the sign of jonah

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I guess we should be careful what we ask for, because we just might get it.  We ask for a miraculous sign and you send a great fish to swallow us up and take us to the depths.  What, O Lord, are you trying to accomplish in us in the whale’s belly?  May we be open and attentive to what you are up to deep within our souls, and in our lives, this day.  Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 12:38-40

Journal: What does the sign of Jonah mean for you right now?  How do you feel like you are in the belly of the whale these days?  What is God doing in you as a result?

Reflection:

            the sign of Jonah

            apparently

            three days and nights

            in the darkness

            are required

            before we are able

            to come fully

            into the light

            we can’t avoid

            the belly of the beast

            or the darkness of the tomb

            in this journey

            of transformation

we must be swallowed

            and taken to the depths

            of our own inner darkness

            before there can be

any real possibility

of being spit out

on some new shore

death is required

before resurrection

can take place

that is what

the sign of Jonah

is all about

Prayer

Closing Prayer: In the belly of the whale, O God, what are you trying to accomplish in me?  How are you wanting to swallow me up, in order that you might spit me out on some new shore?  What new life are you trying to birth within me?  Have your way with me, O Lord, whatever that may mean.  Amen.