Singing in the Presence of God – Lectio Divina

“On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. ” Psalm 100:1, MSG

                          Sing yourselves into his presence

Jump up onto my feet!

Clap my hands!

     The Lord is present!!

Tilt my head back and laugh aloud!

Dance with glee and abandonment!

     The Lord is here!

I don’t have to worry the God is gone

I cast my fear away that He can’t love my unworthiness.

    The Lord is full of grace and love!

When discouragement overwhelms me

When hope disappears

     I will sing myself into Your presence.

Music magically melts my masks and draws me into my Father’s arms   -

   To be held

      To be forgiven

          To be loved.

Nothing separates us from the love of God

Nothing

But when the shiny decoys of the world and my blinding ego block my sight,

I once again find You, Lord, though laughter and singing.

The Word of God from God – Quote of the Week

Dear Child,

Before you open my Word this morning, stop and consider what you are holding in your hands. It is more than paper and ink, more than words and sentences.

You are holding in your hands the very essence of who I am!

My Word in my nature, my wisdom, my guidance, my love distilled into letter form.

You are holding health and life, truth and healing.

Keep my Word before your eyes. Give it permission to roam in the rooms of your heart – cleaning, straightening, rearranging; closing doors on some things, opening windows on others.

My Word can be for your heart a companion, a hearth, and a housekeeper; a gardener to weed your thoughts and a guard against intruders.

And so, as you open my Word this day, read with your eyes, but listen with your life.

I want to speak to you,

God

From the book Postcards from Heaven by Claire Cloninger

My child, pay attention to what I say.
     

Listen carefully to my words.


Don’t lose sight of them.
      

Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Proverbs 4: 20-22 (NLT)

His Eye is on the Sparrow

I learned the other day the story behind one of my favorite hymns: His Eye is on the Sparrow. 

If you don’t know that song or do and want to enjoy it again, listen here on You Tube, featuring the singing group, Selah. 

One approach to prayer I really like is to read aloud , not sing, the words of a hymn and let them seep into my heart and spirit. Here are all of the words to this song to add to your devotions:

Why should I feel discouraged

Why should the shadows come, 


Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home, 


When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He: 


His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy, 


I sing because I’m free, 


For His eye is on the sparrow, 
And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear, 


And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; 


Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see; 


His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise, 


When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies, 


I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free; 


His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

This wonderful song is based on Jesus’ words from Matthew 10:29-31: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father… So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

A woman named Civilla Martin (1866-1948) wrote the lyrics to this hymn. Here is the story behind it, in her own words:

“Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle, true saints of God.

Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them.

One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle's reply was simple: "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."

The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn "His Eye is on the Sparrow" was the outcome of that experience.”

I watched a huge flock of birds in haphazard formation, heading south. Mrs. Doolittle's words flooded my heart. Amazing isn’t it that God is not only watching each of them, He cares for them.

Even more amazing – I know He watches and cares me.

Amazing isn’t it?

The Pleasure of Your Company

When you are in love you want to spend time with that person. You let your eyes soak in every move they make, your ears cling to their every sound, and your heart just bursts with joy.

I am in love.

In love with my granddaughter, Kyla. She whooshed into my heart in June 2009 and continues to capture my attention whenever we are together.

I watched her the other day. Stooping to pick up a crumb on the floor, studying it like a treasure from antiquity.

She devours spaghetti with gusto and delicious delight.

I giggled as she creates fun from an everyday object. Only a child’s heart and mind can see new possibilities in an ordinary humdrum of life.

Each new day is a wonderful opportunity to learn and explore.

Kyla went with us shopping the other day. I sat in the third row of the Suburban and even as she slept, snuggled in the arms of her car seat, I couldn’t keep my eyes from her. 

I enjoy just the pleasure of your company, Kyla, I thought.

That phrase stuck with me – the pleasure of your company. 

I wonder if that is how God feels about us.

Does He watch as we explore the treasures He playfully and purposely hides throughout our lives?

Does He smile when we enjoy a meal He so graciously provided?

Does He get excited when we use our childlike curiosity to be creative with His promises?

Do He quietly guard us, cherish us, brood over us while we slumber?

Are we His pleasure? Does He delight in our company?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

I know the magnitude and the depth of my love for Kyla pales in comparison with God’s love for each of us.

And I do believe God loves the pleasure of our company.

Refreshment Stand – Lectio Divina

They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out. Isaiah 48:21 (NIV)

They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts.

Lord, you are my refreshment. The only water that satisfies my parched throat.

I search elsewhere, especially in dry times, only to return to Your rock. When I once again realize You are my only source, You spill your love and grace with unrestrained generosity upon me like gushers of water.

I arrive scorched by the heat of the world. You pick me up. You replenish my soul.

May I taste Your goodness and sip Your streams of revitalizing waters.

Lord, I have heard the human body is more than 70% water. May You be in every molecule of that fluid within me.

You are the restoring water.

You are the source of all renewal.

You are Life.

What is God Building? – Quote of the Week by C. S. Lewis

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house.

At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense.

What on earth is He up to?

The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."

C.S. Lewis – Mere Christianity.

Praying with Scissors

Our moms told us, “Don’t run with scissors.” Teachers warned us, “Be careful playing with scissors.” 

But have you ever thought of praying with scissors?

I held a pair of scissors in my hands while I prayed the other day.

Lord, You invited me to tenderly think and pray with scissors. What are your lessons?

I smile as I drift back to kindergarten. Written on my report card are these words:  “Jean Anne needs more work with scissors.”

HA! I flunked ‘scissors” in that grade. Funny, Lord, you grace me with a humorous memory to begin our prayer time with some joy. I guess I still "need more work with scissors."

My fingers slowly traced the blades. The sharp edges reminded me of my harsh and prickly retorts to my family. Ouch that hurt them.

Lord, what do you want me to cut out? 

What strings do I cling to that block me giving my full heart to You.  Help me sever those ties with Your sacred snip.

Even up my jagged edges, Lord. Trim the useless fat that clogs my life.

Scissors can be wonderfully creative or tragically harmful – help me to know the difference.

Can I use scissors in my life in a productive way? There’s a rhythm to using scissors, a coordination of the fine motor skills, the thumb and pointing finger, working together, yet separately. Eye-hand coordination is moving the hand and scissors forward in a straight line without cutting off anything really important.

Lord, guide my fingers and coordinate my eyes to cut intricate design in life that You choose for me.

Two blades working in sync – I want to live like that. You move, I follow. May my every step match Yours.

 Scissors –

An ordinary object. 

Productive and functional under the right circumstances.

Creative when held in the right hands.

Just like me.

Learning New Habits

“Ah-Choo!”

Yesterday the lady in the pew in front of me sneezed. I watched her automatically cover her reaction by sneezing into the bend of her arm.  Coughing into our sleeves has become the acceptable and proper way to sneeze. A proven way to control the spread of disease.

Why even you-tube has a video telling the history of this new habit sweeping across the world.

Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday we were all sneezing and coughing into our hands? How did we switch to this better alternative so quickly?

Why are some good habits adopted faster than others?

Why can’t I consistently exercise and eat healthy as easily as I have learned to cough into my sleeve?

I have lots of questions and not too many answers, but this got me thinking about habits. Actually I spend some time reading and researching interesting facts about habits.

A New York Times article, based upon the research by Andy Ryan says:

“Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try — the more we step outside our comfort zone — the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.

But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the hippocampus, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately ingrain into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads.”

Mark Twain wrote, “Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.”

In my readings I found that the popular belief of it takes 21-30 days to adopt a habit is a myth. The length of time depends on who’s trying and what they are trying to do. The time range varies from 18-254 days. However, on average it took 66 days to make a habit stick.  The same study found that if you miss a day here or there, it does not affect the habit-forming process. Most important is the ability to keep going, even if you hit a setback or return to the unwanted habit.

Did coughing in our sleeves catch on because it affects others beside myself? If so, shouldn’t fastening your seatbelt, not drinking and driving, and driving the speed limit do the same? 

Was it society’s amount of positive reinforcement to cough into our sleeves that this habit took off with lightening speed?  A positive peer pressure?

Do you think one simple movement is easier to adopt than a more complex one? Could that be a reason?

Some habits get well established when a trigger is identified. A trigger is an event that will kick off that automatic urge to do a habit. Habits become automatic after we’ve created a bond between the trigger and the habit — the stronger the bond, the more ingrained the habit.

A sneeze is definitely a trigger.

Our spiritual walk can be filled with wonderful healthy habits, such praying, bible study, contemplation, and serving others. Maybe the spiritual habits I want to develop more consistently need more triggers?

A lady sneezed and instead of spreading germs, she stretched my curiosity about habits.  

What good habits would you like to develop? Why do you think some habits are more difficult than others?  Good topic to discuss and share.

Seeking God's Face - Lectio Divina

 

When you said, "Seek my face," my heart said to you, "Your face, O Lord, I shall seek." Psalm 27:8 (NASB)

“Seek my face"

Lord is this all you ask of me? To seek Your face?

To look intently only upon You.

       To live each day not distracted by the shining lights of a flashy world.

To see clearly only You.

        Let my vision not be clouded over by ego.

To hunger only for you.

       Not fill the holes in my soul with empty idols.

To pay attention to the subtle gentle stirring of Your spirit

        And avoid the jostling and jarring uneasiness of living away from You.

Turning, repenting once again to face You and seek Your face.

What a wonderful way to live!

Our Light Within - Elizabeth Kubler-Ross Quote of the Week

People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. 
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Deep Pockets

Letting go and surrendering to God is difficult, especially for people like me who have a strong urge to remain in control. Not only do I have control issues, but also throughout my life I have leaned heavily and even been proud of my independence.

“No I don’t need any help.”

“I can do it myself.”

“I can do it all.”

One prayer practice that has helped me yield my ego to God is using my imagination:  I place into God’s hands whatever circumstance is troubling me. I give Him my concerns and fears. I visualize placing those I pray for into His loving care.

Not that this isn’t always easy. I reach out with shaking hands, open them slowly, and, to be honest, with great hesitation, let go. And not only once, but over and over again, giving God everything in prayer.

Hard lesson to learn.

But the other day, God stretched me even further.

I heard Him whisper, “Empty your pockets.”

Like watching a movie, I reached into my pants pockets, turning them inside out and spilling the hidden contents – long ago but still raw hurt feelings, unresolved painful matters about family members, and left over issues stamped “someday I will work on these.”

God wanted me to surrender everything. Foolishly I thought I had with my little imaginary trick.

God invited me to dig deeper and give up my hidden unspoken brokenness into His hands for healing. I thought the first step was hard; this move is downright terrifying.

But I trust God. He promises to be with me, continually molding me into the child He created me to be. 

With God's grace and help: 

I will let go.

I will reach deep.

I will empty my pockets.

What prayer practice do you use to draw you closer to God?

The Spiritual Practice of Astonishment

“It's possible that our primary role as humans is that of celebration. We have this destiny - and even duty - to become astonished by the universe!"—Physicist Brian Swimme.

Pegge Bernecker’s words in the current issue of Listen caused me to pause and think about the role of astonishment and wonder in my life. She writes:

"Why would it be valuable to cultivate the contemplative practice of astonishment? My intuition and experience inform me that our willingness to become astonished by someone or something develops compassion, integrity, kindness, creative action, forgiveness, and a heightened ability to be fully human, fully alive. I learn—maybe you do too—that when we become astonished, we:

·      Let go of preconceived ideas and patterns of thinking

·      Allow the present moment to interrupt the past and future

·      Engage our senses

·      Nurture alertness

·      Trust unknown possibility, mystery

·      Grow laughter and delight

·      Engage

·      Discover unimaginable reality

·      Risk forgiveness, transformation

·      Dare to be brave

·      Become healers and healed, joyful

·      Inspire gratefulness”

The practice of astonishment is a spiritual habit I want to cultivate. I feel God is inviting me to look with new eyes upon my world, my circumstances, and my everyday ordinariness. I thirst to capture a glimpse of God in all things.

How will I do this? First take my desire to God in prayer. Secondly, take a moment each day to pause and reflect upon my surroundings with gratitude. And last, to really pay attention to whoever is right in front of me.

As I waited last week in a congested busy hotel lobby, I observed a hotel worker asking a gentleman if she could help him. She never took her eyes off his face as she intentionally focused only on him while hundreds of people hurried past her in the chaos of that central place. I marveled at her ability not to be distracted by the surrounding noise and movements. She paid attention to him.

I think if I could be fully attuned to the person I am with and awake to the emotions of whatever circumstance I find myself in, I would be astonished.

Amidst the world’s noise, the busyness of multitasking, and the pressures of life, my senses have grown dull.  I don’t think this is God’s intention for us to live this way. 

How much more alive it would feel to live with a sense of astonishment!  And as Swimme said in the opening quote, “We have this destiny - and even duty - to become astonished by the universe!”

How do you practice astonishment in your life?

Holding my Head Up – Lectio Divina

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; 
you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. Psalm 3:3 (NLT)

The one who holds my head high

Yes, hold my head up, Lord

I walk around with my head lowered in shame

   My head heavy with shame from my sins and failure to obey.

Lowering my head in humble realization who I am and who You really are.

My chin touching my chest aching with battle fatigue from the world’s demands.

Bu You, Lord, rescue me.

You come to me –

    You wrapped your loving arms around me

         You provide strength and protection

               You hold my head up high.

You tell me don’t be ashamed.

You reassure me I am Your child

And nothing will come between us.

Not by my strength

   Not by my power,

      Not by my will

         But You,

           Only You.

You, Lord, hold my head high as a child of God.

  

A Prayer by Joyce Rupp - Quote of the week

A Prayer to Be Free From Tizzies* Dear God, you who did not invent tizzies, be with me when I get caught in the wild worrying of my mind, and the needless scurrying around in my fearful heart. Trip me up when I fret and stew so I can see the trap of tizzies, with their schemes to keep me bunched up in stress and strain. Let me fall headfirst into the truth of your never-ending presence, wrap your kind arms around me and calm my doubts and fears. Shout loudly in my spiritual ear when my nerves get knotted, my mind feels cramped, and my stomach screams. It may be difficult, but do try to get my full attention, because tizzies are not healthy, and they definitely chase peace out the front door of my heart. Dear God, you did not invent tizzies, I did, and only I can send them on their way, and I will, if you strengthen me to let go of my anxious hold on what is nonessential. ---Joyce Rupp from The Out of the Ordinary *A tizzy is a "state of frenzied excitement or distraction, especially over some trivial matter" (Webster's New Unabridged Dictionary).

Breath Prayers

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the LORD. Psalm 150:6

Have you heard of “Breath Prayers?”

Breath prayers are short prayers said in one breath. Simple, repetitive and surprisingly ancient. The breath prayer generally involves quietly repeating a chosen phrase for several minutes, allowing the prayer to take on the shape of one's breathing so that the words accompany every breath.

Examples of common breath prayers are “In you, Lord, I put my trust,” “Help me understand your ways, Lord,”  “Lord I am yours,” and “My Lord and my God.” The idea is to pick a meaningful phrase and repeat it until it becomes a part of your being.

Perhaps the most famous breath prayer is the Jesus Prayer. This prayer goes like this: "Lord Jesus Christ" (while breathing in), "have mercy on me, a sinner" (while breathing out). This is done repeatedly until all is stilled within your heart.

In the 19^th century, an unknown Russian peasant told the story of his search to learn to pray without ceasing in the book, The Way of the Pilgrim. Once he learned the Jesus Prayer, he prayed it continuously until the words becomes such a part of him he was in prayer whether awake or asleep.

The Jesus Prayer grew out of Luke 18:13. Prayers that use breathing this way probably go far back in history, with early breath-prayers based on the refrains of the Psalms. They are brief, simple expressions of the longings of the heart.

Breath prayers can be helpful when you just don’t know what to pray, like in times of spiritual dryness or difficulties. This prayer expresses dependence and trust in God that often produces a calm and a sense of nearness to the Lord.

"Prayer does not mean simply to pour out one's heart. It means rather to find the way to God and to speak with him, whether the heart is full or empty."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Wouldn’t it be delightful to be in prayer as intimately and regularly as breathing? What is your favorite breath prayer and how has it helped you?

Autumn Feast

Lord, I enjoyed our meal together this morning.

My eyes feasted on the seasonal smorgasbord surrounding me –

   Light bouncing through the crevices of the clouds,

     Patches of trees blazing with brilliant oranges, burnt browns, and deepening reds,

        Fog drifting gently across earthen sea.

I drank in the beauty of geese rising in formation,

   Deer gleaning the harvested fields,

      Leaves dancing with the wind.

Lord of the harvest, You express exquisite creativity in nature.

   This annual autumn feast reveals Your glory

      I am amazed and grateful that You prepare this fall feast for our enjoyment.

   

And I think You, Lord, must take delight in this time of year also.

****************************************************************************

Fall is NOT my favorite time of year, but the morning I wrote this prayer I was overwhelmed by its beauty. Autumn reminds me of the cycle of life and that even as things appear to be dying, they are also becoming new again.

What does fall show you?

God Will Never Leave Us - Never – Lectio Divina

The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:8

He will never leave you.

Never.

Never? You really mean that Lord? Never?

No matter how far I stray?

No matter what I say or fail to do?

No matter if I walk away from You?

No matter if I get angry with You?

No matter what?

You will never leave me?

You stay

I drift

You stay

I wander

You stay

I get lost

You stay

I slink back to You with my head hung low.

Thank you for being my constant and my rock.

Thank you for never abandoning me when the world, others, and even my own self abandon the soul within me.

Thank you for never leaving me.

Never

What We Hold in our Hands - Quote of the Week

‎"I have held many things in my hands and have lost them all, but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess." -Martin Luther