GENEralities

For myself:

Lord, today I turn my back on death and evil. Instead, I choose life and good that I and my children may live, loving you, the LORD my God and holding fast to you, for you are my life and length of days.

For others:

Lord, may N(&N) turn away from death and evil today. May she/he/they choose life and good that she/he/they and his/her/their children may live, loving you, the LORD his/her/their God and holding fast to you, for you are his/her/their life and length of days.

O, yes!!

Deuteronomy 30.15, 19

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Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof…

We are not worthy to have you come into this hospital room or even to ask you for this,

…but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. (Mt 8.8)

…and my family member, my friend, my parishioner, will be healed.

O, yes!

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I’m not even typing this one out. From Anthony Bloom in A Guide to Prayer Readings for Reflection recently.

Taken using my iPhone camera. Not bad.

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Rockies Light as Seen Through an iPhone

Re-entry today, home this afternoon.

Earlier this morning, watching the dawn come up over the Rockies, reading and praying. This caught my attention from Carlos Carretto’s I, Francis in A Guide to Prayer Readings for Reflection:

The Gospel taught me to place the emphasis on the mystery of the human being being more than on the duty of the human being. 343

How shall I do that in my baptism preparation?

The middle-class spirit, which is present to every age, and is known as selfishness, arrogance, pride, sensuality, idolatry, and slavery. 344

Bishop Mark: Gospel Based Discipleship

Our authority is the presence of Jesus in our midst (Mt 18.20). Bishop Mark called all groups to begin their meetings with a reading of the Gospel and the answering of three questions:

1. What stands out for you?
2. What do you hear God saying?
3. What is God calling you to do?

The readings are the eucharistic Gospel readings of the day.

When we come together in this way, the authority of Christ in our midst brings blessing and transformation. People have the opportunity to engage with Jesus in a direct, personal, unfiltered way.

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I’m on retreat at Mount St Francis in Cochrane, Alberta; my eighteenth Diocese of Calgary clergy retreat here. Other than in our worship and our retreat leader’s words (National Indigenous Bishop Mark MacDonald) we are silent from just after lunch on Monday to after the Eucharist just before lunch on Thursday.

I love it.

Mind you, it isn’t really silent. It’s amazing how much noise we make even when we’re not speaking; footsteps seem heavy, whispers seem very loud, water runs, toilets flush, the retreat centre phone rings and is answered. But I don’t have to talk to anyone, even at meal time. I love it.

The only words I say are words of worship in the daily prayer and Eucharist.

I read and think and pray and write and listen. The silence makes room for the Lord to download some stuff if he wants. I don’t necessarily know what yet, but I know from experience that there’s new material aboard and it will pop up when I least expect it and at exactly the right time.

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Some BCP with Attitude!

H/T: Derek Hyland on FaceBook.

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Reading Jesus in Luke 6: love your enemies, do good to those who hack you, bless those who curse you an pray for those who abuse you.

One must even forgive hackers, I suppose. Sigh.

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Help me, my Lord Jesus, that I may persevere in good purpose and in your holy service unto my death, and that I may now today perfectly begin, for I have done nothing in time past.

O yes. From The Imitation of Christ.

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…on a summer morning. One of life’s great pleasures. Jude’s flowers abound. The birds converse.

Reading the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8. Not many grow up to bear fruit. Alas.

Thinking about Colossians 3 and letting the Word of Christ dwell in me richly. How does one do that? What does it look like? One has to read it, for one thing. Frequently. Not difficult for me. I love it. Endlessly fascinating. Full of intriguing mysteries and possibilities. For example, a few years ago after reading the Parable of the Sower, I did the math and figured out how many people StB would have if yielded even at the lowest level of fruitfulness Matthew and Mark record; thirtyfold. Almost 5,ooo people. We’d have to do 17 worship services to fit them all in.

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CLEAN HANDS, PURE HEARTS, no FALSEHOOD or DECEIT from Psalm 24 and FOR THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY from Ephesians 1: for my family, for our church and for downtown Medicine Hat.

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