Moving On

Week of Sunday, June 28

Are You Listening??

We may hear a lesson about listening to God, but it doesn’t mean much if we don’t actually practice in our everyday lives. If we dedicate each day to God, we invite God to speak to us in the course of our schedule. If we look back over each day with God, we open ourselves to God’s perspective on our activities and experiences.  Here are some suggestions for starting and ending the day with God and tuning your spiritual ears to hear God’s voice.

 

If you use these prayers, let us know how it’s going: pastorelaine@springfieldvaumc.org or 703-451-2375

 

 

Morning Prayer

Before you start the work of your day, invite God to be a part of everything you do, hear, and say. Ask God to help you listen. You might say a prayer like this:

O God of light, your love is new every morning, and your grace will carry me through this day. Give me ears to hear your voice and eyes to see your work in this world. Open my heart and my hands to you and to your people. Jesus my friend, turn my whole day into the amen of this prayer.

 

Evening Prayer

In the evening, take a moment to reflect on your day and invite God to guide your reflection. You may want to use a pattern for prayer called Examen. The examen prayer was initiated by St. Ignatius in the 1500s and used by many Christians, including John Wesley. ) It is intended as a short daily period of reflection. The examen was a "method," a way to seek and find God in all things and to gain the freedom to let God's will be done on earth.

 

 

The Examen

The Examen traditionally has five steps:

  1. Recall you are in the presence of God. No matter where you are or how “spiritual” you feel, God the creator is always with you, closer than your next breath.
  2. Give thanks to God. Pause and spend a moment looking at this day's gifts. Consider gifts you’ve given and gifts you have received.
  3. Ask here in a special way for the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and to help you look at your actions this day clearly and with an understanding of your own limitations. The Spirit will help you understand the mystery of your human heart, and at this point you ask to learn more about your actions and motivations. Remember, this is not a “beat up on yourself” session, where you will grind at the core of your being in sadness over things you have done wrong. Rather, it is a gentle look with the Lord at how you have responded to God’s gifts.
  4. Now examine how you are living this day. Look step by step at your day, asking questions like, “When did I fail?” “When did I love?” “What habits and patterns did I repeat today?” “How did I see and hear God today?”
  5. Talk through your reflections with Jesus as a trusted friend. Say you are sorry for the things you have done wrong. Thank him for the times he helped you do what was right. Give thanks for the ways God holds you, speaks to you, and calls you to new life. 

This reflection is adapted from two online resources. You can visit them for more in depth information.

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/prs/stign/ignatian_spirit.html

http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0303.asp