Contemplative at Home

Dear Friends,

Today we meditate on Romans 8:31-32, 34-35, 37-38.

“I am convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”

NOTHING!!!!

You are loved more profoundly and wholly than you could ever comprehend.

To meditate on this truth is an act of radical self-care.*

From the bottom of my heart, my prayers are with you, that you will find time and space to allow the wild and powerful truth of God’s love to sink in more deeply to your bones.

The RISEN Jesus presides over this love. It is eternal, it is unshakable. It is already yours.

You are so precious, you are so valuable, you have so much unique beauty to bring to this world.

May the Lord’s love for you ignite your true self to shine as only you can at this moment in time.

This is the power of love.

Every blessing dear ones.

*I’ve been recently inspired by Sonya Renee Taylor to consider radical self-love, which I heard her discuss on Brené Brown’s podcast recently. I highly recommend listening to it!

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.

Romans 8 is bursting at the seams. Ideas, suggestions, promises, hope. I have many questions, and much I’d like to discuss, but as we look this week at our third of four sessions on Romans 8, I want to focus on the idea of abundance.

Reading Romans 8:18-30, what stands out to me most notably is this sense of glory, freedom, empowerment, ultra-aliveness (words fail me here) that is offered to the ‘children of God’.

Verse 19 says “all creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God” (NRSV), or in the translation where it really caught my eye: “The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters!” (TPT)

Woah!

This definitely makes me a little prosperity-gospel-nervous. But what if the glory isn’t about ego and power, what if the glory is about the deeper invitation to my true self, where I’m invited to give my life away to others in beautiful, creative and surprisingly life-giving ways?

To become just like Jesus means to let go of my attachments to prestige, esteem, success, power and control. To heed the quiet invitation to my deeper self, where I confront my fears and insecurities, my pain and longing, where I find the courage to open my heart to those around me, to give my life away.

I hope that you are on this deepening journey my friends. And if you don’t already have a spiritual director, or anam cara/soul friend who helps you navigate your own interior landscape, I would strongly encourage you to consider finding one.

How are you being called to give your life away? How are you being drawn into the divine dance? Who is walking this road with you? There is abundance, glory, hope and life beyond all we can imagine waiting in the invitation.

Every blessing xxxxx

Big thanks again to the MOST faithful CAH listener, Ken, for suggesting over in our private Facebook community that we look at Romans together, and to Angela who put an exclamation mark after Romans 8.

This is a meditation on Romans 8:18, 19, 21, 26, 28, 29 in a hybrid of NRSV and TPT

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.

Dear Friends,

Considering St Paul through the mystical lens, in todays meditation we pray with Romans 8:9 and 14-17.

“You are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you…for you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear”

You might call to mind a particular dynamic, decision or relationship you are navigating at present.

We often “fall back into fear” as we respond to life’s varied circumstances, showing up in our need for control, power or certainty. This is how I read Paul’s understanding of “the flesh”, which could also be understood as the ego. Paul invites us instead to lean into the Spirit that resides WITHIN us, and IN whom we reside. As ‘heirs’ of God, we have access to all patience, peace, trust, kindness, grace, hope, generosity, and love that resides within the Trinity.

Whatever you may be managing today, may you do so more and more out of the Spirit of God who dwells IN you, co-mingling with the ground of your being.

Every blessing as you pray, dear friends.

Lissy xx

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

Dear Friends!

A meditation on the “new order.”

In Romans 7 Paul reflects on the law, under which we had to rely on our “flesh” – which I understand as the striving to be good enough, smart enough, attractive enough, strong enough, obedient enough… in other words, exhausting efforts no one can ever achieve in any sustained or holistic way.

In Romans 8 Paul opens up to us the new order, in which we don’t have to rely on our own ability or inability to achieve anything, but rather invites to step IN to the Spirit of life, which sets us free.

In this episode we pray with Romans 8:1-3 and 5-6.

Every blessing xxxx

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.

Happy September Friends!

My children started back at school this week, and I have a strong sense of turning the corner to a new season. Life certainly isn’t back to “normal” quite yet, and I know many of you in the US are still making the most of distance learning! Yet perhaps you too have that taste of something small and new which promises to grow into more than you can yet imagine.

We are starting a new season here at Contemplative at Home, with a series looking at the letters of St Paul. For many years, these letters were the only part of the Bible I spent much time in, but it has now been many years since I’ve spent any real time with them at all, and I’m looking forward to considering the sometimes blustery and dogmatic Paul through a contemplative lens. I hope you’ll enjoy it too.

In this episode we pray with Romans 5:1-6, 20.

The words underlined in my text are grace, peace and hope.

Thank you Ken for suggesting Romans in the Contemplative at Home Community on Facebook!

Every blessing as you pray, dear friends.

Lissy

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.

Dear Friends,

Listener Karen Clark-Elliot requested today’s passage, John 21:15-22, commonly referred to as Jesus reinstating Peter. Three times Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” and with the affirmative reply invites Peter to “Feed my lambs,” “feed my sheep” and “take care of my sheep.”

Karen writes about this passage:

“I find great hope in this subtle but powerful story of Jesus and Peter in John 21:15-21. This narrative depicts the holiness of God which is balanced by compassion. Although God “demands” (a word which I really struggle with) my all, he recognizes my brokenness and flaws.

A meaningful song that I often return to and which aligns with this text, is written by Addison Road. What Do I Know of Holy? “Are you fire, are you fury? Are you sacred, are you beautiful? What do I know of holy?” For me, John 21 speaks to these questions.”

At the end of the passage, Peter asks Jesus what will happen to John, and Jesus tells Peter to mind his own business!

I would love to know how Jesus speaks to each of you uniquely as you pray with this passage, and I trust that there will be a relevant word for each who listens.

Every blessing my friends.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

A meditation with Psalm 146, a song of praise and affirmation of God’s character.

Every blessing dear ones, and happy summer.

I’ll be taking a break from new episodes for a few weeks in August but you will get a message each Friday with suggested back episodes to review. Tina’s poems will keep coming on Sundays as well!

Love, peace and grace to you all.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.

I wonder what kind of work you are being called to this week?

Is this week’s work your employment or investing in the people around you, the fight for justice or self-care? Likely a combination of these things, consider what is already in your schedule, and what you feel stirring in your heart.

The words of Psalm 121 serve to remind that whatever work you are engaged with, the Spirit of God is with you, encouraging you, empowering you, companioning you, caring for you.

I heard this wisdom in a yoga context recently: the “perfect posture” is not the goal, it is rather the presence within the posture that is the highest priority.

May you be released from the demands of the ego in whatever you are tending, and may you know the comforting and empowering presence of the Lord before you, beside you, within you.

Every blessing as you pray, dear ones.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.

Today we pray with Psalm 103, a meditation on the God who is gracious, compassionate, abounding in steadfast love — who in turn crowns you with love and compassion.

I love this image (I drew it in my journal once, I wish I could find it to share with you!*). Can you see yourself crowned with love and compassion? This alone is worth a full length meditation.

May you know a deep exchange with the God of grace, compassion and steadfast love.

Every blessing, dear ones.

L

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

Music by Peter Hatch.

*Found it! Posting it in the Contemplative at Home Community page on Facebook. xx

David wrote Psalm 63 as he hid from Saul, in fear of his life.

Pursued, alone and in the wilderness, David turns his heart to the Lord, using language that evokes the intimacy of lovers, and finding in the spiritual pursuit peace, solace, joy.

This reminds me of Viktor Frankl who writes in Man’s Search for Meaning: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Wherever you are today, may you find yourself choosing an attitude that leads to greater intimacy, freedom and strength for the road.

In this episode we pray with Psalm 63:1-8.

Every blessing.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.