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Praying the Examen
Upper Room Books author Dan Wolpert shares insights on Examen Prayer in a recent UMC.org article Read More
Adrienne Sparrow Trevathan | Read Psalm 62:5-8
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Sign Up TodayFor God alone my soul waits in silence.” The psalmist offers healing for the world-weary soul. In the midst of an uncertain and violent world—if we are still, we may hear the psalmist’s voice urging us to trust in God. The opening two verses of the psalm bear a striking...
Strengthening God, empower us to pour out our hearts and lives before you as we trust in your protection. Amen.
Things are not always as they seem. To Jonah it appears that the people of Nineveh are beyond hope, so he runs away rather than going to preach to them. God has other plans; to Jonah’s surprise, the Ninevites turn to God. To our eyes, social standing and wealth may seem to divide people into different classes; but the psalmist declares that in God’s economy, all are equal and will be repaid the same. Paul echoes the theme of the temporary nature of all things in this life; they should not be our source of security. Jesus opens his ministry in Mark by proclaiming that God is breaking into history to overthrow what has been accepted as the way things are. Sometimes God’s perspective is not our perspective.
• Read Jonah 3:1-5, 10. When have you experienced God’s call to a task you would have preferred not to undertake? What happened? What did you learn about God?
• Read Psalm 62:5-12. When have you experienced God as refuge and fortress? How do you actively embody God’s hope and offer it to others?
• Read 1 Corinthians 7:29-31. How lightly do you hold your job, your relationships, your possessions, given the passing nature of the present age?
• Read Mark 1:14-20. When have you heard Jesus call to you to follow? How did you respond?
Respond by posting a prayer.
“The Upper Room, like the local church, yearns to meet people where they are. And we are particularly keen to encourage spiritual leaders who are seeking nurture and care as they lead others on the path that leads to life.” Read more.
