, and depends
upon the heart. In Palestine thousands looked upon Me, but all of
them did not thus obtain true happiness. By mortal eyes only those
things can be perceived that are mortal, for eyes of flesh cannot
behold an immortal God and spiritual beings. For instance, you
yourself cannot see your own spirit, therefore how can you behold
its Creator? But when the spiritual eyes are opened, then you can
surely see Him who is Spirit, (John iv.24), and that which you now
see of Me you see not with eyes of flesh, but with the eyes of the
spirit.
Chapter 1, Section 1
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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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Amazon.com gift cards - good for any occasion
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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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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