devotional booklet

8/13/2019 Devotional Booklet

1/68

Church of the Nativity

Daily Devotional

Voices From the Pew


2/68

As the deer longs for the water-brooks,

so longs my soul for you, O God.

My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God;

when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?

Psalm 42:1-2

Prayer is our connection with God, the discipline that helps our souls stay aligned with Gods will. Dailyprayer is the most basic of Christian disciplines, helping us remember that God is present in all the joyoussorrowful, mundane, and ordinary parts of our lives. By maintaining a steady diet of daily prayer, we lear

to open our hearts and minds to Gods will, and grow to recognize Gods voice as it speaks in our hearts.

Most of us, however, stay so busy so much of the time that it is hard to make time for daily prayer, or evenwhen we make time for it, it is hard to keep our minds focused. One way to approach this problem is to

begin with daily devotions. This collection of daily devotions, spiritual exercises, and prayers was created

a group of people from Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Scottsdale. These are prayerful people who havfound ways to share the prayers of their hearts with you.

I hope that as you begin to use this book, you will find your mind enlightened and your heart opened to thpresence of the living God, for whom our souls are athirst.

Many thanks to Lani Sambach, the editor of this collection, and Mina Rafferty for her assistance.

In Christ,The Rev. Susan Brown Snook


3/68

January 1. David Deppen

Writing the date of a new year for the first time is like putting brush to

clean canvas or pen to a new pad of paper. It is the beginning

something, with all the promise that holds out. Never mind that yesterday

problems are often tomorrows as well; never mind that we are the sam

people today as we were last week. A new calendar is a tale as yet unto

and its potential is what draws us and has the power to excite us. God

love is like this. It is new every morning every time that we are prepare

to lay aside old sins, outworn patterns of living, old prejudices and fear

to accept the new start that Gods forgiveness and love promise. Take

this love, and let it carry you with renewed vigor and commitment into th

New Year.


4/68

January 2. Jean Mesropian

Put

God

In the center,

And everything will

Come together!!


5/68

January 3.

As I write this in early January, the sounds of Christmas carols still ring in my ears; the

poinsettias, wreaths and trees still adorn the Church; and I must bend my mind to thoughts of

Lent. This is not only the nature of the business but it is also a singular reminder of the natur

of the Faith. We may divide the year into various seasons for liturgical reasons, but of course,

whole of the Gospel is with us at every instant. The cross overshadows the manger, the empty

tomb lies just beyond the shroud of Calvary. The reason that the Gospel is Good News is that

treats life as a real thing, meeting us in joy and sorrow, good times and bad, and ministering to u

in steady and unremitting doses of hope and love, of healing and salvation. So to consider Lentthe Twelve Days of Christmas is to be reminded that our time is in Gods hands and that He h

redeemed all of it.

I invite you to consider soberly and prayerfully your response to the call of this holy season.

May it help you grow to a new and fuller understanding of Gods love in the sacrifice of His So

My Dear People


6/68

January 4.

The Lord is good to all

He has compassion on all he made.

Psalm 145:9


7/68

January 5.

Spiritual Exercise

Paul encouraged us to keep all the commandments by keeping this one:

Love your neighbor as yourself.(Rom. 13:9).

This week do something loving for your neighbor. Treat the peoplearound you as you would wish to be treated.


8/68

January 6. Linda Ryan

Dear God, my Abba,

Ive been thinking about epiphany. When I became an Episcopalian, I learned that Epiphany ismore than a day; its a whole church season! Well, of course I knew it was a specific period of time

in the liturgical year since the hangings and markers change from the white of Christmas to green. In

the middle of winter, the church celebrates a green period, a good reminder that spring always

follows winter and that the earth comes alive again after the winters dormancy. Is that why the

green of Epiphany so much less irritating than the green we see for such a long time after Pentecost

However, Epiphany as a liturgical season is a thing Id never really considered, Abba. For me

Epiphany was a season that kept Christmas and Lent from running into each other. Yes, I noticed thaEpiphany had specific readings, hymns, and all, but the significance of it never really rattled the bar

of my mind or let the fridge light come on (probably because I never opened that particular

refrigerator door!). Ive been thinking, reading, studying, and contemplating, and I think Ive finally

begun to wrap my mind about what Epiphany really is.

continued


9/68

January 6. continued

For many people, Epiphany is a letdown time. All the hype and whoop-de-doo of Christmas

and its preface are over. That can be a real bummer because Christmas is supposed to be such a joyfu

time. For many, it can be the saddest, loneliest, most trying time of year. They wander around,

wondering why everybody seems so happy, felicitous, and full of Christmas cheer. They may even tr

to put on a happy face too, because that seems to be what is expected. If you look behind the joviality

frivolity and bustle, though, youd find they are almost all feeling empty; theyre just putting on a

good front so they can appear normal. By the time Epiphany comes the grandkids have gone home

the house is quiet again, the decorations are back in their boxes, and now the bills start coming in. Al

reasons to look cheerful and happy seem to be gone and the emptiness remains.

Since the basic theme of Epiphany is your manifestation among us, maybe what we need is a

new idea of what that means, small insights and awarenesses every day to show us that Epiphany is

more than a little season between two big ones. Maybe we need small epiphanies to make us think

and let the light bulbs of our minds light up with a mental, WOW! I never thought of it that way!

kind of thing.

Abba, show me the epiphanies you want me to see. I know I cant come up with them on my

own. You have a way of showing me, though: you use things I read, things I see, and people with

whom I talk. You always manage to whack me between the eyes when I really need to pay attention.So, let me pay attention much more closely this year to the messages and manifestations you have fo

me to see, Abba. Im looking forward to this new journey.

I love you.


10/68

January 7.

All I knew about a begging bowl was that each day

A monk goes out with his empty bowl in his hands.Whatever is placed in the

Bowl will be his nourishment for the day.

FromEveryday Sacredby Sue Bender

What nourishes your soul?


11/68

January 8.

O Spirit, I greet this new day in my emptiness . I offer this empty bowl with

trembling hands. My heart longs for many things this day, but I have no

power with which to claim my desires.

Perhaps a kind word will come my way. Perhaps a painful lesson to teach me

humility.

Perhaps an opportunity to reach out in love, or perhaps the cruelness of an

angry confrontation. Perhaps my bowl which begins this day empty will be

filled with a tragedy which will change my life forever.

More likely this empty bowl will be filled with small events, one by one, no

one significant. Whatever is placed in my empty bowl by life, I receive it as

what I have to feed me today.

I greet this new day in my emptiness. I offer my empty bowl with trembling hands. I ask for peace

and acceptance of these gifts. I am a beggar who begins this day with only one gift promised,

the gift of your presence on my journey, O Spirit.

By Suzanne Cronk


12/68

January 9. Brenda Russell-Basso

When weve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun.

Weve no less days to sing Gods praise than when we first begun.

Amazing Grace

Published 1779 John Newton (words) 1835 (melody)


13/68

January 10. Finding our Way to the Kingdom

Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.

There are ways of reading Lukes beatitudes that exclude some readers. Am I poor

hungry, weeping, or persecuted? I have not sat in a jail cell, slept on a park bench,

stood in line for a free meal, hung out at the library to stay warm, lost custody of m

children, sunk into depression, or spent my old age alone. This is not who I am.

Of course, we care. We see photos of children in refugee camps next to news stori

of golf tournaments as we chew our breakfast. Troubled by the state of things, we

give time and money. But neither the poor nor the rich live on my street. Their

reality is not mine. Without a job, my savings would carry me a few months until

foreclosure came knocking. I am not poor but please dont call me rich.


14/68

January 10. continued Finding our Way to the Kingdom

So who is blessed? Is it a cop-out to open wide the beatitudes to include those like

me who do not struggle just to survive? In Buildingour House on Rock, Fr. Denni

Hamm says that in Lukes gospel the poor includes all who know their need for

God (55). Like food, air, and friends, is my need for God how I make it through

the day? Has darkness loomed beside me and sent me stumbling toward the light?

Does hunger for God start my day and carry me into the night? Then I too belong

the kingdom.

The poor show us the way. Those facing troubles they cant hide have much to

teach the rest of us. Blest are those who know in their bones that they cannot make

it on their own. Blest are those who know they are in trouble and seek help. Blest

are those who trust that help will come. Blest are those who do not seek vengeanc

or nurse hatred. Blest are those who give people another chance. Blest are those

who trust that God is for real. They show folks like me the way.

Creighton University On-Line Ministry [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]?SUBJECT=Daily%20Reflectionmailto:[email protected]?SUBJECT=Daily%20Reflectionmailto:[email protected]?SUBJECT=Daily%20Reflection


15/68

January 11. Nancy Byrnes

Youth

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. Ecclesiastes 12:1 (NRSV)

Perhaps you went through a period of your life when you ignored God or even did not believe inHim. When I was 15 or 16, I used logical deduction to determine that God did not exist. My life up t

that point had not been very pleasant, and I think God understood that my difficulties in dealing with

life, and not my logical deduction, led me to become an atheist. I guess God was not very happy w

me then, but He did not desert me. As an adult, I once sent my teenaged niece a birthday card that sai

Its not easy being a teenager but at your age, you dont have much choice. God understood my

sadness and loneliness and feelings of not being understood. One of my high school teachers told me

was an enigma. God would never say that to me, because he created me. He understands me throu

and through. And he helped me through my difficult teenage years and many difficult times since the

If you are a teenager reading this, and you think it is difficult being a teenager, I would agree. And it

difficult being an adult, too! The good thing is that God is always there to help us just ask Him.


16/68

January 12.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to

be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:1

In this letter, Paul instructs Timothy, a young leader in the early church. He paints a picture of

being a Christian that doesnt sound too simple. It involves suffering; Paul himself was in prison! Hi

emphasis on right teaching and his mention of a few poisonous personalities in the church also show

that hardships come from within the church as well as from without.

Christians today also find ourselves up against opposition. We are called to be Kingdom

people in a world that is full of greed, injustice, and violence. Some of these forces can even seep

their way into our congregations.I find myself asking, How am I supposed to do justice and love kindness and walk humbly

with God when the world (and sometimes the church) gets in the way?

But before we get too discouraged, Paul reminds us, first, that we are already approved by God. And

second, we can start with our words. With using our voices for truth, we are on the right track!

Meredith Shaw

http://www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/
http://www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/http://www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/http://www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/


17/68

January 13. Nancy Byrnes

Meditating

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

John 14:27 (NRSV)

Meditation is something that people in Eastern religions, such as Buddhists, do.

Christians dont meditate. So when I volunteered for the Community of Hope

International training, I was surprised to find out that we would be learning how tomeditate. Meditation has long been part of the Christian tradition. Besides prayer,

Christian meditation is a way to spend time with God, to talk to Him and to listen to Him.

When I feel anxious, worried, fearful, or overwhelmed, I stop and meditate, and those

negative feelings leave, at least temporarily.


18/68

January 13. continued Nancy Byrnes

But how do you meditate? There are many methods. A method I use is to repeat a short

word or phrase, such as Maranatha (meaning Lord come in Aramaic, Jesus native

language), or a phrase from the Bible. After doing that for awhile, I talk to God about

what is on my mind. Then I stop and listen to God. Doing that is harder than it sounds!

My mind can be like Grand Central Station, with thoughts rushing in and out. When this

happens, I just re-focus on listening to God. Dont expect Him to talk to you out loud as

he did to Samuel or even to speak in words (though this could happen!), but He will

speak to you and guide you to do His will. If you want to learn how to meditate, there are

many books on Christian meditation. One such book, a very short one, is The Inner

Pilgrimage: The Journey of Meditation, by Laurence Freeman, OSB, a Benedictine

monk and Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM). The

website of the WCCM, www.wccm.org, has information on why and how to meditate. If

you ever feel anxious, worried, fearful, or overwhelmed, meditation may help you to be

filled with Gods peace.
http://www.wccm.org/http://www.wccm.org/http://www.wccm.org/


19/68

January 14.

Baptism, the Way to Freedom

When parents have their children baptized they indicate their desire to have their children grow up and

live as children of God and brothers or sisters of Jesus, and be guided by the Holy Spirit.

Through birth, a child is given to parents; through baptism, a child is given to God. At baptism, the

parents acknowledge that their parenthood is a participation in God's parenthood that all fatherhood an

motherhood comes from God. Thus, baptism frees the parents from a sense of owning their children.

Children belong to God and are given to the parents to love and care for in God's name. It is the paren

vocation to welcome their children as honored guests in their home and bring them to the physical,

emotional, and spiritual freedom that enables them to leave the home and become parents themselves.Baptism reminds parents of this vocation and sets children on the path of freedom.

Henri Nouwen Society Daily Meditations

www.henrinouwen.org


20/68

January 15.

Grace

Dear Lord, You give us so many gifts, though our faith often waivers and shifts.

Your love is constant. It never ends. We know on you we can depend. Thank you Lord.

We come to you with our worries and cares. We come so often with such despair.

You offer us understanding and peace. If we accept your will, we find release.

Thank you, Lord.

For all we have, great or small. Let us never forget, you give it all.

Our minds, our homes, our families, our health, our jobs, our food, ourFriends, our wealth. Thank you, Lord.

Dear Father, for the greatest gift youve given, the chance to be with you in

Heaven, if we would only do our part and invite Christ our Savior into our hearts.

Thank you, Lord.

Robyn Hoefling


21/68

January 16.

Do not let any unwholesome talk comeOut of your mouths, but only what is

Helpful for building others up according

To their needs, that it may benefit

Those who listen.

Ephesians 4:29


22/68

January 17.

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:

For thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8


23/68

January 18.

Sometimes it seems like every step we take in life is just to lead us to the next step. We try to make

good grades in elementary school so that we can get in honors classes in middle school, so we can

take AP classes in high school, so that we can get into a top college, so we can get a good job. The

thought of it all can be exhausting!

We pursue the expectations and dreams set before us. But what would God have us to pursue?

Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness are things we need to work for. They

dont just show up in our lives one morning when we wake up. We must pursue them every day. As

we work to fulfill our obligations at school, work, and with many other things, we need to stay

committed to the things God deems worthy.

What are you pursuing today?Susan Reed

May God fill your soul with waters of generosity,

Taking you to the gate of thirsty neighbors,

That you might come to know them and,

Knowing them,

Share from the richness of Gods love.

www.d365.org

J 19


24/68

January 19.

Psalm 95

1 O come, let us sing to the LORD;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

3 For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his also.

5 The sea is his, for he made it,

and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

J 20


25/68

January 20.

Spiritual Exercise

Jesus said, Let not your hearts be troubled.

As you face any struggles this week, or

feel any anxiety, lean on Jesus through faith.

Trust that he knows what you are going

through, and is able to care for you beyond

your expectations!

Jan ar 21


26/68

January 21.

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent

Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy

Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the

name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy

Spirit.Acts 8:14-17

Sometimes we have a tendency to measure people from where we think they ought to be, instead of how far

God has brought them. The Samaritans were not where the Jewish people thought they ought to be.

Remember how surprising it was when Jesus said the Good Samaritan was the true neighbor (Luke

10:25-37)? In Acts, God showed that the Spirit was not just for the Jews. Previously, the Samaritans had

been looked down upon, yet here two leading members of the early church witnessed their conversion. The

Samaritans received the same gift that the Jews had received they were declared equal. The Holy Spirit

does not discriminate. The Spirits love is extended to all who believe in Jesus, even people we find hard to

accept.

Are there times when you need acceptance, but dont know where to turn? Turn to Jesus and the Spirit will

be with you. Is there anyone in your life whom you are also struggling to accept? How will you show the

love of Jesus to them?

Laura Rector

January 22


27/68

January 22.

As the drop poured into the ocean is the ocean,

Not the ocean the drop,

So the soul drawn into God is God,

Not God the soulThe soul is in God as God is in God.

Meister Eckhart

This weekImagine yourself as a God-drop

Whoever you meet this week,

Try to see them and treat them

As a drop of God.


28/68

January 23

Serve the LORD with gladness:

come before His presence with singing.

Psalm 100

Who will you sing to this week

January 24 Jan Turner


29/68

January 24. Jan Turner

Your body is your gift from God;

What you do with it is your gift to God.

January 25


30/68

January 25.

O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to

know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfectFreedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all

assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting

In your defense, may not fear the power of any

adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our

Lord. Amen

Hour by Hour

Forward Movement Publications


31/68

January 26.

Psalm 97 The Glory of Gods Reign

1 The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice;

let the many coastlands be glad!2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3 Fire goes before him,

and consumes his adversaries on every side.

4 His lightenings light up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness;

and all the peoples behold his glory.

7 All worshippers of images are put to shame,

those who make their boast in worthless idols;

all gods bow down before him.


32/68

January 26. continued

8 Zion hears and is glad,

and the towns* of Judah rejoice,

because of your judgements, O God.

9 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;

you are exalted far above all gods.10 The LORD loves those who hate* evil;

he guards the lives of his faithful;

he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.

11 Light dawns* for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.

12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,

and give thanks to his holy name!

January 27.


33/68

y

Spiritual Exercise

Meditate on the heart of God.Take time this week to consider all that you mean to God.

Allow yourself to bask in the glow of Gods unending and

unconditional love for you.


34/68

January 28. Lani Sambach

Here is the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown and lo

unopened dooris it the door of our own heart and our mind?

The door has no handle on the outside and therefore can be only opened

from within, illustrating that we are free to keep the door of our heartlocked, leaving the Divine Guest on the doorstep, or, if we choose, fre

to let him enter into our life.

Jesus approaches the door like a gentleman; we can tell he is not going beat it down, nor show any anger, nor pass through the locked door as h

did after his Resurrection when he visited his disciples in the Upper

Room. He does not want to impose himself against our will. On the

contrary, his knocking will be a gentle tap and the invitation he makes,

should we choose to listen, will be reminiscent of Revelation 3:20,

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if you hear my voice and open,

will come, and we will sit side by side, and share a meal together.


35/68

January 28. continued Lani Sambach

Nonetheless, while a gentleman, Jesus is still an imposing figure and there is no doubt whois in charge. He wears two crowns upon his head: The crown of glory and the crown of

thorns, now in bloom.

Jesus takes up the whole center of the painting, his solidity and mass stressing that he is

alive for ever more, firmly and substantially waiting for the stirring of our sleeping soul.

He may knock gently but he will also knock persistently. We cant help but notice a

sorrowful expression on Jesus face. How long will he have to knock? Is he knocking invain?

Fr. Jason Smith image by William Hunt

January 29. Shelley Byrnes


36/68

Where you go, I will go;

where you lodge, I will lodge;

your people shall be my people,and your God my God.

(Ruth 1:16)

January 30.


37/68

Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all

right judgments, and all just works; Give to us, your

servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so

that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will,

and that we, being delivered from the fear of all

enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the

mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

January 31. Joyce Ditzler


38/68

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast unmeasured, boundless, free

Rolling as a mighty ocean ,in its fullness over me.

Underneath me, all around me is the current of Thy love,

Leading onward, leading homeward, to Thy glorious rest above

Tune Ebenezer

February 1.


39/68

Good and upright is the LORD;

Therefore he instructs sinners in His ways.

Psalm 25:8

February 2.


40/68

Dear God,

Please help me know the truth

about myself, no matter how

beautiful it is.!

Vicki Evans

February 3. Brad Haase


41/68

Angel of God, my guardian dear,

to whom God's love commits me here,

ever this day,

be at my side

to light, to guard

to rule and guide.

Amen.

February 4. Rion Poland


42/68

Find a place inside where there

Is joy, and the joy will burn

Out the pain.

Joseph Campbell

February 5.


43/68

FOR TODAY O God:

Give me strength to live another day;

Let me not turn coward before its difficulties

Or prove recreant to its duties;

Let me not lose faith in other people;Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of

Ingratitude, treachery, or meanness;

Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them;

Help me to keep my heart clean, and to live so

Honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can

Dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity;

Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things;Grant me this day some new vision of thy truth;

Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness;

And make me the cup of strength to suffering souls;

Iin the name of the strong Deliverer, our only Lord

And Savior, Jesus Christ.


February 6.


44/68

Trust in the LORD and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land,

And verily thou shalt be fed.

Psalm 37:3

February 7.


45/68

I cannot cause a thousand tongues to sing,

Nor bend the Easter sunrise rays,

But I can pause and look about this so-plain room

And see my God, in all your ways.I can see and hear the hard and soft..

The grimaces and the laughter,

And see the caring, gentle listening too,

And affirm indeed-now begins herafter!

To have heard your cheerful greetings,

And your footsteps on the stairs,

The thumps of books on well-worn tables..

All this is minehow grateful are my prayers!

Time now is precious, but sotoo are your thoug

As we seek a God so hard to find,

Searching days gone by and days to come,

Thinking somehow-foolishly, to know His min

No, I cannot cause a thousand tongues to sing,

Nor bend the Easter sunrise rays,

But with you, in concert, I can feel His Love,

And more for you than me, I can offer praise.

John Myles (2003)

February 8.


46/68

Be still, and know that I am God:I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

February 9.


47/68

Behold, Lord

An empty vessel that needs

to be filled.

My Lord, fill it

I am weak in the faith;

Strengthen me.

I am cold in love;Warm me and make me fervent,

That my love may go out

to my neighbor...

O Lord, help me.

Strengthen my faith andtrust in you...

With me, there is anabundance of sin;

In You is the fullness of

righteousness.

Therefore I will remain

with You,

Whom I can receive,

But to Whom I may not give.

Martin Luther

February 10.


48/68

Spiritual Exercise

Paul encouraged the Ephesians to remember the former time when

they were separated from Christ and each other. Set aside some time

this week to reflect on your life before Christ. Use this reflection as a

way of developing a sense of gratitude.

February 11.


49/68

y

"But when he came to himself he said, How many of my fathers hired hands have bread enough a

to spare,but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him,

Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son;treat me like one of your hired hands. So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still fa

off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and

kissed him."

Luke 15:17-

How wonderful it is to be embraced and forgiven! Nothing that we can do can separate us from the

love of God. Gods love is the caring love of a parent who remembers all our ups and downs, but wwants nothing more than to lift us up. Even when we forget who we are, God remembers.

When we turn back to God, we leave our old selves behind and start a new chapter in our lives. God

is always ready to add a new twist into our story.

David Schaefers

http:www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/

February 12.
http:///reader/full/www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/http:///reader/full/www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/http:///reader/full/www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/


50/68

Lord Jesus Christ,

From this day forward, with the help of Your Grace and supported by my

Piety and Study, will through my apostolic Actions, endeavor to bring

others to you,So that they may know you, love you and experience your eternal love.

Make a Friend.

Be a friend.

Bring a friend to Christ.

Arizona Episcopal Cursillo

February 13.


51/68

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

whom shall fear?

The LORD is the strength of my life; of

whom shall I

be afraid?

Psalm 27: 1

What wont I be afraid of this week?

February 14.

T if d I ti t f L t It t t f d l i ti it


52/68

Two years ago, my wife and I gave up eating meat for Lent. It wasnt out of a deep moral conviction; it

really just an experiment. We had found our dinners to be rather predictable, so we figured the best way

get out of the rut was to make a complete shift from what we knew. We had to leap out of our comfort zo

What we discovered surprised us. We enjoyed cooking together even more as we wrestled with new rec

and ingredients. We were purchasing more fresh produce, and found ourselves making wiser choices(vegetarian fast food is pretty hard to find). We felt much happier and healthier, so much so that weve

continued to this day.

Discovering those things that will help you heal or grow may mean setting aside other things that arent

easy to set aside. It may not feel natural at the time. But when you do find that treasure, youll be surpri

to find your heart, too and the hand of God along the journey.

Daniel Ingram

Nourishing God, all good things come from you. Help me to make healthy choices so that your treasure

invested in me can be a reflection of your love. Amen.

http:www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/

February 15.
http:///reader/full/www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/http:///reader/full/www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/http:///reader/full/www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/


53/68

God is our refuge and strength, a very present

help in trouble.

Psalm 46: 1

Let God be your strength!

February 16.


54/68

Alice Munro says in her book The Progress of Love, nothing can happen to you

that you cant make use of. This is a powerful affirmation of our life and our worth.Old people or sick people often feel useless and discouraged because they are so

dependent. But by so focusing on themselves, by turning in on their problems, theylose sight of the gift of life they have been given. They lose sight of the precious

opportunity to turn outward in prayer, and of their real usefulness in such a ministry.

There are no limits to the scope and content of our prayer. We can intercede for each

life, which touches ours no matter how slightly, during the day. We can intercede for

the world or return thanks in a world, which by and large has forgotten how to offer

thanks to God. In all this, we make use of what we have been given by God and in so

doing; we honor Him by our faithfulness. Lift your soul high then like the treasure it is a gift from God and in so doing,

honor Him who is your Creator.

My Dear People p.53

February 17.


55/68

Spiritual Exercise

C.S. Lewis believes that the way to a surrendered life

begins each morning. This week make a conscious

effort to push back the clamoring voice of your natural

self as soon as you awaken, and, instead, give ear to

God, letting Him guide and direct our every thought and

word. Put three-by-five-inch cards next to your bed andover your bathroom mirror that read, To whom am I

listening? or Whos in control? This will help youbegin the way with a peaceful attitude of surrender.


56/68

February 18.

Honour and majesty are before Him: strength

And beauty are in His sanctuary.

Psalm 96:6

February 19.


57/68

February 19.

Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we

do not know how to pray, as we ought, but that very

Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. Inaddition, God, who searches the heart, knows what is

the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for

the saints according to the will of God. We know that

all things work together for good for those who love

God, who are called according to his purpose.Romans 8: 26-28

Hour by Hour



58/68

February 20. Shirley Cope

I Corinthians 13:4-6

Love is patient, love is kind; love is not jealous or

boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist

on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it doesnot rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right

February 21.


59/68

y

Perhaps the greatest malady in the Church today is converts to Christ who are not

disciples of Christ a clear contradiction in terms. This malady affects everything in church

life and in large measure accounts for the low level of spiritual nutrients in our localcongregations.

To counter this sad state of affairs we must determine that, regardless of what others do,

our intention is to come under the tutelage of Jesus Christ, our ever-living Savior, Teacher,

Lord, and Friend. We seek to undertake the general pattern of life that he undertook not in

slavish mimicking but in overall life-style. Disciplines of prayer, solitude, simplicity and

service will mark our overall pattern of life.

There is much more we can do to overcome our discipleless ChristianityJesus, ourever-living Teacher, will show us the way.

Richard J. Foster - Devotional Classics

February 22. Lani Sambach


60/68

Love all that has been created by God,

Both the whole and every grain of sand.

Love every leaf and every ray of light.Love the beasts and the birds,

Love the plants,

Love every separate fragment.

If you love each separate fragment, you will

Understand the mystery of the whole resting in God.

Fyodor Dostoevsky

February 23. Jean Mesropian


61/68

Ive seen better days,

But Ive also seen worse.

I dont have everything that I want,But I do have all I need.

I woke up with some aches and pains,

But I woke up.

My life may not be perfect

But I am blessed.

Lessons Learned in Life

February 24.


62/68

Spiritual Exercise

Meditate on the lordship of Christ. Examine your life to see

how much of it actually falls under Jesus authority. Instead

of focusing on the cost of giving these areas over to Christ,

focus on the high price you have been paying by keeping

them under your control.

February 25.


63/68

Jesus Gives Himself to Us

When we invite friends for a meal, we do much more than offer them food for their bodies.

We offer friendship, fellowship, good conversation, intimacy, and closeness. When we say:"Help yourself ... take some more ... don't be shy ... have another glass," we offer our guests

not only our food and our drink but also ourselves. A spiritual bond grows, and we become

food and drink for one another other.

In the most complete and perfect way, this happens when Jesus gives himself to us in the

Eucharist as food and drink. By offering us his Body and Blood, Jesus offers us the most

intimate communion possible. It is a divine communion.

Henri Nouwen Society Daily Meditations

www.henrinouwen.org

February 26. Lani Sambach

Hebrews 12: 1 2
http://www.henrinouwen.org/http://www.henrinouwen.org/http://www.henrinouwen.org/


64/68

Hebrews 12: 1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside

every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that

is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith, who for the sake of

the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken hisseat at the right hand of the throne of God.

What would Mrs. Taylor do?

Mrs. Taylor was, without a doubt, my favorite elementary school teacher. When I was in

third grade she invited me to have ice cream with her after school. She made all of her

students feel special. The author of Hebrews tells us we are surrounded by a great cloud of

witnesses, cheering us on to our victory in heaven. Mrs. Taylor is one of my cheerleaders. Iimagine her voice calling out to me to touch the hearts of my students and let them know that

Jesus is real in their lives. Who are your cheerleaders? Do you have a Mrs. Taylor in yourlife? Let that person know how you feel.

Today, I fix my eyes on Jesus, searching for ways to share His love.

Teresa Spotleson

February 27.


65/68

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the

fullness thereof, thou hast founded them.

Psalm 89:1

February 28. Jean Mesropian

May the sun


66/68

May the sun

Bring you new energy by day.

May the moon

Softly restore you by night.May the rain

Wash away your worries,

May the breeze

Blow new strength into your being.

May you walkGently through the world and know

Its beauty all the days of your life.

A ache Blessin


67/68

All Spiritual Exercises have been taken from and/or paraphrased from Devotional Classics.

Deppen, G. David.My Dear People: Letters to a Congregation. Westfield, NJ: Ministry, 1990.

Print.

Foster, Richard J., and James B. Smith, eds.Devotional Classics. New York, NY: HarperCollins,

1993. Print.


68/68

devotional booklet

Documents