Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.
Opening Prayer:
Teach me, God to make room for you in all the events and affairs of my days. Then I shall find rest. Then I will be at peace with myself and with you. (Norman Shawchuck in A Guide To Prayer for All Who Seek God)
Psalm for the Week: Psalm 18:16-29
Scripture for the Day: Deuteronomy 8:1-20
Reading for Reflection:
We throw open our doors to God and
discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We
find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide
open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
(Romans 5:2 - The Message)
I
read these words the other day and just can’t get away from them, they have
continued to echo and reverberate deeply within me. I guess that's because the
idea of spaciousness has been one I have always been drawn to. Maybe it’s
because of the freedom (and life and grace) that is inherent in a spacious
place. A spacious place offers room; room to roam, room to grow, room to
flourish, room to be—and room to become. I like room, I don’t like to be
crowded or constricted or constrained. And I don’t just like room, I need
room…the life of God within me requires it. It seems to me that the very life
of the Spirit is one of spaciousness, ever expanding us within. The more deeply
we journey into God, the more room there is, and the more spacious and free
life becomes. I like that…I like it a lot. It is so inviting. It makes me want
to throw my doors open completely to him; knowing that when I do, I find his
doors already wide open before me—with the wide open spaces of his grace and
love going on and on and on. What could be more inviting than that?
~Jim
Branch, October,
2011
Reflection and
Listening: silent and written
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Song for the Week: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Song for the Week: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
How deep the Father's love
for us
How vast beyond all
measure
That He would give His only
Son
To
make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing
loss
The Father turns His face
away
As wounds which mar the chosen
One
Bring many sons to
glory
Behold the Man upon a
cross
My
guilt upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call
out among the scoffers
It
was my sin that held Him there
Until it was
accomplished
His
dying breath has brought me life
I
know that it is finished
I will not boast in
anything
No
gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I
will boast in Jesus Christ
His
death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His
reward?
I cannot give an
answer
But this I know with all my
heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
O Lord, the house of my soul is too small for
you to enter: make it more spacious by your
coming.
~St. Augustine
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