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A Shower of Prayer
A young girl laid her head down to sleep, the whispered words of a prayer on her lips: “Dear God, could you please let Miguel kiss me beneath the basketball hoop tomorrow at recess. Amen.”
This little girl’s prayer did not come true. I know this because it was mine, and no recess romance would ever bloom between Miguel and me. What would eventually come of these innocent words was a deep sense of shame and guilt. How could I have said such a thing to God? How sinful. How embarrassing! Combine this with the fact that most nights I’d fall asleep before saying amen, and I truly thought I was a failure at prayer.
Can you imagine?
Theological Study as a Spiritual Practice
Be honest – what is your first reaction when you hear the word “theology”?
Some of you might have internally eye-rolled – no judgment if you did! Many perceive theology as a quaint hobby akin to stamp-collecting. In this view, theology is a relic of a bygone era, detached from “real life.”
Or maybe you find yourself drawn to theology, but you assume serious study is not for you – or maybe it was for you if you’ve been to seminary, but those days are now behind you. In this view, theology is for academics and is, once again, detached from real life.
Or maybe your reaction was a different one altogether. Maybe you recoiled. Maybe “theology” is what was thrown in your face to attempt to exclude you from ministry. That has certainly …
Lectio Divina
As a child, I loved the Bible stories. They told of far-off times and places. And the people taught us about qualities that were good and noble. Despite the fact that I grew up in a Unitarian church, God was part of the tradition. We had a creed, short though it was, and it included “the leadership of Jesus.” Of course, I had no idea that Jesus was much more than a leader.
The only time I had a glimpse of something bigger was through…
Prayer Driving
Prayer walk? When am I going to find the time for that? I recently watched a blog on the fact that there would be an official New England prayer walk day at the end of May. I was inspired and wanted to participate, but when could I carve out the time?
I don’t know about you, but I spend more time in my car than I do walking outside.
Don’t get me wrong. I love walking and noticing God’s beautiful creation, especially in spring when I literally stop and smell the flowers, but with…
Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline
The Spiritual Discipline of Journaling helps us reflect on God’s faithfulness in the past to build trust for the present. Reflecting is about building perseverance based on what God has done so we can keep pressing forward (James 1:2-4).
The Prayer of Examen
Since we have the Spirit within us, we too can expect God will meet us where we are in the throes of daily life with all its joys and challenges. Even if the life we have right now is not the one we would choose, God is right there in our midst. Since we aren’t necessarily good at recognizing him in the ordinary, examining our day with him can be a help. The Prayer of Examen, a spiritual practice developed by Ignatius of Loyola in 1522, allows us to discern his presence and promptings and gives us insights into living and responding with grace.