Contents:
- Weekend Scripture Readings
- Spiritual Guidance
- Discussion Board highlights
- Affiliate Web Sites
- Theology Note of the Week
- Web Site of the Week
- Spiritual Growth Resources.
- Book of the Week
- Saint of the Week
- Joke of the Week
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Weekend Readings
http://new.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month
Saturday:
Rom 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29; Ps 94:12-13a, 14-15,
17-18; Lk 14:1, 7-11
Sunday:
Mal 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10; Ps 131:1, 2,
3; 1 Thes 2:7b-9, 13; Mt 23:1-12
R. In you, Lord, I have found
my peace.
 O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother's lap,
so is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.
- - -
Amazon
Gift Cards :
Good for any occasion.
- - -
Spiritual Guidance
Need a companion for the spiritual journey? We have several wonderful
people ready to help, using email and telephone conferences to bridge
the miles.
- Now providing -
Consultations:
this
option is best for short-term guidance pertaining to a specific issue.
Spiritual
Direction:
ongoing relationship with a spiritual director to become more attuned
to God's presence in all of life.
See http://shalomplace.com/direction/
- - -
Shalom Place Discussion
Board
A variety of topics are under discussion.
Christian enlightenment: a
possibility worth explorint
- Christian Spirituality Issues forum.
The Cauldron Bubbles - Religion
and Culture forum.
- see http://shalomplace.org/eve/forums
for these and hundreds of other
discussions.
- - -
Affliliate Web Sites
- please give them a visit
Solitude and
Streets:
an emerging faith community.
Family Life
Training and Counseling Center: an online Bible
college/seminary
The Ark: Providing
a variety of scripture and lectionary study resources.
Contemplative
Ministries of the Pacific Northwest: Teaching and
support on contemplative practice
Inner Explorations: a vast array of spirituality resources for the mature
Christian.
SeeScapes. Picturing
the deeper dimensions of our spirituality.
Heartland
Center for Spirituality (sponsoring Internet
workshops year-round).
Emanuella House of
Prayer: a place for prayer and silence in British
Columbia.
Kyrie Places of
Pilgrimmage and Renewal.
Contemplative
Rudder: "In the midst of Consecrated Silence'
atmospherics ... a Rudder!
Temenos Catholic Worker: support for homeless youth in Polk Street neighborhood, San
Francisco.
Institute for
Women's Spiritual Dynamics: holistic, flexible, sensible
Christian spirituality for women.
The Sanctuary
Foundation for Prayer: resources for spiritual growth.
Serenity of
the Mind: supporting those who served and who suffer from
PTSD.
Hearts on Fire:
a blog to spark inspiration, thought, wonder, laughter and
prayer.
Stillpoint: Programs in spiritual direction, contemplative prayer.
Reach hundreds of people who
have a similar interest in Christian spirituality. Simply publish
a link to Daily Spiritual Seed-- http://shalomplace.com/seed
--on a prominent place on your web site and we will reciprocate with a
weekly link to your site in the newsletter. Contact the Editor
when you're ready to begin.
- - -
Theology Note of the
Week
- http://www.carm.org/m
- Metaphysics
The branch of philosophy involved with examining and
discussing the ultimate nature of reality. The term comes from "meta"
which means "after" and "phusika" which means "physics." Around A.D. 70
Andronicus applied to the section of Aristotelian writings that came
after the physics section; hence, metaphysics.
In the New Age, metaphysics deals with spiritual concepts such as
reincarnation, auras, chakras, Ascended Masters, etc. and other such
ideas of a spiritual nature not generally associated with Christianity.
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Web
Resource of the Week
Introducing:
N. T. Wright
- http://www.ntwrightpage.com/
The unofficial web site of scripture scholar N. T. Wright, whose new
book is our featured book of the week. The site has links to a
wide range of his works (including podcasts) and will give you an
opportunity to become more acquainted with this scholarly man of faith.
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Featured Spiritual
Growth Resources
Summer 2012: Renewal of Mind
and Spirit
- http://heartlandspirituality.org/programs.html
Since you might need to plan ahead, check out the program offerings at
Heartland Center for Spirituality for the Summer of 2012.
A. Theology Institute
with
Carla Mae Streeter, June 15-19, 2012.
B. Listening to God: A
Contemplative
Retreat, with Philip St. Romain, June 21-25, 2012.
You can attend one or the other: special rate for both.
- - -
 Growing
in Inner Freedom: A Guide for Today
- by Philip St. Romain
40 ways to become more inwardly free! Using Jesus Christ as a model of
spiritual freedom, and citing lessons found in the Scriptures, "Growing
in Inner Freedom" contains 40 time-tested practices, including: Living
by Faith, Don't Worry Uselessly, Count Your Blessings, Practice
Forgiveness, Go the Extra Mile and many more.
- http://tinyurl.com/3luq3z2
(Also available
for Kindle, Nook, and on iBookstore)
- - -
Book of the Week
Simply Jesus: A New Vision of
Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters, by N. T.
Wright. Harper. 2011.
- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062084399/ref=noism/christianspiritu/
 Tom Wright has a fresh way of
presenting the story of Jesus, the one and only Savior and Lord of the
four canonical Gospels. This book retrieves Jesus from the margins of
contemporary ideologies and places him once again at the heart of
biblical faith. A compelling read!
(Timothy George, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford
University, general editor of the Reformation
Commentary on Scripture )
"Tom Wright is, as always, brilliant at distilling immense scholarship
into vivid, clear and accessible form. This book is yet another of his
great gifts to the worldwide church."
(Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury )
"No one living today is writing more thoughtfully and compellingly
about Christian theology than N.T. Wright. With Simply Jesus, he takes
readers on an illuminating intellectual expedition to recover the
Christian Messiah. If you have not read Wright, start now, and start
with this book."
(Jon Meacham, author of American
Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House )
- Amazon.com book descriptor.
Make the Christian Spirituality Bookstore your
starting point for
online shopping at Amazon.com. You can buy books, cds,
videotapes,
software, appliances and many other products at discount
prices.
As
Amazon.com affiliate, we are paid a small fee for purchases originating
from our web site. Every little bit helps!
http://shalomplace.com/books/index.html
- - -
Saint of the Week
- http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1189
- St. Charles Borromeo
(1538-1584): November 4
 The name of St.
Charles Borromeo is associated with reform. He lived during the time of
the Protestant Reformation, and had a hand in the reform of the whole
Church during the final years of the Council of Trent.
Although he belonged to Milanese nobility and was related
to the powerful Medici family, he desired to devote himself to the
Church. When his uncle, Cardinal de Medici, was elected pope in 1559 as
Pius IV, he made Charles cardinal-deacon and administrator of the
Archdiocese of Milan while he was still a layman and a young student.
Because of his intellectual qualities he was entrusted with several
important offices connected with the Vatican and later appointed
secretary of state with responsibility for the papal states. The
untimely death of his elder brother brought Charles to a definite
decision to be ordained a priest, despite relatives' insistence that he
marry. Soon after he was ordained a priest at the age of 25, he was
consecrated bishop of Milan.
Because of his work at the Council of Trent, he was not
allowed to take up residence in Milan until the Council was over.
Charles had encouraged the pope to renew the Council in 1562 after it
had been suspended for 10 years. Working behind the scenes, St. Charles
deserves the credit for keeping the Council in session when at several
points it was on the verge of breaking up. He took upon himself the
task of the entire correspondence during the final phase.
Eventually Charles was allowed to devote his time to the
Archdiocese of Milan, where the religious and moral picture was far
from bright. The reform needed in every phase of Catholic life among
both clergy and laity was initiated at a provincial council of all the
bishops under him. Specific regulations were drawn up for bishops and
other clergy: If the people were to be converted to a better life, he
had to be the first to give a good example and renew their apostolic
spirit.
Charles took the initiative in giving good example. He
allotted most of his income to charity, forbade himself all luxury and
imposed severe penances upon himself. He sacrificed wealth, high
honors, esteem and influence to become poor. During the plague and
famine of 1576, he tried to feed 60,000 to 70,000 people daily. To do
this he borrowed large sums of money that required years to repay.
Whereas the civil authorities fled at the height of the plague, he
stayed in the city, where he ministered to the sick and the dying,
helping those in want.
Work and the heavy burdens of his high office began to
affect his health. He died at the age of 46.
- - -
Joke of the Week
- And yet even more holy
humor
Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter
what the lesson was about.
The daughter answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your
quilt."
Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day,
the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning's
Sunday school lesson was about.
He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming."
- - -
The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was
going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were
expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed
to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been
brought in at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to
play.
"Here's a copy of the service," he said impatiently. "But,
you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement
about the finances."
During the service, the minister paused and said,
"Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs
cost twice as much as we expected and we need $4,000 more. Any of you
who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up."
At that moment, the substitute organist played "The Star
Spangled Banner."
And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!
Thanks, Carol
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