Autumn 2015 Welcome to 15 Minutes With God. I want to thank the Reverend Jamie Holtom the Reverend Debbie Johnson, and the ministry team at North Bramalea United Church (NBUC) in Brampton, for so generously sharing this resource with us. The 15 Minutes With God Challenge is part of their sermon series Bullseye Aiming to Follow Jesus. Their book, Bullseye Aiming to Follow Jesus, can be purchased at the Middlesex Presbytery Resource Centre. Just speak to Karlene Kimber. If you are looking to deepen your relationship with God and discover what it looks like to faithfully follow Jesus, this book is for you. At Wesley- Knox we will be spending the next several weeks exploring the six markers of following Christ as laid out by Bullseye. Spiritual practices, worshipping together weekly, discovering authentic community, serving, giving generously and sharing Christ will all be explored as we grow together in community. This resource will help you to deepen your own spiritual practices. Use it as it best works for you, and trust that God will be with you in this journey. I pray that you find it a faith- filled experience and I look forward to how we will all change and grow. Blessings to you on this journey. Peace, Rev. Tracy Crick- Butler 91 Askin Street, London, ON N6C 1E7 519.673.4803 wesleyknox@bellnet.ca www.wesleyknox.com
The Bullseye Challenge 15 Minutes With God If you are just joining us on this 15 Minutes with God journey welcome! We are glad that you have accepted the challenge to spend more time in dialogue with God! Each week we will send you a booklet like this to help support you meet your goal. Feel free to use whatever other resources that support you too! It s very cool to be part of a community of folk who are making this commitment! This week we are exploring the second Bullseye Marker we have named in the worship Worship Together Weekly. We fully believe that God is present in every aspect of our lives and there is something so amazing to experience when a community of people come together and join in song, prayer, reflection and invitation. There is energy that is beyond what one person can generate. There are moments when as individuals and as gathered community we can say WOW God is in this place! We had quite a decision around what the goal was around worship. Was it regularly or often or daily? We landed on weekly because if we are setting a goal to aim for, then weekly is what that goal is. It doesn t mean we will always make it. But watch what happens as more and more people do! For this worship series, you may want to purchase the book published by United Church Publishing House, written by Jamie Holtom and Debbie Johnson called BULLSEYE: Aiming to Follow Jesus. There is also a companion participant s guide available for individuals and small groups. This book was developed out of the experience of a January 2014 worship series by the same name. Over the next few weeks, we will offer a weekly e- mail in addition to our monthly devotional, to help support you taking 15 minutes with God every day. We will suggest a pattern for the time you set aside, and invite you to experiment with what works best for you. 2
You are invited to set aside some time every day. For some, the mornings work best and for others it s the time before going to bed, and for still others it may be on a lunch hour or in between sales appointments! Find a time that works and put it in your calendar it will help you make your intentions a reality. In this booklet, we offer some suggestions about getting settled in a quiet place where you can read and pray and listen for God s voice. There will be some scripture to read and a space for you to write down your thoughts on the scripture questions, insights, doubts, aha moments. You may want to reflect on experiences in your life that this scripture speaks to. This is simply a tool. Make it work for you! Some of you already have spiritual practices that deepen your connection with Christ. Don t stop! Or try these! Or add some more time. If this is your very first time setting aside some time, congratulations! This is a step in faith into a life that you will not regret. Don t be daunted by 15 minutes or every day. The challenge is to start where you are and give yourself a target to aim for! Experience the grace and peace of Christ when you don t make it every day! Notice what happens when you increase your current engagement with God! Let us know what is working for you and any other ways we can support you throughout this Bullseye Challenge! My Intention for This Week Write down what you want to do, when you want to do it, and your hopes and expectations of this 15 Minutes with God challenge. 3
How to Use this Booklet What is SOAP? SOAP is simply a way to work through a scripture passage and have a conversation with God. Here is what SOAP stands for: S stands for SCRIPTURE. Write down a verse or some words from the reading that speaks to you. O stands for OBSERVATION. Write down your observations about this passage and particularly the words that have spoken to you. A stands for APPLICATION. What are these observations saying about what you need to do? How might you apply God s word here to your life? P stands for PRAYER. Take a moment to write down a simple prayer to God. An alternative is to do the following: Read the scripture through once. Does anything catch your attention? Read the scripture through again. Underline or circle anything that you are noticing. Take a minute to write down some of your thoughts. Read the scripture through a third time. Record any further reflections and write a prayer for yourself about the ways this scripture is speaking into your life. If the scripture passage is part of a story, imagine yourself in the story. Who are you? What do you see? What are you experiencing? 4
What are the thoughts/questions that are rising in you? What has surprised you as you read today? Offer your questions to God in prayer: God, you know I am wondering about When you come to the point where the stirring is starting to subside ask God, what are you saying to me now? Or What would you have me be aware of? You may want to memorize the verse and repeat it to yourself throughout the day. Your time now may lead you to another verse. Take some time with that as well. Of all the things Christ wants for us, loving Him and focusing our attention on Him are the most important Charles Stanley 5
Getting Started Find a quiet place to begin this time, free from distractions Do you have a prayer shawl? Put it on now. If you don t, consider asking for one to deepen your time of prayer. Take a deep breath and exhale. Again Breathe a few more times, perhaps repeating a word or favourite scripture to settle you down and center your mind and heart into this moment. Invite God into this time Dear God, I want to spend some time with you and listen to your word for me today. Open my heart and mind to the words of scripture that have spoken to generations and can speak to me still. If you are using this devotional, turn to today s page and read. Use one of the methods in this devotional or one of your own to reflect on the scripture passage for that day. When you are finished with the devotional time, take an extra minute to become aware of your breathing. Take another breath and exhale. Finish this time with prayer for the scripture, for your reflections, for the ways God is speaking to you, for others who may need the encouragement that this verse offers today. Thank God for this time you have had together. Readings in this Devotional are taken from the Message Translation by Eugene Peterson 6
The Invitation to Breath Prayer From an article by the Christian Reformed Home Missions Scripture "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." (Psalm 150:6) "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Teaching A "Breath Prayer" is a primarily a short prayer (lit. a prayer phrase) that captures our deep yearning for intimacy, wholeness and a sense of peace with God. When spoken out loud, a breath prayer has a rhythm allowing us to be increasingly conscious of our breathing - inhaling as we pray a short phrase, and then exhaling as we pray a short phrase. This increased consciousness of our breathing is a reminder of our physical and spiritual dependence on God. A breath prayer is prayed slowly using our natural rhythm of breathing to set the pace of our prayer, often as a way of entering into silence and solitude. As a centering prayer, a breath- prayer can bring our mind back to a God- focus when it wanders, help focus our full attention on God. And a frequently used breath prayer can become an unconsciously prayed prayer throughout our day. So a breath prayer actually has multiple purposes: it slows us down; it reminds us of our dependence (we become conscious of our need for breath); it focuses us on God (and keeps us focused on God); it leads us into deeper prayer (praise, confession, lament, petition, intercession, listening, etc.); and it is, itself, a genuine prayer. There are many different breath prayers. Many are based on Scripture. They are short seven to eight syllables long, three or four syllables to inhale, and three or four syllables to exhale. They normally include a name for God: Holy 7
Lord, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, etc. And, they involve a short request: give peace, bring joy, have mercy, etc. While in reality, the number of potential breath prayers is limitless, some of the better known (classic) breath prayers include: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:10) "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want" (Psalm 23:1) "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me" (Mark 10:47) "Teacher, let me see again" (Bartimaeus' request; Mark 10:51) "God, have mercy on me a sinner" (Luke 18:13) "Abba, I belong to you" (cf. Romans 8:15) "Come, Lord Jesus, come" (The Maranatha Prayer; Revelation 22:20) "O Lord, come to my assistance; O God make haste to help me" "My Lord and My God" "My help is in the name of the Lord" "Jesus my light and my love" "Come, Lord Jesus, be my guest" "I belong to you, O Lord" "Jesus, let me feel your love" (or power, strength, etc.) "Lead me, Lord; I will follow" "Show me your way, Lord Jesus" "Jesus lead me into joy" (or peace, patience, etc.) This week, try using one of these scripture verses (or another of your own choosing) and use it as a breath prayer. It can be used as part of your 8
centering time of prayer or turn to it throughout the day as a way of allowing you to become increasingly conscious of God's presence. Allow the repetition of the prayer to give you space for rest, even for a few moments, in God's loving embrace. 9
Lectio Divina: Praying with Scripture I would like to share with you this invitation to experience scripture as a living word that enkindles and deepens intimacy with God. In a line from the Gospel of John, chapter 15, we read: "Make your home in me, as I make my home in you." Other translations could be: "Live in me as I live in you." Or "Remain in me as I remain in you." "Abide in me as I abide in you." Feel the intimacy that is invited the Holy One, loving and living within us, closer than we could imagine, the indwelling of God. This is a relationship that is already present, given, offered, and we have only to receive and respond and nurture that union. Even familiar words or passages of scripture can speak again and again to us with a new depth and power. There is always more, for the Holy One is beyond our wildest imaginings, infinite and deep. Through scripture, the Beloved One can reveal more of this immense love, longing for us, boundless compassion, and ongoing challenge. Lectio divina is a way of being with scripture that is slow, reverent, and spacious. The Desert Mothers and Fathers have a saying that corresponds to these four movements: I take the word Reading; I chew the word Reflecting; I digest the word Responding; I become the word Being. As any contemplative practice, it is not about mastering the practice or getting it right; the practice nurtures an opening for God and a wide expansive willingness for the Beloved. This article is excerpted from Patience Robbin's online course, Living Word, Living Way, Director of Shalem s Young Adult Initiative. 10
Sunday, September 27 Luke 4:14-19 (NRSV) Reading: The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry 14. Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth 16. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17. and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19. to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor. 11
My Thoughts, Notes and Prayers What captures your attention in this passage? What was the usual custom of Jesus? In what ways do you experience the words that Jesus read with the way he lived his life? 12
Monday, September 28 Exodus 32:1-10 Reading: Make Gods for Us When the people realized that Moses was taking forever in coming down off the mountain, they rallied around Aaron and said, Do something. Make gods for us who will lead us. That Moses, the man who got us out of Egypt who knows what s happened to him? 2-4. So Aaron told them, Take off the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters and bring them to me. They all did it; they removed the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from their hands and cast it in the form of a calf, shaping it with an engraving tool. The people responded with enthusiasm: These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from Egypt! 5. Aaron, taking in the situation, built an altar before the calf. Aaron then announced, Tomorrow is a feast day to God! 6. Early the next morning, the people got up and offered Whole- Burnt- Offerings and brought Peace- Offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink and then began to party. It turned into a wild party! 7-8. God spoke to Moses, Go! Get down there! Your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have fallen to pieces. In no time at all they ve turned away from the way I commanded them: They made a molten calf and worshiped it. They ve sacrificed to it and said, These are the gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt! 9-10 God said to Moses, I look at this people oh, what a stubborn, hard- headed people! Let me alone now, give my anger free reign to burst into flames and incinerate them. But I ll make a great nation out of you. 13
My Thoughts, Notes and Prayers What captures your attention in this passage? What is your experience of worship? What do you like? What do you struggle with? What helps to connect you with God? How often do you attend a worship service currently? Have you ever got out of the habit of worshipping together with your community? What did you notice? 14
Tuesday, September 29 Psalm 100 (NRSV) Reading: All Lands Summoned to Praise God: A Psalm of Thanksgiving 1. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. 2. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. 3. Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his. we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. 5. For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 15
My Thoughts, Notes and Prayers What captures your attention in this passage? What is the feeling you most often experience when you are in worship? In what ways does worshipping God with your community help you to know and experience God s faithfulness and love? 16
Wednesday, September 30 Acts 2:41-47 Reading 41-42. That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. 43-45. Everyone around was in awe all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person s need was met. 46-47. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved. 17
My Thoughts, Notes and Prayers What captures your attention in this passage? What were some of the elements of worship for the early community of Jesus followers? Name some of the ways that worshipping together strengthened these followers. How does worship strengthen your practice of following Jesus? 18
Thursday, October 1 Deuteronomy 12:5-12 Reading 5-7. Instead find the site that God, your God, will choose and mark it with his name as a common center for all the tribes of Israel. Assemble there. Bring to that place your Absolution- Offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and Tribute- Offerings, your Vow- Offerings, your Freewill- Offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. Feast there in the Presence of God, your God. Celebrate everything that you and your families have accomplished under the blessing of God, your God. 8-10. Don t continue doing things the way we re doing them at present, each of us doing as we wish. Until now you haven t arrived at the goal, the resting place, the inheritance that God, your God, is giving you. But the minute you cross the Jordan River and settle into the land God, your God, is enabling you to inherit, he ll give you rest from all your surrounding enemies. You ll be able to settle down and live in safety. 11-12. From then on, at the place that God, your God, chooses to mark with his name as the place where you can meet him, bring everything that I command you: your Absolution- Offerings and sacrifices, tithes and Tribute- Offerings, and the best of your Vow- Offerings that you vow to God. Celebrate there in the Presence of God, your God, you and your sons and daughters, your servants and maids, including the Levite living in your neighborhood because he has no place of his own in your inheritance. 19
My Thoughts, Notes and Prayers What captures your attention in this passage? Name some of the ways you celebrate God in worship In what ways does worshipping together weekly shape your life? 20
Friday, October 2 Psalm 150 Reading Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship, praise him under the open skies; Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his magnificent greatness; Praise with a blast on the trumpet, praise by strumming soft strings; Praise him with castanets and dance, praise him with banjo and flute; Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum, praise him with fiddles and mandolin. Let every living, breathing creature praise God! Hallelujah!. 21
My Thoughts, Notes and Prayers What captures your attention in this passage? What are some of the ways that music enhances or detracts from worship for you? What do you miss the most when you miss a worship service? 22
Saturday, October 3 Philippians 2:9-11 Reading 9. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10. so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11. and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 23
My Thoughts, Notes and Prayers What captures your attention in this passage? What is your commitment about worshipping together? How has week two of the Bullseye Challenge gone for you? 24