following Jesus, saturday

Saturday, July 19

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I am still so divided.  I truly want to follow you, but I also want to follow my own desires and lend an ear to the voices that speak about prestige, success, popularity, pleasure, power, and influence.  Help me to become deaf to those voices and more attentive to your voice, which calls me to choose the narrow road to life.  I know this will be a very hard road for me.  The choice for your way has to be made every moment of my life.  I have to choose thoughts that are your thoughts, words that are your words, and actions that are your actions.  There are no times and places without choices.  And I know how deeply I resist choosing you.  Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every place.  Give me the strength and courage to live my life faithfully, so that I will be able to taste with joy the new life which you have prepared for me.  Amen. (The Road to Daybreak by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

         

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 19:1-10

Reading for Reflection:

     The One Who Stayed

You should have heard the old men cry,

You should have heard the biddies

When that sad stranger raised his flute

And piped away the kiddies.

Katy, Tommy, Meg and Bob

Followed, skipping gaily,

Red-haired Ruth, my brother Rob,

And little crippled Bailey,

John and Nils and Cousin Claire,

Dancin’, spinnin’, turnin’

‘Cross the hills to God knows where-

They never came returnin’.

‘Cross the hills to God knows where

The piper pranced, a leadin’

Each child in Hamlin Town but me,

And I stayed home unheedin’.

My papa says that I was blest

For if that music found me,

I’d be witch-cast like all the rest.

This town grows old around me.

I cannot say I did not hear

That sound so haunting hollow-

I heard, I heard, I heard it clear…

I was afraid to follow.

(Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

            

Closing Prayer:

Batter my heart, three-person'd God ; for you
As yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new

                                                            ~John Donne