Prayer Practice for the Week

Make Time

Make time. This exploration of Jesus will only be as meaningful as you make it. So make the time. Make the time to read the material. Make the time to do the activities. And, make time for silence, for uninterrupted, unfilled space. Thomas Keating reminds us: “Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation.” Set yourself a goal of 5 minutes each day to sit and listen. Use an egg timer or try e.ggtimer.com.

Daily Devotion

Scripture of the Day

So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share, not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves. ( 1 Thessalonians 2:8)

Reflection

The life of faith I want is not and cannot be achieved in isolation. To follow Jesus, to allow Jesus into my heart, is to make my life porous. I don’t want to be just passively receptive to people; I want to be susceptible to the height of their dreams and the depths of their agony. I want to accept the word of Christ and take them seriously as a way of life. For me to care for someone I can’t just tell them about the good news of Jesus without sharing how I have come to know him and love him in my own life.

Prayer

Jesus, to love my neighbor — as myself and as you have loved me — is more dangerous than I thought. I don’t want to share my story. I sure as hell don’t want to tell people about the nights I’ve cried or the mornings I did not get out of bed. I want to present only a good image to the church, but this betrays your vision of a beloved community. Drag me out from behind my emerald curtain that I may be seen and that I may truly see. Amen.