Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transparent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world. ~ Sara Ban Breathnach
: ) I love Taz. God love this funny little
character! I feel a lot like he looks!
It has been a rough few days. That may be obvious to those who have been following me since there has been no blog post for a couple of days. This evening, I have thoughts to share from my own heart as well as my thoughts from Chapter 8 of Macrina's book. I have thoughts, but my body is to tired to sit at the computer. I would kill for a back massage! : )
I don't know about others, but with me, it is easy for despair to begin to seep into my soul when I am so physically tired. Knowing this, I went in search of music to ease my frazzled nerves and I began my search with Don Moen. The man speaks to me when I am feeling tired and edgy...when I am feeling a little distant from God.
Honestly? I am fairly certain that my fatigue comes not from just the physical, although that is great. I think this fatigue is also from the fact I have not had moments of quiet prayer and reflection for the past 2-3 days. Like I just said, I feel a bit distant from God...and you know what! I know he is not the one who has moved!
I used to go like this for days on end, but now, I know there is more to real living than rushing from one thing to another. At this point in my life journey, I can appreciate that when I do not have those honest moments with God, I have missed out on nourishment that feeds more than just my heart.
I'm going to call it an early night, knowing that tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow will be a full day! A sermon to finish, a bulletin to prepare, August's calendar to complete for the church, calls to return, AND time spent in prayer and refection as I journal and read. Praise God for the gift of night and the gift of rest! Praise God, for the promise within a new day!
Lord, I long to feel your presence within me and around me. I surrender to you, I no longer want to pretend that I can do this life alone...I don't want to go it alone! Lord, I want you to lead me and guide me along this path! I thank you and I praise you! AMEN.
I looked back this morning and discovered I have been blogging for 130 days! When I began, it was a way to keep me accountable to a book study during Lent. I was a wreck, trying to figure out how to begin. I didn't know what I would write about. I was anxious, yet I couldn't shake the sense that it was something I wanted to try.
And I am so glad I did!
In the past 130 Days:
I have grown more confident in my writing.
I have enjoyed having a place to play with music and images along with my words.
Having a place to share, my interest in photography has once again blossomed.
I have met some wonderful people and reflected on new thoughts and insights as I have read Joyce Rupp's book The Cup of Our Life and Macrina Wiederkehr, A Tree Full of Angels.
I have met challenges and have gained the courage to keep stepping into the unknown.
I might have expected these moments of Laughter, Listening, Learning and Loving...what I did not expect:
Connecting with people, I will most likely never meet in this lifetime!
My world become much broader and richer as I have begun reading other blogs and sometimes responding to the challenges I discover.
The desire to begin journals for each of my grandkids. I feel for certain, that has come from my own blogging and reading the blogs of others.
Yesterday, not realizing I had been blogging for 129 days, I began looking for a new image to post on my Blog and on Facebook that would say more about me. Up until yesterday I had a cup (The Cup of Our Life) and a tree (A Tree Full of Angels). On my Facebook page I had a picture of a pen and journal. But, yesterday I felt bold enough to post an image that was "ME."
Where is "Sandi" within this image?
1. It is a child, and through my blogging I feel as though I have rediscovered my childlike faith, curiosity, imagination...
.
2. She seems as though she is full of joy and praise.
.
3. I can't see what is in front of her, just as I can't see what is behind her. That is another image I want to hold on to. Arms lifted in joy without knowing what is ahead and not letting what is past shadow today.
.
4. Lastly, the tree beside her. I love nature and I love trees. For me there is something mysterious and life giving about a tree. Like people, there are differences even within the same variety. I sense a wisdom within a tree that stands rooted from season to season, with its branches lifted toward the source of its life.
If you are reading this, you have helped me to Laugh - Listen - Learn and to Love and I thank you!
I woke to low rumbling thunder and gray skies. Thinking of a worship song to begin my morning, one of my favorites came to mind...
May children show me how
to reflect the joy of Jesus!
Lord, this song stirs my heart when I sing its words. Watching this video I thought, "Wouldn't it be great if the lights seen from space of all our cities and monuments were actually the lights of Christians reflecting your light and your glory?" Spirit of Pentecost, fan the flames of Jesus' light that resides in my soul! With your help and your power, may I reflect his light throughout this gray and rainy day! AMEN.
This morning I prayed how to best share Macrina's thoughts on Lectio Divina. She articulates the history of this spiritual discipline so well, that I think the best way to share, is simply share her words.
She begins by saying that the monastic tradition to which she belongs stresses the value of seeking intimate communion [with God] through persistent dwelling with and in the Word of God. This form of prayer is called Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina, or Divine Reading, is more than spiritual reading,
...desire to be transformed.
It is reading with the Eye of God and under the Eye of God.
It is reading with the desire to be transformed by the Word of God, rather than just to acquire facts about God.
"The incarnational aspect of Christianity reminds us that all of life is full of God. God is in all. Lectio Divina, then, is a way of reading God in everything. Under the eye of God, we read God everywhere, until finally we move into the eye of God." (Macrina Wiederkehr, A Tree Full of Angels, p 50)
"Incarnational"
To back up, for just a moment... Incarnate means "out of flesh born". When I think of Jesus being the incarnate image of God, I think of "God the Son". God the Creator, who created all that I see, came to earth to walk and live as a man, as God the Son.
As Macrina says, "all of life is full of God. God is in all." All the exercises and thoughts she has shared up to this point, is a way of helping me hold on to this truth. God is everywhere. God is in nature. God is in music. God is in art. God is in words....when I hold this as truth, then when I read scripture I read it "with the eye of God" because God is in me. I read it under the eye of God, because God is all around me.
Yesterday I used a worship video of Michael W Smith's song, Your Are the Air I Breathe. "Your very presence living in me." Consider again the truth that God is everywhere...in the very air that I breathe...
The early monastic communities from which the practice of Lectio Divina emerged placed an emphases on the reading of Scripture.
"The disciple was encouraged to hover over the Word of God...as the Spirit once hovered over the birthing world...The one who is immersed in the Word of God in the Scriptures is eventually able to read God in all things. Divine Reading becomes a way of life." (Ibid)
Guigo II, a 12th century monk divides the experience of Lectio into four phrases: reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation.
Guigo said that reading (lectio) puts food whole into the mouth. Mediation (meditatio) chews it, digs for the treasure. Prayer (oratio) extracts the flavor and helps me to get to know the treasure. Contemplation (contemplatio) embraces and welcomes the thirsty soul. * words in ( ) are the Latin.
Macrina offers beginning advice as I again approach this spiritual discipline.
Always read the Scriptures with a heart ready to repent.
Receive the storm that repentance brings.
Let the holy winds toss you to and fro.
You will be awakened to new depths as your wrestle with the life forces within.
What seems like violence...will lead you gently into the eye of God where all is calm and quiet..
...you will rest and learn...
When you finally surrender...you will be carried by angels into the eye of God. There you will rest in peace and learn to see like God. (Wiederkehr, p 51)
Macrina uses a quote from Benedictine Abbot Marmion as a guide when she spend time in Divine Reading. Read under the eye of God until your heart is touched, then give yourself up to love.
For the next five days, I will journal on each of the four phrases of Lectio Divina plus a fifth phrase that Macrina has added.
1. Read under the eye of God. (Reading) 2. ...until your heart is touched. (Meditation) 3. ...until your heart is touched (Prayer) 4. ...then give yourself up to love. (Contemplation) 5. Journaling
A few weeks ago, I introduced the practice of The Examen. That is also a way to pray. Lectio Divina is simply another way to pray. If you would like more of an explanation, you might want to listen to the energetic Father Matthew explain this practice in a fun, yet well articulated manner... Lectio Divina....
God, you have dropped crumbs of this spiritual practice along my path so many times. Help me to discover my lessons within Macrina's thoughts. Help me discover what you would have me learn. Jesus, you are the Word, by your Spirit, make it come alive in me as I read and journal about this practice. AMEN.
