Are you ready for Ash Wednesday and Lent 2019? Hard to believe but we’re less than one week away…

One resource for Lent that I’ve really enjoyed is The Rising: Living the Mysteries of Lent, Easter and Pentecost by Wendy M. Wright. In the book’s introduction she says…

“The liturgical year roots our faith. It grounds the invisible, animating our lives in the visible, tactile world. It is elemental. It drapes flesh on the skeletons of our too-ghostly religiosity. It connects heaven with earth, divine with human. It allows us access to the mysteries of our faith. In its feasts and fasts we taste and see God.” ~ The Rising: Living the Mysteries of Lent, Easter and Pentecost by Wendy M. Wright (pages 13-14)

That flesh-on-skeleton commentary is inspiring to many of us as we spend more time in church and community while living the mysteries. May we indeed “taste and see God!”

POTENTIAL ACTION: Perhaps you’ll want to purchase Wendy’s book or pull another resource off of the church library shelves or your personal bookshelf to help uncover some clues to solving the Lenten mysteries?

May the Spirit move through you vibrantly during the Lenten season!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 3, 2019:

• Exodus 34:29-35
• Psalm 99
• 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
• Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

Prayer Hasn’t Changed That Much…But Experiencing It Can!

My dad’s pastor gave him the Pocket Prayer Book in the 1940s. The wonderful thing? Prayer just hasn’t changed that much!

The Prayer of St. Francis is one of the prayers in the Pocket Prayer Book and has become well-known over the generations. Savor a reading of it.

POTENTIAL ACTION: Watch this video (HERE) with Tom Sparough (Space Painter) doing a nice job with the prayer using gestures. Hope you enjoy it! 

Make it a great day, with a Christ-centered purpose!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 3, 2019:

• Exodus 34:29-35
• Psalm 99
• 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
• Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

It’s nice to see the number of different avenues that people can take to share love with others. If you’ve heard of Daily Skimm, you may have seen their Do-Gooder You section already. If not, check out this portion of their website (HERE,) with lots of ways – large and small – to share God’s love.

May these ideas fuel us and others to love and good works, in Jesus’ example and name!

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 24, 2019:

• Genesis 45:3-11, 15
• Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40
• 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
• Luke 6:27-38

Moving while praying can frequently enhance the experience. Several examples of “movin’ and prayin’ are HERE

Included on that webpage is this practice of “the whirling dervish” (HERE) Maybe it’s worth a try today? (http://bit.ly/CPPolishTheHeart)

If so, don’t get too dizzy with the effort!  🙂

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 24, 2019:

• Genesis 45:3-11, 15
• Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40
• 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
• Luke 6:27-38

A friend sent along this devotional (HERE) from Christian Century using the Luke scripture verse. I particularly like this concept from the devotional:

“There is no space between those who suffer and those who rejoice; we all receive the gift of the one who brings God’s kingdom, and we are receiving it in the same place—a level place.”

As we find ourselves today in this level place, may we help comfort the suffering and join enthusiastically in the rejoicing, whether we feel like it or not!

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit…

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 17, 2019:

• Jeremiah 17:5-10
• Psalm 1
• 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
• Luke 6:17-26

Love is one of the Christian Playbook actions and is symbolized by the mobius band image [far right at the bottom of this page which links directly to the Love page.]

On this Valentine’s Day, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking this day is only for lovers of a certain type. Maybe that’s what the retailers want us to believe?

The diverse Greek system of loves can provide consolation relating to love. A nice article on this is highlighted on the CP Love tab, and included as a link HERE.

So… let’s think of this day as celebrating all types of love. By mapping out – and then performing – some loving actions, we can be an example to all around us of what the world can be.

After all, as the song says – and this YouTube helps describe – “what the world needs now, is love sweet love!”

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 17, 2019:

• Jeremiah 17:5-10
• Psalm 1
• 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
• Luke 6:17-26

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Maybe someone you know is carrying a heavy burden. If so, perhaps today is the day to send him/her/them a note of encouragement (and also send prayers of strength/support?)

This Amy Grant song (HERE) is very topical. If you can, spend the 3 minutes to listen to this tune. Let the words and music fill your heart as you allow the burdens to lift a little from your own life and see God lifting those burdens from your loved ones too.

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 17, 2019:

• Jeremiah 17:5-10
• Psalm 1
• 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
• Luke 6:17-26

Ready to enact some new “all in” behaviors for God?

Maybe Resting in God (RiG) can be one of those ideas? In his book Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, Richard J. Foster talks about many aspects of prayer.

Here are two key quotes from Chapter 9:

[Page 96] “No teaching flowing out of the Sabbath principle is more important than the centrality of our resting in God…. This does not promote inactivity, but it does promote dependent activity. No longer do we take things into our own hands. Rather, we place all things into divine hands and then act out of inner promptings.” [underline added]

[Page 98] ” ‘Prayer takes place in the middle voice,’ writes Eugene Peterson. In grammar the active voice is when we take action, and the passive voice is when we receive the action of another, but in the middle voice we both act and are acted upon. We participate in the formation of the action and reap the benefits of it. ‘We neither manipulate God (active voice) or are manipulated by God (passive voice.) We are involved in the action and participate in its results but do not control or define it (middle voice).’”

POTENTIAL ACTION(S): Maybe the weekend will afford Resting in God via a long walk, walking a labyrinth, light stretching, prayer with a candle lit or ???

Enjoy the weekend, resting in God and filled with the Spirit!

P.S. If you’re looking into buying a new book for your Christian practices library, Foster’s book is a good one if you don’t have it already.

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 10, 2019:

• Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13)
• Psalm 138
• 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
• Luke 5:1-11

The final Singing Sister song in this 2019 series is Zacchaeus (listen HERE). You can see a little more about the song HERE.

In Luke 19 we read about Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector who was wealthy. Jesus sees Zacchaeus, wants to be with him and is welcomed gladly. People mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

A pretty effective commentary concludes the story:

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” ~Luke 19:9-10

The energy of the Singing Sister song enhances an image of Jesus as a caring, joyful presence. That joy is shared with Zacchaeus and is an opportunity for us to share as we work to be Christ-like in the communities where we find ourselves.

POTENTIAL ACTION: Check out the Love section of the Christian Playbook HERE. Maybe one of these items can find your “to do” list in the week ahead?

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 3, 2019:

• Jeremiah 1:4-10
• Psalm 71:1-6
• 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
• Luke 4:21-30

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.  ~ Psalm 27:4

The Northumbria Community (NC) has some wonderful materials including a Prayer CD that we used as inspiration while creating the CP 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!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 3, 2019:

• Jeremiah 1:4-10
• Psalm 71:1-6
• 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
• Luke 4:21-30