Sunday-Ps.80 fits the rust belt’s story of decline. It also attributes to God the cause of downfall. Verse 5 is a poetic marvel of the experience of loss.It doe snot stop there, but looks toward restoration. Where would you like to see personal and community restoration?
Monday-The unexamined life is not worth living," said Socrates. I say, "The examined life is worth living twice!" Examen is all about: harvesting fruits of experience. Ignatius of Loyola offers a method for prayerful reflection on daily events to discern God's presence and direction.... Like a slow moving train, reflect on events of the past day: 1. Gifts (Wow!)... 2. Struggles (whoa!)... 3. Invitation (What now?).Ira Kent Groff
Tuesday-“Participation in the eternal is not given to the separated individual. It is given to him in unity with all others, with mankind, with everything living, with everything that has being and is rooted in the divine ground of being. All powers of creation are in us, and we are in them. We do not hope for us alone or for those alone who share our hope; we hope also for those who had and have no hope, for those whose hopes for this life remain unfulfilled, for those who are disappointed and indifferent, for those who despair of life, and even for those who have hurt or destroyed life. Certainly, if we could only hope each for himself, it would be a poor and foolish hope. Eternity is the ground and aim of every being, for God shall be all in all.” Paul Tillich
Wednesday-From Richard Rohr:"Many Christians live with a terrible sense of being rejected, because their religion is basically a worthiness game where no one really wins... The Gospel will always be misinterpreted by the false self in terms of some kind of climbing or achieving. Since the false self can't even understand the command to love one's enemies, it has to disregard the message as naive, which is exactly what most of Christian history has done. "May we find more of our true selves of love today.
Thursday-"During the day it is hard to remember that all the stars in the sky are out there all the time, even when I am too blinded by the sun to see them. While I am driving to the post office to pick up my mail, a shooting star could be flying right over the hood of my car. While I am walking to the library to return an overdue book, Orion’s Belt could be twinkling right above me. It is always night somewhere, giving people the darkness they need to see, feel, and think things that hide out during the day."~From Learning to Walk in the Dark
Friday-Gratitude takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.” - MERTON
Saturday-Luke 12:49-56 What kinds of forecasts are you expecting in your life? Clear skies, money in the bank and summer vacation? Or is it storms of sadness? It is fascinating how we worry and wonder over the sky and never see our neighbor.Jesus constantly said don't miss the beloved child of God that has been put right in front of you. We look at the sky, we look at the ground, but we can so easily miss the face of the person next door. When we look at our neighbor's face, we can see there too forecasts of joy, sorrow, fear or peace. Do we have the eyes to "interpret the present time?" Kevin and Amber Marten Bergeso
No comments:
Post a Comment