LENT WEEK 1 DAY 3: COMMUNITY LIVING AS THE BELOVED

Continuing our meditations in  Being and Becoming the Beloved  as we walk the path of Lent with Henri Nouwen
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* 2nd part of our journey to Becoming the Beloved.
* Community.   We live in genuine community when we know we are Beloved. We may be alone but we are not lonely. In loneliness we are possessive until we hear we are the Beloved. When we are rooted in that Love there is possibility for Community.



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LIFE OF THE BELOVED  Available in print  * and Audio CD  LIFE OF THE BELOVED: Spiritual Living in a Secular World * * Beginning of this LIFE OF THE BELOVED video series HERE 2nd of the series 3rd of the series 4th is Lent 1st Sunday 5th of series

6th in the series

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* SHARED WITH ~ 
* Faith Filled Fridays *

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Prayer, Wonder, Transformation #LiveWonderstruck

When we choose to faithfully pray for wonder, we can’t remain the same.

A challenge from Margaret Feinberg, author of
Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God

A prayer for wonder invites God to begin transforming us from the inside out.[Tweet this]

When we pray for wonder and live eyes wide open to wonder,
the tone and tenacity with which we live our lives changes.
We become expectant to catch glimpses of God in ways we’ve never seen Him before.
We begin dismissing mere chance and embracing divine appointments.

Some people live as if they’re looking for Satan under every bush.

I’ve always thought:
Why spend time looking for an enemy
when you could live your life in hot pursuit of the Savior? [Tweet this]

Praying for wonder invites you to turn your eyes on God.
A prayer for wonder invites you to look for God under, in, and behind every bush. [Tweet this]

A prayer for wonder puts you on high alert for God and His handiwork
and join to God in the great plan of redemption He’s unfolding
throughout the earth. [Tweet this]

The truth is, praying for wonder will change you. Forever.
And that’s a good thing.

Join me in praying for wonder today - praying that God will transform us. Praying that we will experience and find God in all we do, everyday! 

Praying God's intended blessings on you as you pray !

{and #livewonderstruck}

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LInked with more inspy at Pamela's Sheltering Tree 

Easter JoY !

Easter

“Oh, what joy for those

      whose disobedience is forgiven,

      whose sin is put out of sight!”

The Alleluia of Easter 

while living in a Good Friday world, 

King David’s words resonate with me increasingly 

as I near the day of celebration.

Caspar David Friedrich 1833

My Lenten journey has been long 

as I’ve plumbed new depths of relationship 

with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  

Spiritual discoveries gained through exploration 

of new directions led by Holy Spirit, 

that voice behind me saying, 

"This is the way you should go,”” Is 30.21. 

From the very inception of this Lenten journey 

I have been led on a new path.  

Not a common path of caffeine or sugar sacrifice; 

A path of inner recognition; a path of listening and hearing; 

a path of relational focus;  

An uncommon path of sacrificing distractions.  

I was impelled to answer the searching gaze that queried, 

“What is keeping you occupied?  

What has your attention?  

Your focus?  Your heart?” 

Which is, of course, what God is always pursuing; 

our heart.  My heart in this case. 

 And was it a worthy focus?  A worthy occupation?  

These attractions; these distractions 

that so cleverly kept my attention?  

Anaesthetizing me to the very relationship 

to which I’m called and for which I’m created.  

The questions searched the depths of me; my core.  

Which they must if I am to be changed.  

To be transformed.  

To be conformed to the image 

of the One who designed and desires me as His own. 

And so the journey continues.  

Hearing, now that I’m listening.  

Listening, now that I’m hearing.  

The joy and beauty of a developing love relationship.  

How do we fall in love?  

By spending time together.  

Which is exactly what this Lenten journey has provided.  Focused time – together. 

Time intentionally redirected to God.  

Sitting in His Presence.  

Reading and re-reading His love letters.  

Conversation.   Notes taken in those conversations.   

Ah hah  moments of revelation.  

Resting in His embrace.  

Gratitude and reflection.  

Contemplation of beauty – His beauty.  

Of person, heart, love, nature.  

‘Altogether lovely’, isn’t He described in scripture?  

And I’ve - we’ve – been invited 

to discover this loveliness for ourselves. 

And so I enter into Easter.  

Into this celebration of joy.  

Focused.  Intentional.  

Undivided in heart and attention.  

In heart satisfying relationship with my Saviour.  

And with all Easter people I joyfully proclaim, 

Alleluia!  Christ is risen!  

The Lord is risen indeed!  

Alleluia!

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TUESDAY in Holy Week 3.26.13

If someone is serving me, let him follow me;
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
My Father will honour anyone who serves me.

John 12.26

O God,

by the passion of your blessed Son,

you made an instrument of shameful death

to be for us the means of life.

May our lives be so transformed by His passion

that we may witness to His grace;

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Readings:

 {click on reference to link directly to scripture}

Isaiah 49.1-7

Psalm 71.1-12

From my mother's womb You have been my strength.

1 Corinthians 1.18-31

John 12.20-36

Source of Life,

accept all we offer You this day,

and turn us from sin and death,

that we may share in the tree of life,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

. . .

Blessed are You, gracious God,

Creator of heaven and earth;

we give You thanks and praise

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who for our salvation became obedient unto death.

The tree of defeat became the tree of victory;

where life was lost, life has been restored.

Therefore with angels and archangels

and all the heavenly chorus,

we cry out to proclaim the glory of Your Name.

Faithful God,

may we who share this banquet

glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

our salvation, life, and hope,

who reigns as Lord now and for ever.
Amen.

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what are we thinking?

how are we approaching our lives?
passively or intentionally?
what are we thinking?...

 

contemplative creative living ...

Abbey of the Arts
Transformative living through
contemplative & expressive arts

 
this invitation to intentional life choices from Christine [Abbey of the Arts], resonated with me and wondered if it would include you as well.  are these commitments you've already made?   or are they challenging you to it? 

Monk: from the Greek monachos meaning single or solitary, a monk in the world does not live apart but immersed in the everyday with a single-hearted and undivided presence, always striving for greater wholeness and integrity
 Manifesto: from the Latin for clear, means a public declaration of principles and intentions.
Monk Manifesto: A public expression of your commitment to live a compassionate, contemplative, and creative life.
1. I commit to finding moments each day for silence and solitude, to make space for another voice to be heard, and to resist a culture of noise and constant stimulation.
 2. I commit to radical acts of hospitality by welcoming the stranger both without and within. I recognize that when I make space inside my heart for the unclaimed parts of myself, I cultivate compassion and the ability to accept those places in others.
 3. I commit to cultivating community by finding kindred spirits along the path, soul friends with whom I can share my deepest longings, and mentors who can offer guidance and wisdom for the journey.
 4. I commit to cultivating awareness of my kinship with creation and a healthy asceticism by discerning my use of energy and things, letting go of what does not help nature to flourish.
 5. I commit to bringing myself fully present to the work I do, whether paid or unpaid, holding a heart of gratitude for the ability to express my gifts in the world in meaningful ways.
 6. I commit to rhythms of rest and renewal through the regular practice of Sabbath and resist a culture of busyness that measures my worth by what I do.
 7. I commit to a lifetime of ongoing conversion and transformation, recognizing that I am always on a journey with both gifts and limitations.

the second point is particularly reminiscent of Henri Nouwen's book, 'Reaching Out', which has deep insight regarding hospitality.  i'd love to hear your responses if you too were impacted by Henri's book and certainly your thoughts on the monk manifesto.  thanks!

trust...

i've been experiencing interesting days of discovery, since returning from the mission, to find doves - otherwise not so attractively known as pigeons - had moved into the available space of my 10th floor balcony.  In my naivete, at the time, i didn't remove the 2 eggs in the nest.  In the intervening time, that naivete has been completely

replaced with worldly wisdom regarding dove eggs and nests.  i have already removed a further two within this past month without remorse.  but by allowing those first 2 eggs the opportunity to hatch, i have gained some amazing opportunities myself. 

i have enjoyed the upclose views of the little hatchlings in their wet yellow feathers.  watched those yellow feathers be filled in with the deep charcoals, greys and softest white down.  and just now seeing the beginnings of the translucent plum and green around the neck.  i've seen them go from cowering against the tyndal stone of the wall to hesitantly venturing into the open.  then in these past couple days, they've  begun to test their wings.  hopping from one foot to another fluttering every God given feather as they try to gain lift.  and finally, though barely reaching it, yet still they have - flown to the rail along the balcony's edge.  there they perch with claws struggling to keep their unsteady hold before they turn back around to try a wobbly flutter to the comfort of solid ground - balcony in this case.  almost big enough but not quite ready for freedom's flight. 

fascinating.  it's my daily exploration.  where are the babies?  what are they doing?  then stepping in to chase off offending larger doves that are interfering with the babies nest area.  both for the sake of the babies and preventing any further babies!  two has been enough of a nature lesson, thank you so much.

but it has had value also in recognizing the nature and necessity of process.  from the idea in the egg to the current stage of development has taken weeks.   nothing happened over nite.  yet the parents continue to hover over them, overseeing their every attempt and encouraging them in it.  they do this grasping thing with their beak on the young one's beak to pull them out further into the open.  then they flutter up onto the rail and soon the young one does too.  leading by example.  maybe that's where it comes from!  successfully too.  participating in that leading.

i don't know how much longer til the big leap off the rail, but i do know it will be in the fullness of time.  as with every advance in this development process.  as with all things when we allow H Sp to lead.  when H Sp is allowed to lead, things develop on and in time.  God knows ends from very beginnings.  and knows how to bring things to fulfillment.  initiating then fully participating in the process. 

the question is, are we willing to wait?  

are we willing to trust?