Message of 4-21-10
Published: Thu, 04/15/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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Amazon.com gift cards - good for any occasion
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
None but the Lord himself can afford us The more clearly we
recognize how we dig our own wells in search of water, the more
fully we can repent of our self-sufficiency and turn to God in
obedient trust.
- Larry Crabb
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"Jesus is Risen" booklet
http://homepage.mac.com/philothea/download/resurrection.pdf
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 8:1b-8; Ps 66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a; Jn 6: 35-40
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
God's way is the way of surprise. While early opponents of the Way
thought that persecuting Christians would dissuade others from
joining the movement, the tactic backfired completely. Those who
were martyred bore a most extraordinary witness to the faith, while
those who fled the persecutions carried the message with them.
Rather than snuffing out the faith, the persecutions fanned the
flame. We see added irony in God's choice of one of the most
zealous of persecutors, Saul, to carry the Gospel message to the
gentiles. Let us pray through the intercession of St. Anselm, whom
we remember today, for the courage and conviction of those who have
made our faith possible.
"For trust in God's power and love, we pray."
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AT THE MASTER'S FEET
- by Sadhu Sundar Singh
6. (Christ speaks) In the book of nature, of which I also am the
Author, I freely manifest Myself. But for the reading of this book
(the Bible) also spiritual insight is needed, that you may find Me,
otherwise there is a danger lest instead of finding Me you go
astray. Thus the blind man uses the tips of his fingers as eyes,
and by means of touch alone reads a book, but by touch alone can
form no real estimate of its truth. The investigations of agnostics
and skeptics prove this, for in place of perfection they see only
defects.
- Section 2
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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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