When you think of the word partnership what comes to your mind? For me it is the image of two or more people working towards a common goal. Images like people pulling a rope together. Or creating together. There is always that aspect of togetherness in partnership.
We are partners with God in ushering in the Kingdom of God. Its a daunting thought, is it not? That God is inviting us to be part of this amazing, new thing that is happening.
But partnerships can quickly fall apart if there is not communication - listening and talking, which we do with God through prayer. It can also fall apart if we fail to go and do the work. Or if we think that we know better then God so we change the entire plan. You have to be on the same page as partners, working towards the same goal.
How are you a partner with God in the Kingdom of God? How can you grow into an even better partner for the sake of the Good News?
Monday, August 28, 2017
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Time with God: Partnership Devo
August 27th, 2017
Time with God: Partnership
A Brief Introduction:
During the month of August our weekly parish devotional is going to be a bit different. Instead of a daily scripture passage with reflection and questions, there will be one devotional with a spiritual practice you to engage for the entire week. As we focus on spending time with God, the hope and prayer is that these spiritual disciplines will lead us deeper in our relationship with the Holy One.
Scripture: John 15:7, James 4:2, and Mark 11: 21-25
Read the scripture daily. Read it slowly. What is God bringing to your attention through this passage?
Questions to consider:
- What does it look like for the word of God to abide in us?
- Do you think Jesus’s and James’s teachings on prayer mean that we always get what we pray for? Why or why not?
- How do we sometimes not give God the chance to respond to our prayers?
- Why do we at times not bear fruit for God’s Kingdom?
Spiritual Discipline.
Seek Spiritual Direction – give attention to your relationship with God through enlisting the help of another
Scripture: The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. (Isaiah 50:4)
Spiritual Practices:
- Enter into an intentional and regular relationship with a Spiritual Director. To find a list of directors in your area, go to www.sdiworld.org
- Allow another set of eyes and ears to help you interpret your experiences with God or God’s desire for your life.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Time with God: Apprenticeship
One of the aspects that I deeply appreciated about my apprenticeship periods working towards becoming an ordained minister, is that I was never on the journey of learning alone. There were mentors, peer learning groups, and other pastors and lay people along the way who were teaching me invaluable lessons and skills.
As we are journey as disciples/ apprentices of Jesus Christ we also are not alone. That's what the Church exists for. We have other brothers and sisters in the faith who are also learning how to more closely follow Jesus and proclaim the Kingdom of God with our words and our actions. The Church is both our peer learning group and also the place we can learn from seasoned-Saints.
But we also are never alone because we always have the Master, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, right beside us. Sometimes we may not like the lessons and skills we learn, yet Christ is teaching us what we need in order to carry his message into the World.
As we are journey as disciples/ apprentices of Jesus Christ we also are not alone. That's what the Church exists for. We have other brothers and sisters in the faith who are also learning how to more closely follow Jesus and proclaim the Kingdom of God with our words and our actions. The Church is both our peer learning group and also the place we can learn from seasoned-Saints.
But we also are never alone because we always have the Master, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, right beside us. Sometimes we may not like the lessons and skills we learn, yet Christ is teaching us what we need in order to carry his message into the World.
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Time with God: Apprenticeship Devo
August 20th, 2017
Time with God: Apprenticeship
A Brief Introduction:
During the month of August our weekly parish devotional is going to be a bit different. Instead of a daily scripture passage with reflection and questions, there will be one devotional with a spiritual practice you to engage for the entire week. As we focus on spending time with God, the hope and prayer is that these spiritual disciplines will lead us deeper in our relationship with the Holy One.
Scripture: Hebrews 5:8 and Hebrews 12:10-11
Read the scripture daily. Read it slowly. What is God bringing to your attention through this passage?
Questions to consider:
- What are some of the ways that we can suffer as disciples?
- How do we learn obedience to God?
- Tell of a time that you faced discipline for a sin in your life. What was the result?
- What fruit can discipline yield?
- What are some of the hard lessons you have learned as an apprentice/ disciple of Jesus Christ?
Spiritual Discipline. Prayer
Covenant Group – a group of people who commit themselves to authentic, confidential, and healing relationships as they promise to pray for each other and be a source of wisdom and encouragement.
Scripture: Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.” (Hebrews 10:5)
Spiritual Practices:
- Form a small group where authentic personal stories can be shared
- Confess to each other in confidence
- Have on-going long-term prayer for one another
- Allow others to get to know you well enough to speak the truth to you in love
Monday, August 14, 2017
Time with God: Communication
I remember once hearing about a phenomenon known as the liminal effect. It essentially proposed that there were certain relationships where we could pick up right where we left off the next time we see someone - even if its years. This is the effect that we see at places like class reunions. But I'm not sure if I buy into the idea of the liminal effect. While it may be true that we can pick up where we left off, we won't really go all that deep, because we are constantly stopping and starting.
Yet, isn't this how a lot of folks approach their relationship with God? That they grow close for a while, but then they stop and try to pick up where they left off, and we ended up with a lot of Christians with stunted relationships with God instead of deep ones.
I think we need to honestly ask ourselves if we truly desire deep relationships with God. We love the words of hymns like In the Garden, “He walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own”, but we don't always want to put the time and energy in to have this type of beautiful relationship.
Let us seek to have growing relationships with God starting today. Not just ones where we stop and start, but ones where we are constantly going deeper, discovering the richness of God's love for us.
Yet, isn't this how a lot of folks approach their relationship with God? That they grow close for a while, but then they stop and try to pick up where they left off, and we ended up with a lot of Christians with stunted relationships with God instead of deep ones.
I think we need to honestly ask ourselves if we truly desire deep relationships with God. We love the words of hymns like In the Garden, “He walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own”, but we don't always want to put the time and energy in to have this type of beautiful relationship.
Let us seek to have growing relationships with God starting today. Not just ones where we stop and start, but ones where we are constantly going deeper, discovering the richness of God's love for us.
Sunday, August 13, 2017
Time with God: Communication Devo
August 13th, 2017
Time with God: Communication
A Brief Introduction:
During the month of August our weekly parish devotional is going to be a bit different. Instead of a daily scripture passage with reflection and questions, there will be one devotional with a spiritual practice you to engage for the entire week. As we focus on spending time with God, the hope and prayer is that these spiritual disciplines will lead us deeper in our relationship with the Holy One.
Scripture: James 1:5 and Acts 1: 1-2
Read the scripture daily. Read it slowly. What is God bringing to your attention through this passage?
Questions to consider:
- What does the word wisdom mean to you? How has God granted wisdom in your life?
- How is communicating with God linked to the wisdom God gives us?
- What are some of the ways that God communicates with you?
- How do you make space in your life to intentionally listen to God?
- How is your relationship with God similar and different to other relationships in your life?
Spiritual Discipline. Prayer
Fixed Hour Prayer – a regular time during the day when you stop all activity to pray
Scripture: Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. (Psalm 119:164)
Spiritual Practice:
- Interrupt your work at a set time each day to pray. Pray for prayer requests or find a book of prayers (such as the Liturgy of the Hours or the Book of Common Prayer) to pray through during this time.
Monday, August 7, 2017
“Time with God: Faith”
When you think back on your life, who are the people who God has placed in front of you as examples of faith? Who are the people who inspire you to walk more closely with God? How do they inspire you to keep going on in the journey of faith?
I firmly believe God puts Saint in our lives to draw them closer to him. Some are those who have gone on to Glory. Folks like Sylvia, who always had time for me at her home and would talk to me about how God has always been present with her, in a way that opened up my eyes to more deeply see God's presence in my now life. Or Janice, who was by far one of my favorite people to visit, as she had stories that filled my heart with such joy about the blessings of God's love.
But some folks are Saints right here with us now, who invite us into deeper communion with the Divine. People like Michele, who would just call to check to see how I was doing and had the eyes of her heart open to the movement of God. Or Mrs. Stevenson, who speaks words of prophesy over people in a mighty way.
And we are the Saints for other people, when we faithfully walk with Jesus.
Let us surround ourselves with the Saints who are calling us on as we travel this journey. And may we share our faith with others, encouraging them as well. Let us lift up the name of God together!
I firmly believe God puts Saint in our lives to draw them closer to him. Some are those who have gone on to Glory. Folks like Sylvia, who always had time for me at her home and would talk to me about how God has always been present with her, in a way that opened up my eyes to more deeply see God's presence in my now life. Or Janice, who was by far one of my favorite people to visit, as she had stories that filled my heart with such joy about the blessings of God's love.
But some folks are Saints right here with us now, who invite us into deeper communion with the Divine. People like Michele, who would just call to check to see how I was doing and had the eyes of her heart open to the movement of God. Or Mrs. Stevenson, who speaks words of prophesy over people in a mighty way.
And we are the Saints for other people, when we faithfully walk with Jesus.
Let us surround ourselves with the Saints who are calling us on as we travel this journey. And may we share our faith with others, encouraging them as well. Let us lift up the name of God together!
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