Message of 5-19-10
Published: Mon, 05/10/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Do not be too quick to condemn the one who no longer believes in
God: for it is perhaps your own coldness and avarice and mediocrity
and materialism and sensuality and selfishness that have killed his
faith.
- Thomas Merton (1915-1968), "Seeds of Contemplation"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 20:28-38; Ps 68:29-30, 33-35a, 35bc-36ab; Jn 17:11b-19
R. (33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
Show forth, O God, your power,
the power, O God, with which you took our part;
For your temple in Jerusalem
let the kings bring you gifts.
You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,
chant praise to the Lord
who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens.
Behold, his voice resounds, the voice of power:
"Confess the power of God!"
Over Israel is his majesty;
his power is in the skies.
Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel;
he gives power and strength to his people.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"Your word is truth."
Somehow we've turned truth into a tricky concept. Talk shows,
tabloids, 24-hour cable news and reality television all try to
bestow a sense of authenticity on some very questionable
propositions. We mix realism with genuineness and confuse "informed
opinions" with certainty. As a result, many reasonable, sincere
people operate under very different sets of "facts." No wonder
people become cynical. This scenario, however, is not unique to our
day. Jesus recognized the confusion and evil within the world and
offered his prayer that we be consecrated in the truth -- the one
truth that comes from the word of God. If we're going to remain one
with the Father, we cannot allow the concept of truth to be vague.
"Guide us in truth, we pray."
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AT THE MASTER'S FEET
- by Sadhu Sundar Singh
8. Again, many say that the thing, or the life, that has a
beginning must of necessity have an end. This is not true, for is
not the Almighty who is able at His will to make from naught a
thing which is, also able by the word of His power to confer
immortality on that which He has made? If not He cannot be called
Almighty. Life in this world appears to be liable to decay and
destruction, because it is in subjection to those things which are
themselves the subject of change and decay. But if this life were
set free from these changeful and decaying influences, and brought
under the care of the eternal and unchanging God, who is the
fountain and source of eternal life, it would escape from the
clutch of death and attain to eternity.
As for those who believe on Me, "I give unto them eternal life,
and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out
of My hand" (John x.28). "I am the Lord God Almighty that is and
was and is to come"
- 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
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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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