October 14th, 2008
Tuesday’s Reflection
JESUS TOLD US we would always have the poor with us (John 12:8). He didn’t eradicate poverty or heal all suffering. He could have taken care of these things, but he didn’t. God did not send Jesus to solve all our problems; Jesus came to teach us how to live with our problems. This human life is difficult, full of hardships and disappointments interlaced with occasional joys and successes. Jesus’ life and public ministry reveal how he responded to these problems: with compassion and charity.
- Christopher Maricle
The Jesus Priorities: 8 Essential Habits
From p. 85 of The Jesus Priorities: 8 Essential Habits by Christopher Maricle. Copyright © 2007 by the author. Published by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
Mighty king, you love what is right; you have established justice in Israel; you have brought righteousness and fairness.
- Psalm 99:4, GNT
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for positive relationships among coworkers. Leave your prayer at the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Wanting to go deeper into the spiritual life? Read How to Have a Daily Devotional Time.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Ignatius of Antioch (October 17).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2008 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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October 13th, 2008
THANKSGIVING DAY (CANADA)
Monday’s Reflection
THE HEALING LOVE OF CHRIST continues to be holistic. Sometimes we pray to be healed in a certain way, and we discover that God seems to be working with a completely different area first. Why? Because we are created as whole beings. We moderns are rediscovering what the ancients knew well: when something is wrong, every part of us is affected. Whether we complain that we are physically sick, emotionally adrift, spiritually bereft, or socially oppressed, we respond with every part of ourselves: body, emotions, mind, spirit, and sociability. We we pray for continued healing, we may well be challenged to attend to each of these realms. My longtime experience in the healing ministry has taught me that human beings are wired for lifelong growth in which God shapes each person’s healing individually and uniquely, weaving in and out of each part of our being.
- Tilda Norberg
Gathered Together: Creating Personal Liturgies for Healing and Transformation
From p. 92 of Gathered Together by Tilda Norberg. Copyright © 2007 by the author. Published by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
Paul wrote: It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:4, THE MESSAGE
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for positive relationships among coworkers. Leave your prayer at the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Wanting to go deeper into the spiritual life? Read How to Have a Daily Devotional Time.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Ignatius of Antioch (October 17).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2008 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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October 12th, 2008
Sunday’s Reflection
GRACIOUS LORD, Guardian and Defender, as I travel through days filled with uncertainty: sustain me as I pass through the bitter valleys of suffering, shield me as dangers threaten, and let me rejoice in the springs of living water that refresh me on my way. Amen.
- Paul Wesley Chilcote
A Life-Shaping Prayer: 52 Meditations in the Wesleyan Spirit
From p. 92 of A Life-Shaping Prayer by Paul Wesley Chilcote. Copyright © 2008 by the author. Published by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
- Philippians 4:4, NRSV
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for all children, especially those who feel unloved. Leave your prayer at the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Lectio Divina, or divine reading, is one of the most central and ancient practices of Christian prayer. Try lectio divina in your meditation time this week. Check it out.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember John Woolman (October 7).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2008 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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October 11th, 2008
Saturday’s Reflection
BEFORE we ever hear the word discernment, its reality beckons us. Long ahead of our efforts to understand its meaning, the need for discernment tugs at us. It meets us in our most profound yearning. It calls to us through our deep desire to walk in ways that are whole, right, fitting for our lives.
- Stephen V. Doughty with Marjorie J. Thompson
The Way of Discernment
From p. 15 of The Way of Discernment, Participant’s Book by Stephen V. Doughty with Marjorie J. Thompson. Copyright © 2008 by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
Paul wrote: My friends, how dear you are to me and how I miss you! How happy you make me, and how proud I am of you!
- Philippians 4:1, GNT
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for all children, especially those who feel unloved. Leave your prayer at the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Lectio Divina, or divine reading, is one of the most central and ancient practices of Christian prayer. Try lectio divina in your meditation time this week. Check it out.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember John Woolman (October 7).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2008 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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October 10th, 2008
Friday’s Reflection
FAITHFULNESS is consecration in overalls. It is the steady acceptance and performance of the common duty and immediate task without any reference to personal preferences — because it is there to be done and so is a manifestation of the Will of God. …
Faithfulness means continuing quietly with the job we have been given, in the situation where we have been placed; not yielding to the restless desire for change. It means tending the lamp quietly for God without wondering how much longer it has got to go on. Steady, unsensational driving, taking good care of the car. A lot of the road to heaven has to be taken at thirty miles per hour.
- Evelyn Underhill
The Soul’s Delight
From pp. 36-37 of The Soul’s Delight: Selected Writings of Evelyn Underhill edited by Keith Beasley-Topliffe. Copyright © 1998 by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
Fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.
- Philippians 4:8, GNT
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for all children, especially those who feel unloved. Leave your prayer at the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Lectio Divina, or divine reading, is one of the most central and ancient practices of Christian prayer. Try lectio divina in your meditation time this week. Check it out.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember John Woolman (October 7).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2008 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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October 9th, 2008
YOM KIPPUR (JEWISH, ISRAEL)
Thursday’s Reflection
PEACEMAKERS ARE THOSE who see that the world and its people are broken but also hold a dream, a vision, that God can and does reach out to heal our world. And God does it through the acts of those who live by the values of this new kingdom where God’s will is being done.
- Mary Lou Redding
The Power of a Focused Heart: 8 Life Lessons from the Beatitudes
From p. 93 of The Power of a Focused Heart by Mary Lou Redding. Copyright © 2006 by the author. Published by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:7, NIV
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for all children, especially those who feel unloved. Leave your prayer at the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Lectio Divina, or divine reading, is one of the most central and ancient practices of Christian prayer. Try lectio divina in your meditation time this week. Check it out.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember John Woolman (October 7).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2008 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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October 8th, 2008
Wednesday’s Reflection
WORLDLY ORGANIZATIONS spend most of their time and energy worrying about tomorrow. This worry is manifested in strategic planning, financial predictions, five-year goals, and vision statements, to name just a few. … Jesus, on the other hand, knew that God would lead and guide him in his life and work. The path of his activity would be laid out for him day by day, week by week, and there really was no need to worry about tomorrow. This was especially true because for him, and therefore for us who claim to be the church, his vision statement was simple and clear: follow God.
- Daniel Wolpert
Leading a Life with God: The Practice of Spiritual Leadership
From p. 142 of Leading a Life with God by Daniel Wolpert. Copyright © 2006 by the author. Published by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.
- Philippians 4:6, GNT
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for all children, especially those who feel unloved. Leave your prayer at the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Lectio Divina, or divine reading, is one of the most central and ancient practices of Christian prayer. Try lectio divina in your meditation time this week. Check it out.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember John Woolman (October 7).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2008 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
Posted in Daily Reflection | No Comments »
October 7th, 2008
Tuesday’s Reflection
LEARNING TO CARE — to feel compassion and responsibility — is the deep soul unfolding through which God’s realm, God’s will, becomes increasingly manifested on earth.
- Flora Slosson Wuellner
Miracle: When Christ Touches Our Deepest Need
From p. 13 of Miracle by Flora Slosson Wuellner. Copyright © 2008 by the author. Published by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
God spoke to Moses, “Go! Get down there! Your people … brought up from the land of Egypt have fallen to pieces. In no time at all they’ve turned away from the way I commanded them.”
- Exodus 32:7, THE MESSAGE
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for all children, especially those who feel unloved. Leave your prayer at the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Lectio Divina, or divine reading, is one of the most central and ancient practices of Christian prayer. Try lectio divina in your meditation time this week. Check it out.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember John Woolman (October 7).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2008 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
Posted in Daily Reflection | No Comments »
October 6th, 2008
Monday’s Reflection
A RELUCTANCE TO ADMIT our weaknesses has several painful consequences. On the one hand, we often find ourselves living a lie. We hide behind masks of competence and self-sufficiency and pretend we are OK. We become actors in the drama of our lives, playing roles far removed from who we really are. People around us, especially those nearest and dearest to us, feel we have put up a barrier and that they cannot reach us or get close to us. This can isolate us from real contact and openness with others. Always pretending to have it together makes for lonely living, which can be very painful indeed.
- Trevor Hudson
One Day at a Time: Discovering the Freedom of 12-Step Spirituality
From pp. 7-8 of One Day at a Time by Trevor Hudson. Copyright © 2007 by the author. Published by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
When God said that he would destroy his people, his chosen servant, Moses, stood up against God and kept his anger from destroying them.
- Psalm 106:23, GNT
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for all children, especially those who feel unloved. Leave your prayer at the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Lectio Divina, or divine reading, is one of the most central and ancient practices of Christian prayer. Try lectio divina in your meditation time this week. Check it out.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember John Woolman (October 7).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2008 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
Posted in Daily Reflection | No Comments »
October 5th, 2008
Sunday’s Reflection
GRACIOUS LORD, God of truth and grace and love: grant me to praise you, bless you, and worship you through all I think and say and do; for only you, O Christ, with the Holy Spirit, fully radiate the glory of God the Father throughout all ages. Amen.
- Paul Wesley Chilcote
A Life-Shaping Prayer: 52 Meditations in the Wesleyan Spirit
From p. 29 of A Life-Shaping Prayer: 52 Meditations in the Wesleyan Spirit by Paul Wesley Chilcote. Copyright © 2008 by the author. Published by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
- Psalm 19:1, NRSV
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for the sacraments and those who receive them. Leave your prayer at the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Walking the labyrinth is an ancient Christian prayer method in which the person praying walks meditatively through a patterned area. Read The Labyrinth: Praying Psalm 139.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Jerome (September 30).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2008 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
Posted in Daily Reflection | No Comments »
