Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Thank you for sharing Francis. I find it interesting that our first breath and the final breath are the same. We breath the name of God regardless of our condition. I take great comfort in that. God bless you as you continue to study.
Abbot Dan
Wonderful! If you have questions, please ask them. These courses are self-paced. So, you may feel that you are alone while working through the materials. I find these enjoyable to invite a few friends to study together. God bless you in your journey.
In Him,
Abbot DanWelcome to the course Francis. I hope that you find it refreshing and exciting as you venture into contemplative practices of soul care.
In Him,
Abbot DanCarol,
I am so glad that you are finding these rhythms to be helpful. The BCP is a wonderful resource for the Daily Office. The Day by Day is a good resource, especially for those unfamiliar with prayer the Office. God bless you in this journey.
In Him,
Abbot DanCarol, I commend you for trying Lectio. It, like all contemplative prayers, takes some time. For me, it has been like those old “magic eye” pictures that one would stare at until their eyes went out of focus and then the 3D image would pop out. Take your time. Read a short passage slowly. Don’t try to memorize anything. Just read aloud and allow yourself to hear the Word. Then sit in silence for about 3 minutes. I suggest setting a timer on your phone so that you aren’t waiting or guessing. Sitting a timer takes one more thing off of your plate. Then read the passage aloud AND SLOWLY a second time to just reflect on the scripture. Again, sit quietly for 3 minutes and allow a word or a phrase or an image to just bubble up. That is God’s Holy Spirit giving your spirit something to grasp. Read the passage aloud and SLOWLY a third time. This time as you still your soul for 3 minutes, you may feel a groan, a word, a prayer, or some other responses swell up in you. That is fine. Allow yourself to respond to the scripture. Finally, read the passage slowly and aloud a fourth time. This time just allow yourself to rest in the presence of God. Don’t place any demands or expectations on what you are doing. When you are distracted by thoughts or sounds, don’t fight them. Simply acknowledge their presence and let them go. You don’t need to expend any energy in fighting them. This helps us simply accept grace as it is given. I hope this helps you. God bless, Abbot Dan
Wonderful insights! I enjoy reflecting on the names of God as He revealed Himself to Israel throughout Hebrew Scripture. His is Elohim and Adonia, El Roi and Jehovah Tsidkenu. He is creator and sustainer. The LORD who sees and the LORD who is our righteousness. God used more than 20 names to ensure the people that regardless of their circumstances, God is more than sufficient for them in that place. He is equally more than sufficient for us as well.
So glad that you have found communion with others.
In Him,
Abbot DanWonderful! I leave the comments of others because I find them helpful when I read back through what God places on others hearts. Thanks for adding to those voices. If you ever have questions or a need to share directly, feel free to email me at dan@christmission.us.
Should you desire to know more about us, you may want to browse our homepage at http://www.christmission.us.
May God bless you through your studies…
In Him,
Abbot DanSister, I hope that you are well and have enjoyed the course thus far. I am glad that you and Sister Grace war working together. If you have any questions, please ask. Blessings, Abbot Dan
Hello Carol,
I hope that Emotionally Healthy Spirituality was helpful. As you discovered, this class considering the Attributes of God is still in progress of being built. I will be drawing from A.W. Tozer’s work and my experience when I taught this class to native pastors in India a few years ago. I hope that the series will encourage students as they seek to know God, rather than know about Him. I had to delay building this course while I worked on the Stephen Ministry course for our Benedictine Brothers and Sisters. That is a 50-hour course teaching Christian care through a ministry of presence. It is an amazing program and took me about 200 hours to develop it for this forum. Anyway, I recommend that you consider the “Discovering God’s Vision for Your Life.” This is the best Spiritual Gifting course that I have seen. That is why I offer it here. Other courses sensationalize select Spiritual Gifts to fit a preconceived theology. This is a very biblical and balanced course that looks at the breadth of spiritual gifting that build up the Church. Its inventory tool is excellent. You can look at the first lesson without enrolling and see if it is something you will enjoy.
Thanks for joining our studies…
In Him,
Abbot DanThanks for the suggestions! We actually use Sister Esther de Waal’s book as an introduction for our postulants in our Order. I will look at The Book of NOT SO COMMON Prayer. Thanks!
Thank you for your comment Carol. I am beginning to see that God has blessed us with a deep and rich path for us to move to Him. The path is unfathomable to me in its entirety. However, as a take one step at a time, my trust grows along with my slow progress. I realize that my understanding and relationships are completely changed. I begin to surrender my preconceived notions, even about what God is like, and He replaces my self-reliance with His strength in a tender and loving way. St. Teresa of Avila, in her final book “Interior Castle” writes about a journey through various “mansions” to arrive at the final destination – communion with God. It is really a story of spiritual formation. Glad that you are encouraged by these lessons!
In Him,
Abbot DanCarol,
Very good insights. I hope that you are encouraged by this course. If you have comments or suggestions, please let me know. God bless you throughout this Christmastide.
In Him,
Abbot DanCarol, I appreciate your self awareness and your transparency regarding these challenges. I am very “conflict avoidance” prone. Many of these things are family-of-origin traits that shape us in our youth, as well as our Church training that suggest “Christians shouldn’t be angry.” I hope this course will be of some help.
Thank you for your encouraging words about clear instructions. That is one of the great hurdles of on-line teaching. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly at dan@christmission.us.
In Him,
Abbot Dan