Posts with the category “spiritual-practices”

Rituals connect us with God, and with one another, and with the long story of believers who found hope in these same prayers and songs.   Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 5 -  We pray that you would give yourself the gift of rest on a regular basis.  Time for e...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 4 -  The purpose of rest is to simply appreciate the blessings and gifts that God has plac...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 3 - Our musical offering this week (once again from Matthew Nickoloff) is a peaceful song ...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 2 - We are commanded by God to rest at least once every 7 days.  Just as God created the w...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 1 -  Rest can often feel like a foreign concept in our fast-paced world, but rest is in fa...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 5 - We pray that you might discover all the ways that God is still speaking in our world a...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 4 - Prayer is simply a conversation with God and so therefore includes both speaking and l...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 3 -  The St Ignatius Examen is an ancient Christian practice that invites individuals to l...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 2 -  In Matthew 4, Jesus quotes a passage from Deuteronomy that states that our lives are ...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 1 -  This week we invite you to Listen to God.  Often times our life of faith can become a...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 5 -  The scriptures continually point out that Jesus rose from the dead in a physical body...  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Day 4 - Connecting our spirituality to our body provides wisdom that informs our understanding...  Read More

Body Scan audio meditation  Read More

The opening to the Gospel of John states that God became human and experienced life in the same way that we do  Read More

This week we invite you to link a time of prayer with a physical movement or posture.   Read More

Ruach Elohim, the very source of being. With Your Breath you have given us life, may Your Spirit transform us, grant us reason, will, and consciousness to be conduits of this New Life you have bestowed upon us. Amen.  Read More

"Breathing with God is not as instinctive or automatic. Breathing with God, means living in communion and community with the Triune God and acting in partnership with God for the redemption of the world." - D. S. Dent  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Breath Day 3 -  The Hebrew word for God “Yahweh” is said to resemble the sound of Human breath...  Read More

"In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while the Spirit (ruah) of God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light." - Genesis 1:1-3  Read More

"Some of my most endearing prayers have been like breathing in and breathing out...breathing in knowledge of God as I'm reading Scripture and breathing out praise." - Martin Luther  Read More

O God, the calmer of the storm. Grant us the stillness of your peace. Calm our hearts and our minds as the world whirls around us. Allow us to know the stillness that comes from abiding in you, our Creator and Sustainer, Amen.  Read More

"Prayer is sitting in silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we ourselves are an act of praise." - Richard Rohr  Read More

This post is part of a series exploring Christian spiritual practices. Each week we are focusing on one practice that helps us live out our faith in real, daily ways. These short reflections are meant to give simple, practical steps for drawing closer to God and experiencing His presence in ordinary life.Silence Day 3 - The above song is based on Psalm 46:10 and provides a beautiful, meditative ex...  Read More

"Be still, and know that I am God I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46;10  Read More

I believe that things like recycling, or gardening, or curbing pollution are all spiritual practices that have the ability to more deeply connect us to God.   Read More

By carving out time to simply be with Jesus our Teacher, we can hear his voice and understand the events of our life more clearly.   Read More

Lord, remind me to use the gifts that are right here for me.   Read More

Volunteer. Find an opportunity to volunteer your time and use your gifts and abilities to bring life and possibility to a cause.  Read More

Re-watch a favorite movie. Allow yourself to experience a favorite story anew and embrace the delight of witnessing this movie again.  Read More

Listen to the birds. Enjoy the sounds of spring and take time to notice the signs of new life that are bursting from the winter slumber all around you.  Read More

Cook something and give it to a friend or neighbor. Food has a powerful way of creating community and fostering friendships. Today, make something for others and rejoice in the ways that this unexpected gift can bring joy to someone else's life.   Read More

Give away a bag of unneeded items. We often have far more stuff than we need. Take time today to fill a bag with unwanted clothes or other items and donate them to an organization that can use them to bless others.   Read More

Give yourself the gift of a peaceful rest today, don't feel guilty about it, really enjoy the time to rest.  Read More

Slowly drink a favorite beverage. Slow down and really enjoy a cup of coffee, tea, or other favorite beverage. Enjoy the wonders of taste and the simple blessings of life.   Read More

Make a fire or light a candle. Gathering around a fire has long been a space for communities to gather, tell stories, and think deeply. Today, either with others or alone, take time in front of a fire to consider the gifts of God and the promises of the resurrection.   Read More

Write your representatives. research who your government representatives are and take time to write them an email about a subject you care about.   Read More

Explore. Go on a walk or take a drive on a new path. The thrill and excitement of discovery reminds us that God has promised to make all things new.  Read More

Wash your face. Splash water on your face 3 times and remember the promises that God makes to us at our baptism - you are God's Beloved Child and nothing that happens today can take that away from you.  Read More

Learn something new. Our minds are a gift from God and the ability to learn is a possibility each and every day of our life.   Read More