Message of 6-2-10
Published: Mon, 05/31/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
We, and all things, exist in God's infinitude now; our
individuality battens within it; our personality grows strong
because of it; and we know, if we know anything, that while the
more we approach the good the more we please God, at the same time
the more we approach the good the more nobly distinctive, the more
beautifully individual, do their characters become.
... Lily Dougall (1858-1923), "The Undiscovered Country"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
2 Tm 1:1-3, 6-12; Ps 123:1b-2ab, 2cdef; Mk 12:18-27
R. To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.
To you I lift up my eyes
who are enthroned in heaven.
Behold, as the eyes of servants
are on the hands of their masters.
As the eyes of a maid
are on the hands of her mistress,
So are our eyes on the LORD, our God,
till he have pity on us.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from http://www.dailyscripture.net/
The Holy Spirit reveals to us the eternal truths of God's unending
love and the life he desires to share with us for all eternity.
Paul the Apostle, quoting from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 64:4;
65:17) states: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart
of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,"
God has revealed to us through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
The promise of paradise - heavenly bliss and unending life with an
all-loving God - is beyond human reckoning. We have only begun to
taste the first-fruits! Do you believe the scriptures and do you
know the power of the Holy Spirit?
"May the Lord Jesus put his hands on our eyes also, for then we
too shall begin to look not at what is seen but at what is not
seen. May he open the eyes that are concerned not with the present
but with what is yet to come, may he unseal the heart's vision,
that we may gaze on God in the Spirit, through the same Lord, Jesus
Christ, whose glory and power will endure throughout the unending
succession of ages." (Prayer of Origen, c. 185-254)
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AT THE MASTER'S FEET
- by Sadhu Sundar Singh
The Disciple: "Master, it is clear to almost everyone that to
disobey God and to cease to worship Him is sin, and the deadly
result is seen in the present state of the world. But what sin
really is is not absolutely clear. In the very presence of Almighty
God, and in opposition to His will, and in His own world, how did
sin come to be?"
1. (continued) Satan can only spoil that which has already been
created, but he has not the power of creating anything. So sin is
not a part of creation, nor has it independent existence such that
it could be created. It is simply a delusive and destructive state
of being.
For instance, light is something which has real existence, but
darkness has not; it is only a state, the absence of light. Thus
sin or evil is not a self-existent thing, but simply the absence or
nonexistence of good. This dark state of evil is most terrible, for
because of it many miss the right course, and making shipwreck on
the rocks of Satan fall into the darkness of hell and are lost. For
this reason I who am the Light of the world became manifest in the
flesh, so that those who put their trust in Me should not perish,
for I rescue them from the power of darkness and bring them safe to
that desired and heavenly haven, where there is neither name nor
sign of darkness (Rev. xxi.23, xxii.5).
- Part II, 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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