Today is January 20th

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John chapter 10.

John 10:11-16
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

What image comes to mind when you think of Jesus, the Good Shepherd? Jesus with a little lamb over his shoulder in a idyllic green pasture, with a big smile on his face? That’s not the image in today’s reading. It’s a dangerous picture, with wolves intent on killing the sheep. What does this image tell you about what it means to be a follower of Christ? What are the dangers around you?

The Good Shepherd is the one who defends the sheep, even at the cost of his life. Jesus laid down his life on the cross for you to save you from many dangers to your soul. And he continues to protect you today. As you hear the passage again, can you thank Jesus for all of the ways that he defends and protects you?

John 10:11-16
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he
abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

As we close our time today, pray for the sheep that are not yet gathered in. Bring before the Good Shepherd one person that’s not yet under his care and protection.

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music Credit:
Good Shepherd (Lead On) - Vineyard Worship/David Ruis
GOOD SHEPHERD (LEAD ON) [Official Lyric Video] | Vineyard Worship feat. David Ruis

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.

1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is January 25th.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today Christians remember and celebrate of the conversion of the Apostle Paul. Today’s reading is the story of the Apostle Paul’s Conversion from Acts 9.

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

The Apostle Paul was also known by his Hebrew name, Saul, and before his life was interrupted by a vision of the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus, he antagonized the early church, persecuting followers of Jesus. Paul’s conversion was marked by both a miraculous new vision of the resurrected Jesus… as well as by a loss of his natural sight for three days. What do you think Paul experienced during those three days of blindness, during which he neither ate nor drank? What do you think Paul learned about the character of God, through His vision of Christ on the road to Damascus?

As you hear the passage read again… Consider that the conversion of Paul reminds us that no one is too far off, or too antagonistic, to be interrupted by the love of God or by the call of Christ. Is there someone in your life who feels ‘too far off’? Were you too far off, before you met Jesus?

“Who are you, Lord?” is one of the most important questions we can ask God. Scripture tells us that we can know God by looking at Jesus. Reflect on ways that you have learned about the character of God. Have you ever felt interrupted by the love of God?

As we end, ask God to reveal himself to you in fresh ways, and pray for one person by name… who might feel ‘too far off’… pray that Jesus would interrupt both you, and them, with the love and the calling of God.

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music: Faithful Father - Vineyard Music/Brian Doerksen - (YouTube)

Today is January 16th.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John chapter 8.

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Have you ever been caught in a situation where your sin was exposed? How did you feel at that moment? When someone calls you out and confronts you over something you’ve done wrong, or some pattern in your life, what is your primary reaction—embarrassment, defensiveness, humiliation, anger?

In this story, Jesus shows that when it comes to confronting our sin, he deals with us mercifully. He drew the attention away from the woman and onto himself. He removed the fear of judgment so she could be free to change her life and leave her sin behind. As you hear the passage again, consider a sin in your life that feel has gone unaddressed for fear of being exposed. Ask Jesus for his mercy to enter into that area of your life.

As we close our time today, ask the Lord for grace that you may leave your sin behind and follow him in freedom.

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music: You're All I Need - Heaven and Earth - (YouTube)

Today is January 15

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from Psalm 86.

Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. 4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. 5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. 6 Hear my prayer, LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. 7 When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me. 8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. 9 All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. 10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.

Welcome to prayer today. So many of us are moving so quickly, even when we’re trying to Be Still, that we’re not fully present. Can you recall the scripture that we just read? Or, perhaps, were you so distracted that the words already have escaped your mind?! Take some time as we begin and offer any distractions, worries, or to-do's to Jesus.

As we listen again to these words, try to hold them in your mind or heart.... they tell you some profound things about the character of God.

What stands out to me right now is verse seven: ‘when I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me’. The psalmist knows that god will answer. He does not ‘hope’ for it. He knows it. As we end our time of prayer today I want to pray for you, that you will know God, in all of his goodness:

“Father God, we are poor and needy. Please draw near to my sister or brother and demonstrate to them your abounding goodness, forgiveness, and love. Please guard their life and their health. Jesus, be near to your people, and grow us in knowledge of you. Amen”

Music: My Soul Depends On You - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)

Today is January 14th.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.    
  
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”     
    
Today’s reading is from the book of 1 John, chapter 5.   
 
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 
 
As we enter into prayer today, would you take some time and consider what word you would use to describe how it is YOU approach God? Is it confidence? Fear? Tiredness? Are you rushed? Get quiet for a few moments and think about how you felt just now – before you hit play on Be Still? Share that feeling with God. 
 
These words from first John aren’t meant to tell us that every single thing we pray for will be given to us. We all know that’s not the case in our real lives. It’s meant to speak to something far deeper… that God desires proximity with us. That God hears our prayers. That God’s will is sufficient for us. And most importantly: that God has granted us eternal life, with Him. John’s words are meant to bring comfort to a people who are used to God keeping them at arms length, because of His holiness. They are used to the idea that ‘approaching God’ would come with fear and trembling, like when the priest would enter into the temple. As you listen again, let yourself wrestle with these two truths: God wants us to be near to Him and He hears our prayers….. and sometimes, we feel otherwise.  

What do you think it means to ‘ask according to God’s will?’ That seems to me to have to do with our prayerfulness coming out of deep connection with God. That our prayer would be informed by discernment about what God is up to. IT also seems to me that a lot of times I THINK my prayers are according to God’s will. And yet I don’t feel like I ‘have what I asked of him’. Do you relate to that tension? How do you sit with those realities? As we end today, join me in being vulnerable and authentic with God and talk with Him about things or prayers that haven’t been answered, and that I don’t understand. He loves you, and wants to accompany you as you seek Him in this confusing space.

Today is January 13th.

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from Psalm 30, the Message version.

I give you all the credit, God—
you got me out of that mess,
you didn’t let my foes gloat.
2-3 God, my God, I yelled for help
and you put me together.
God, you pulled me out of the grave,
gave me another chance at life
when I was down-and-out.
4-5 All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God!
Thank him to his face!
He gets angry once in a while, but across
a lifetime there is only love.
The nights of crying your eyes out
give way to days of laughter.


We all have moments when life doesn’t seem to work for one reason or another. The psalmist gives voice to the emotions we feel in those moments. What is one place in your life that doesn’t seem to be working at the moment? How do you feel about that?

“I yelled for help and you put me together.” When we hit a wall, when our lives fall apart, we sometimes yell at our circumstances, or even yell at God. The Psalmist, though, yelled for help from God. As you hear the passage read again, can you turn your frustration into a yell for help from God?

As we close our time today, remember that God is with you across a lifetime. Ask God to give you a long view of his love so that you may trust him in this moment.

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music Credit
All Things by Heaven and Earth
youtube.com/watch?v=NaqTc8pyM-E

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.

1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is January 10th.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 2.

Brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did again and again—but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Do you hear the Apostle Paul’s deep love for the church. He called them brothers and sisters—they were family. He intensely longed to be with them. He describes the family of God as the tangible sign of God’s goodness. Joy, hope, glory, and taste of what heaven will be like. Have you had the blessing of being part of Christian community? How was it a gift to you, a source of joy, or hope, a taste of heaven?

Paul was in a situation in his life where he was blocked from being with the family of God. But he continued to think of them even when they were apart. As you hear the passage again, consider a particular Christian who has been a source of goodness to you, and thank God for them.

What are the blocks you have from relating more deeply to the family of God? Would you pray today that God would remove those blocks and show you what step you can take to connect to God’s family.

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music: Familia - Vineyard Worship - YouTube

Today is January 9th.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 5.

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.

We struggle sometimes knowing what God is like. Jesus tells us that we can know what God is like because when we look at Jesus we see God. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. When you think about the stories of Jesus that you know, what kinds of things do you see Jesus doing? What does that tell you about what God is like?

Jesus shares the secret of how he lived his life. Everything he did was dependent on his relationship to God. He lived a life of utter dependency and complete intimacy with the Father and is the model for how we all are meant to live. Where in your life are you dependent on the Father right now and where would you like to increase your dependency on him?

As the passage is read again, consider how the Father loved Jesus and was pleased to show him all he does. Consider how much he loves you.

As you go about your day, can you pray, “Father, give me eyes to see what you are doing, and enable me to do all things by your strength at work in me.”

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Heaven's Work - Vineyard Soul - (YouTube)