Write a basic statement of what you believe are the core things a Christian should hold true. Read the Nicene Creed and Apostles Creed–the two most significant statements of belief in the history of the church. Where does your statement of belief match with these historic creeds? Where does it disagree? Read Mark 9:14-29 What does this scene and Jesus’s teaching say to our statements of belief? Read more
Fast from all food or caloric drinks until 5 PM Create a prayer meal or snack to use whenever you begin to feel hungry Write down a prayer, a passage of scripture, or use a phrase like “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Use your time of fasting as a time to relax into God’s care–learn to see fasting as a kind of bodily Sabbath Read more
Walk your neighborhood–pray over each house, each tree, each stream, field or other place. Pray for your neighbors, human and otherwise. Welcome the God who is already present. Pray that Christ’s presence will be made manifest. Keep your radius small–focus your attention on a scale that you can really pay attention to. Read more
Imagine yourself with Christ. Pick a particular story or scene from the gospels–the feeding of the 5,000, the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda, the raising of Lazarus, the preaching of the Sermon on the Mount. Imagine yourself there, in that story, in that time, present fully with Christ. Read more
Lent begins next Wednesday Spend some time today preparing for it Outline what it is you will give up so that you can better focus on your dependence upon Christ What practices will you take on? Will you read a particular spiritual classic or study a book of the Bible? Write out a plan for lent post it somewhere you see often. Begin to ready your mind and heart for a season focused on our mortality and need for God. Read more
Sit for a time and think about an area of your life where you desire God’s healing Think about what you do that keeps you from receiving that healing Sometime in the middle of the day, stop and go over your day up until that point–how many times did you sin, resisting the possibility of God’s love and healing? Repeat the self examination at the end of the day. Continue until you have opened yourself completely to God’s love in... Read more
Plan nothing Read more
Read Matthew 5:23-24 Read more
Fast from all food and caloric drinks until 5 PM Pay special attention to your thoughts. When sinful thoughts begin to enter your mind find a simple prayer or passage of scripture with which to replace them such as “Lord Jesus Christ, Have Mercy” or “The Lord is My Shepherd.” _____________________________________ Free ebook: Freedom from Sinful Thoughts by J. Heinrich Arnold Read more
Read the newspaper, listen to the radio–what is going on in your city that the church needs to speak to? Talk with other Christians in your area and begin to talk about creative ways you can respond and bring the good news of Christ to the sad news of the world. Is it the good news that we no longer have to worry about property values when a homeless service center wants to come near our neighborhood because we live... Read more
Word + Flesh
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