A friend recently asked how we identify subjects for Christian Playbook posts. The fact is, the Spirit frequently moves in mysterious ways…  🙂

Today is such an example. While on the journey to another prayer, this one #58 “For Muslims” from the Book of Common Worship (HERE) jumped from the page. It seems mighty appropriate given what’s going on with U.S. immigration at the moment:

# 58

For Muslims

Eternal God,

you are the one God to be worshiped by all,

the one called Allah by your Muslim children,

descendants of Abraham as we are.

Give us grace to hear your truth

in the teachings of Mohammed, the prophet,

and to show your love as disciples of Jesus Christ,

that Christians and Muslims together

may serve you in faith and friendship.

Amen.

What are the ways that you can show friendship and love to those of a different faith today?

If you’re looking for a resource showing lots of parallels between Islam and Christianity, consider checking out Spiritual Gems of Islam.

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 5, 2017:

In this excerpt from Positive Living Day by Day, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale shares faith-filled steps to revolutionize your life.

“I believe that faithful following of these five rules will revolutionize the life of any person.

1. Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid.
   The person who is afraid cuts himself off from the flow of power, but when you venture boldly, there comes a flow of power in response.
2. Deny adverse conditions.
   Don’t go around saying or thinking: “Conditions are against me.” Face facts, but realize that it often happens that a person is defeated not so much by the facts of a situation as by his negative interpretation of the facts. In every problem there is an inherent good. Believe that.
3. Picture good outcomes.
   By envisioning good things, you actually bring good influences into play, both within yourself and in the world around you.
4. Pray for every person you meet with by name. 
   Pray that he or she may benefit from the dealings you have with him or her.
5. Practice Christian love toward everybody.”

May we take the time to be revolutionized by these efforts and so many others in our Christian lives.

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 29, 2017:

• Micah 6:1-8
• Psalm 15
• 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
• Matthew 5:1-12

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

When seeking to walk humbly with our God, the Book of Common Worship is a wonderful resource. You can see it online HERE, though we highly recommend the hard copy if you use this regularly

Several years back, the prayer for those Middle-Aged (#110 on p. 833 in the online version) caught me ‘just right,’ including these lines

“… Show men and women your purpose for them, so that, when youth is spent, they may not find life empty or labor stale, but may devote themselves to dear loves and worthy tasks, …”

If you have a few minutes during lunch today or in the days ahead, take a look at the online version – you’ll likely be very glad you did.

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 29, 2017:

• Micah 6:1-8
• Psalm 15
• 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
• Matthew 5:1-12

Movin’ and prayin’ can be a wonderful way to experience God and one nice example is this Quaker Prayer:

{Put your PALMS UP – arms stretched out in front of you}

God, you have given my life into my hands. I give it back to you. My time, my property, my life itself…knowing it is only an instant compared to my life with you in eternity.

{Move to PALMS DOWN – arms stretched out in front of you}

Parent God, to you I release the cares and concerns of this world, knowing you loved us enough to send your child who shared loving words and actions. I’m a sinner in need of a God-inspired example and, once again, I accept what you have done for me as sufficient.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Did the movements enhance your prayer? If so, maybe you’ll want to try another of these “movin’ and prayin’ ” prayers in the days ahead?

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 22, 2017:

Psalm 27:4  One thing I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

The Northumbria Community (NC) has some wonderful materials, including a Prayer CD that we used while creating our Daily Prayer Audio. Why not give today’s Northumbria Community evening prayer (HERE) a try whenever you get a chance during the day (you don’t have to wait until evening!)   🙂

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 22, 2017:

[Christian Playbook posts over the next few weeks will focus on a prayer theme…]

A treasured book in my collection is A Pocket Prayer Book, given to our dad by his pastor in the early 1950s. The wonderful thing? Words of prayer really just haven’t changed that much!***

However, today’s technology can improve our access and experiences with prayers. The Prayer of St. Francis, contained in A Pocket Prayer Book is said with accompanying gestures in this YouTube video by Tom Sparough (Space Painter.) For many, the movements strengthen the prayer experience.

So maybe today during your conversations with God, a few gestures will find their way into the time together, using the video above or some prayers and movements of your own creation? 🙂

May it be a great day, filled Christ Jesus-centered purpose!

***[HERE’S a nice poem out of that book, written by Ralph Spaulding Cushman]

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A year ago we pointed to this UMC website article about finding more time to pray.

Seedbed.com shares a daily post that includes actions and prayers. Check it out HERE and maybe you’ll like one of the examples so much that you’ll do a free, daily subscription for a while?

Having said that, here’s one other tip to share as it relates to internet resources: consider setting up a free email account (gmail, yahoo, etc.) and pointing all of your Christian resource materials to that email address. That way, when you do go to Christian materials you can stay focused on those and you can try a whole bunch of daily/regular Christian emails and not worry about cluttering your personal email account.

Whatever you do, here’s hoping you enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

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The work that Alive Now does with Audio Lectio will be sadly missed by our community once that publication is done. We can hope that Upper Room will provide this in some other way? 🙂

You can listen to this Sunday’s gospel lesson (Matthew 3:13-17 “Baptism of the Lord”) HERE: http://alivenow.upperroom.org/audio-lectio/ The three readers do an excellent job of sharing this lesson and the guided discussion is wonderful.

John the Baptist obeyed despite his objections. Think of times you’ve balked at something you know you really should do. Maybe the Spirit will move through us today based on taking in John’s lesson? 🙂

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

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Today’s “A Prayer for a Leader” (UCC devotional) spurs nice reminders from Psalm 72 regarding justice, compassion and peace. May those characteristics emanate from all our leaders in the coming years!

This is the prayer at the end of the devotional:

Prayer

God of all nations, as the Psalm affirms, give our leaders—and us—your justice, your compassion for the poor, and your passion for peace. Amen.

Perhaps this is a prayer to be said today and in the days ahead?

May we all – fueled by the Spirit – seek justice, show compassion and pursue peace!