September 30th, 2007
Sunday’s Reflection
THY WILL BE DONE. In relation to our ordinary, workaday lives, these may be the most revolutionary words we will ever say. Saying them can change our orientation to life: we put our little boats into a great stream and drop our oars. The prospect of relinquishing our lives to God’s will can be terrifying, as it may have been at first for Jesus on that night of prayer in the garden. But this fear comprises part of a holy moment; it is endured and transcended so that God’s will may be done.
- Sarah Parsons
A Clearing Season
From page 83 of A Clearing Season by Sarah Parsons. Copyright © 2005 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
Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
- Psalm 91:14-15, NRSV
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for persons with whom we disagree. Visit the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius urged that all be taught the examen, a daily examination of our deepest feelings and desires. Try a daily Examen.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Jerome (September 30).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2007 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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September 29th, 2007
Saturday’s Reflection
OUR EARTHLY existence takes on new meaning when we remember that God chose to put on our humanity and chose to wear that humanity as an ordinary working man. Our ordinary existence is not so ordinary when we remember that God chose this existence to give us a true picture of the divine. Therefore there are no unimportant moments in any lifetime. All are precious gifts of opportunity to know and serve the One who made us and chose to stand with us and like us in the gift of life.
- Norman Shawchuck and Rueben P. Job
A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God
From page 50 of A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God by Norman Shawchuck and Rueben P. Job. Copyright © 2003 by the authors. 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
You (who live in the shelter of the Most High) will not fear the terrors abroad at night or the arrow that flies by day.
- Psalm 91:5, REB
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for persons with whom we disagree. Visit the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius urged that all be taught the examen, a daily examination of our deepest feelings and desires. Try a daily Examen.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Jerome (September 30).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2007 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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September 28th, 2007
Friday’s Reflection
IT IS GOOD TO RENEW ourselves from time to time by closely examining the state of our souls, as if we had never done it before. For nothing tends more to the full assurance of faith than to keep ourselves by this means in humility and the exercise of all good works.
- John Wesley
A Longing for Holiness
From page 69 of A Longing for Holiness: Selected Writings of John Wesley edited by Keith Beasley-Topliffe. Copyright © 1997 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
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction.
- 1 Timothy 6:9, GNT
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for persons with whom we disagree. Visit the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius urged that all be taught the examen, a daily examination of our deepest feelings and desires. Try a daily Examen.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Jerome (September 30).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2007 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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September 27th, 2007
Thursday’s Reflection
FEAR OF GOD means avoiding ambitions that compromise the Ten Commandments and endlessly complicate life. It means resisting choices that corrupt, that promote lying, stealing, lusting. The simple life acknowledges a simple truth — serenity springs directly from a person’s choices.
- Ray Waddle
A Turbulent Peace
From page 149 of A Turbulent Peace by Ray Waddle. Copyright © 2003 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
A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God.
- 1 Timothy 6:6, THE MESSAGE
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for persons with whom we disagree. Visit the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius urged that all be taught the examen, a daily examination of our deepest feelings and desires. Try a daily Examen.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Jerome (September 30).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2007 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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September 26th, 2007
Wednesday’s Reflection
WHERE THERE IS LOVE and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.
Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor vexation.
Where there is poverty with joy, there is neither greed nor avarice.
Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt.
Where the fear of the Lord stands guard, there the enemy finds no entry.
Where there is mercy and moderation, there is neither indulgence nor harshness.
- Francis of Assisi
“The Admonitions of Francis”
What About God? Now That You’re Off to College
From pages 48-49 of The Riches of Simplicity: Selected Writings of Francis and Clare 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
The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
- 1 Timothy 6:10, NIV
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for persons with whom we disagree. Visit the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius urged that all be taught the examen, a daily examination of our deepest feelings and desires. Try a daily Examen.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Jerome (September 30).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2007 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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September 25th, 2007
Tuesday’s Reflection
PRAY. CALL OUT for forgiveness. Give thanks. Ask for guidance. Dream. Lay out your hopes and fears. Shout. Whisper. Talk. Listen. Laugh. Cry. Keep silence. Keep at it. It is all prayer. It is all your lifeline to God and God’s lifeline to you.
- Helen R. Neinast and Thomas C. Ettinger
What About God? Now That You’re Off to College
From page 48 of What About God? Now That You’re Off to College by Helen R. Neinast and Thomas C. Ettinger. Copyright © 2000 by the authors. 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] will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you.
- Psalm 91:4, GNT
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for persons with whom we disagree. Visit the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius urged that all be taught the examen, a daily examination of our deepest feelings and desires. Try a daily Examen.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Jerome (September 30).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2007 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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September 24th, 2007
Monday’s Reflection
NO RELATIONSHIP,
even the one with the everlasting God,
can flourish without being tended.
- Anne Carey
Alive Now
From page 14 of Alive Now September/October 1996. Copyright © 1996 by The Upper Room. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Scripture Reading
You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
- Psalm 91:1-2, NRSV
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for persons with whom we disagree. Visit the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius urged that all be taught the examen, a daily examination of our deepest feelings and desires. Try a daily Examen.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Jerome (September 30).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2007 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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September 23rd, 2007
Sunday’s Reflection
WHEN YOU ARE FACED with hard changes, take a deep breath, put yourself in God’s hands, trust God’s presence with you through the process of change, and give your sadness and mourning over to God. You will be supported. You will be sustained. You will be comforted. And you will be led along the way.
- Helen R. Neinast and Thomas C. Ettinger
What About God? Now That You’re Off to College
From page 146 of What About God? Now That You’re Off to College by Helen R. Neinast and Thomas C. Ettinger. Copyright © 2000 by the authors. 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
Help us, God our saviour, for the honour of your name; for your name’s sake rescue us and wipe out our sins.
- Psalm 79:9, REB
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for health care providers. Visit the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Praying the Psalms. Psalms has been called the prayer book of the Bible in both Jewish and Christian traditions. It is a collection of sung prayers that has been used in worship from the time of ancient Israel up to the present. Write your own psalm.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Hildegard of Bingen (September 17).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2007 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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September 22nd, 2007
Saturday’s Reflection
WHEN PERSONS FIND THEMSELVES in the shadow, one immediate reaction is that of fear, accompanied by a desire to distance themselves from the darkness. …
But the dark nights of our souls — whether caused by illness, crisis, or some unknown origin — can be pathways to transformation and healing, opportunities for personal growth, and the means of becoming new persons in Christ.
- Susan Gregg-Schroeder
In the Shadow of God’s Wings: Grace in the Midst of Depression
From page 62 of In the Shadow of God’s Wings: Grace in the Midst of Depression by Susan Gregg-Schroeder. Copyright © 1997 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
There is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all.
- 1 Timothy 2:5-6, NRSV
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for health care providers. Visit the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Praying the Psalms. Psalms has been called the prayer book of the Bible in both Jewish and Christian traditions. It is a collection of sung prayers that has been used in worship from the time of ancient Israel up to the present. Write your own psalm.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Hildegard of Bingen (September 17).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2007 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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September 21st, 2007
Friday’s Reflection
JEWS AND CHRISTIANS have a practice that provides “therapy” when the storm clouds roll in and we’re grieving loss beyond repair. This practice is called “lament.” To lament means to “express sorrow or to mourn out loud.” The practice of lament gives you time and permission to vent your pent-up anger, your deep sadness, and your self-blame. You allow yourself to grieve in a way that leads to healing and renewal.
As you pour out your grief, loss, pain, and anger in the presence of God, you discover that God hears your cries of anguish and comforts you. While you can’t remove the storms, quiet the thunder, or stop the lightning from striking, you can trust your tears to be the raindrops that release the clouds, allowing rays of sunlight to shine through. Before catching a glimpse of the rainbow, though, you have to brace yourself for the raging storm within.
- Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan with Tatiana Wilson
“Grieving”
Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens
From page 251 of Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens, edited by Dorothy C. Bass and Don C. Richter. Copyright © 2002 by Dorothy C. Bass and Don C. Richter. 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
Jeremiah said, “Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people.”
- Jeremiah 9:1, NIV
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for health care providers. Visit the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Praying the Psalms. Psalms has been called the prayer book of the Bible in both Jewish and Christian traditions. It is a collection of sung prayers that has been used in worship from the time of ancient Israel up to the present. Write your own psalm.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Hildegard of Bingen (September 17).
- Lectionary Readings:
-
Sponsored by The Upper Room daily devotional guide. Subscribe Today.
Copyright © 2007 The Upper Room | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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