"Bread for Our Journey" is an online approach to faith development you can do as an individual, in informal small groups, or as a family.
This weekly collection is curated and written by Saint John's staff.
These reflections are intended to deepen our understanding
of scripture, to open our awareness of different voices and wisdom,
and to broaden our spiritual practices that bring creativity and justice to our world.
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August 29th, 2021
This is the fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost.
We conclude our worship series called "Sacred Spaces" through which we have explored sacred spaces both in our own lives and at Bible stories of holy places. As we end this series we will reflect on these questions: What are the sacred spaces in your life? And what makes certain places sacred?
Read the scripture below and choose how you journey through this week's reflection questions, poetry, activities, and more.
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READ
Our scripture for today is taken from the worship reading for this Sunday.
James 5:13-20
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.
Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
NRSV Translation
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REFLECT ON THE TEXT
Use these questions as prompts to journal
on your own or to reflect in discussion
with family or friends.
The book of James is filled with advice. Chapter 5 is the conclusion of the book, and reads like a bulleted list of practical Christian wisdom. Read through verses 13-20. Which sentences speak to you? Which bits of advice do you find helpful?
Outside of the text, what are some great pieces of advice that people have given you along the way? Think back and let folks who have given you helpful advice know what their advice has meant to you.
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ACT
These activities can be spiritual practices for your mind, body, and heart, they are ways to help bring love and hope.
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Living in Wonder
Each week through this season we have wondered at a different sacred space from somewhere around the world. Today we end with a journey.
The Camino de Santiago
During the Middle Ages, the Camino was responsible for the largest movement of people in Europe: millions of people, both rich and poor, made their way to Santiago de Compostela, where the pilgrim mass and certificate of pilgrimage ensured they would spend less time in purgatory.
In modern times, the Camino spirit is kept alive by hundreds of thousands of people coming yearly from almost every country and every spiritual faith in the world. The reasons people start the pilgrimage vary. A common experience many seem to attest is their pilgrimage has had healing and therapeutic benefits.
This sacred space winds through many different routes across Spain that all end up at Santiago de Compostela.
The idea is that you walk in your local area and each day you log your distance into the App. You will see your equivalent progression along the Camino Frances on the interactive map where you can get a real feel for the landscape and village life of the regions you pass through. The total distance of the Virtual Camino Frances is 485 mi/780 km.
Perhaps you will consider with a family member or friend to sign up for the Virtual Camino as a spiritual practice that takes you beyond this Sacred Space worship series and extend the Camino's sacred space to your own neighborhood.
Image: The Camino's trail is marked with the symbol of the seashell
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Loving in Beloved Community
People have made places for holy conversation and fellowship, and other spiritual practices right outside their front door.
Saint John's own Melissa and Dennis Spence have created a labyrinth available for anyone to come and walk in their front yard. The next time you are near the church stop by their home at 6001 Marilyn Dr. to walk the labyrinth.
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Across America, neighbors are getting to know one another at turquoise picnic tables in the most simple place of all — their front yards. The Turquoise Table® has become a symbol of hospitality and connection with friends and neighbors.
This sacred space, a picnic table, has become a way for people to gather and share in holy conversation and fellowship. Perhaps you have gathered around one of these tables, or have one yourself.
How are you loving your community? Perhaps the turquoise table or walking a labyrinth is one way we can bring the scared into the world.
To learn more about the Turquoise Table click here or watch the video to the right. |
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Resting in God
As we explore sacred spaces we will highlight the holy practice of walking a labyrinth. Each week we have shared a new labyrinth in our area to explore.
Click on the video to learn about the labyrinth at
First Presbyterian church on Mesa Drive.
Labyrinths are ancient tools for spiritual practice and can be found all over the world. To find a labyrinth wherever you are, click here to use a labyrinth locator. Put in your zip code, country, and radius of how far you would like to search.
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Saint John's labyrinth
The floor of our Saint John's chapel is a beautiful labyrinth patterned in different shades of wood. Next time you attend worship, enjoy this holy space found right inside our church building.
Finger Labyrinth
Use your finger to trace this labyrinth slowly into the middle of the labyrinth – into the heart of God’s love – and then back out again. Relax, quiet your mind, and listen deep within your heart.
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PRAY
This week's prayer is a Traditional Celtic prayer:
God to enfold me,
God to surround me,
God in my speaking,
God in my thinking.
God in my sleeping,
God in my waking.
God in my watching,
God in my hoping.
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