Message of 12-16-09
Published: Sat, 12/12/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
As the New Testament uses the word, faith is trust, acceptance,
commitment, vision. It is not a belief in this or that creed, it is
a quality which lies rather in the realm of intuition than the
intellect. Faith has indeed an element of true simplicity; it is
one of the qualities--perhaps the fundamental quality--of the
child-like spirit without which no man can enter the Kingdom of God.
- Anonymous
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Is 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25; Ps. 85:9-14; Lk 7:18b-23
R. (Isaiah 45:8) Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the
earth bring forth a Savior.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD -for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."
We all know what it feels like to be disappointed with another
person. But if we analyze the situation, often enough we find that
in fact we can't really blame the other person for letting us down.
Rather, our own faulty expectations of that person have let us
down. Many in Jesus' day expected a warrior-king Messiah. They were
stuck on that image, so they rejected Jesus. Others, however,
recognized that this authoritative Teacher and compassionate Healer
surpassed all expectations. As we sojourn through this season of
anticipation, what are our expectations of Jesus? Do we harbor any
illusions based on who we think God should be?
"For humility and openness to Christ, we pray."
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WHAT IS CHRISTIAN LOVE?
by Philip St. Romain©
Adapted from "Freedom from Codependency: A Christian Response"
http://shalomplace.com/view/codep.html
This brings us to a critical point in our reflection on love. God
has to put up with selfish creatures the same way codependents do.
How does God handle it? Does God enable us or try to control us
into shaping up?
The answer, of course, is that God continues to love us while
allowing us to experience our consequences. God has given us the
gift of Himself in Christ and the gift of the Church to manifest
the divine presence on earth. Beyond this, however, God does
nothing, for to do more would violate our freedom, an essential
condition for loving. As love, God allows us to use our freedom in
destructive ways.
Many people have a problem with this reasoning. They believe that
an all-powerful God should rescue us from the evil we have created
through our own sick minds. They fail to realize that even if God
did rescue us, we would create the same mess again in a short time
out of the same sick minds. What God wants for us is not a
short-term fix (which is what enabling brings) but a long-term
cure. What God wants for us is conversion.
(Part 11 of 12 part series)
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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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