Here we are at the dawn of a brand new week. How steady is your sense of peace and God’s presence, with whatever the day and week ahead is going to hold for you?

                   

So often life throws unexpected curveballs at us and our instinct can be to try to avoid or resist them. It takes practice to learn how to hold yourself open to experiencing the deep presence and peace of Christ in the midst of EVERY situation.

                   

Take a few minutes to practice attuning your heart to openness, with Father Thomas Keating’s “The Welcoming Prayer” – pray it as deeply and slowly as you can.

                   

Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today Because I know it’s for my healing.

                   

I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons, situations, and conditions.

                   

I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem, approval and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation, condition, person or myself.

                   

I open to the love and presence of God and God’s action within.

                   

Amen.

                                   

                                                

The Prayer of Examen is a classic spiritual practice the church has been engaging in for hundreds of years. It’s an exercise meant to attune us more sensitively to the activity and presence of God in and around us – knowing that the busy demands and general noise of our lives tend to drown out that natural awareness.

                   

Examen is a practice of looking backwards and re-examining where God was at work, in the hopes that it will train us to more readily spot and cooperate with where God is at work in our present moments. Which is 100% a learned – and learnable – skill!

                   

So today we invite you to engage this classic discipline – click here for a 10-minute guided experience.

                                   

                                                

Today we invite you to begin your week by practicing a 3-minute breath prayer, reminding you to anchor your identity in your deep belovedness in God. Find a quiet place, grab a decent set of headphones, and allow this prayer experience to help both centre and focus you for the day ahead.

                   

Click Here for an audio guide through the “Be Loved Prayer”

                                   

Scripture: Click Here to read Psalm 16 (NIV & MSG translations)
Read the passage over slowly, prayerfully and attentively a few times. As you do, allow God to highlight

a word, phrase or verse – something that jumps out at you personally.

                   

Observations: Think about what is being said, by who, and why they might be saying it the way they are. What is the surrounding context? What other background information do you have? How and where do you see the heart of Jesus in this? Don’t make conclusions or applications yet, just observe everything you can.

                   

Application: Now consider how this passage might apply personally to your life. In what way does it speak to your own circumstances? How can it help you? How does it challenge you? How does it call you to love both God and others better? How does this word from God apply directly to your day-to- day life and how you are learning to follow Jesus?

                   

Prayer: Now that you’ve read and reflected on God’s word and begun the process of application to your life, simply talk to God about it all. Share what’s swirling in your head and heart, allow space to listen for what the Holy Spirit is wanting to say to you in return as well.

                                   

                                                

“Hospitality is the most underrated biblical invitation. To practice hospitality ‘love for the stranger’ is to wrestle with principalities and powers within our western culture. Hospitality offers us a way to push back against self reliance and autonomy. Radical welcome helps us to refuse meritocracy and reveal the generosity that can destroy competition and shame. Hospitality enlarges our lives and exposes the small and pathetic results of idolizing the nuclear family. Tired of fear and scarcity telling you there isn’t enough? Or you aren’t enough? Practice hospitality. Looking for a way to communicate how open, welcoming and loving God is? Practice hospitality. It’ll be the best sermon you’ll never preach.” (Danielle Strickland)

                   

It's Friday. How can you practice the deep art of hospitality in the weekend ahead? Make a plan right now, and start to set it in motion.