Prayer of Examen “Jesus Speaks to You from the Cross” The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr For this prayer, I suggest that you wait until you have an open, quiet…
Read Philippians 4:6-7 We live in a busy, distracted and frantic time. It’s easy — even when we are “off” or having “down-time” — for that to be stolen and…
Read Colossians 3:15-17 I love a good plan. It makes me feel some level of control and helps me forget the reality that a good plan can only carry you…
Read Ephesians 2:13-22 Until Jesus came, God was only for the people of Israel. The Gentiles, or non-Jewish people, did not have access to God and could not be saved.…
Prayer of Examen “Soul Attunement: Attending” Sacred Companions by David Benner Probably the most valuable of the many gifts I have received from the Ignatian approach to spiritual formation is…
Read John 16:33 When I keep a journal, one of my favorite things to write is a favorite bible verse or passage that is meaningful to me. Recently, I leafed…
Read Romans 5:1-5 I think this passage may be more relatable for us this year than any year before. As we read the words of Paul on suffering, endurance, character…
Read Galatians 4:4-5 Paul emphasizes the centrality of the Incarnation to the Gospel and community of believers. The phrases in this passage point to Jesus’ humanity and divinity. Jesus was…
Read 2 Corinthians 8:9 This verse is part of a passage where Paul encourages the church in Corinth to share their wealth with those in need. He uses the churches…
Read 1 Timothy 1:15-17 The first line of this passage grabs our attention by declaring that what will be said is the honest truth and is worthy of embracing. It…
Read John 1:1-5 The Word is ETERNAL. Before time began, the Word "was." The Word is INTIMATE. The Word was "with" God, face-to-face, inclined toward his Father. The Word is…
Light all the candles, including the white candle in the center of the wreath. Say “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light…
Prayer of Examen “The Prayer of Examen” Prayer by Richard Foster How do we practice the Prayer of Examen? We practice it by turning inward. Not outward, not upward, but…
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 I often feel like I am constantly in battle with myself. There is a war between the things that my flesh desires and what I think…
Read Romans 8:35-39, Isaiah 9:2 For many people, the Christmas season is not a happy time. It may invoke painful memories of happier times now past or thoughts of loved…
Read Psalm 89:1-4 The psalmist writes during a time when troubles were coming thick and heavy upon David’s rule, as he describes later in the psalm. There were feelings of…
Read Psalm 103 This psalm begins with a personal praise and ends with a call for cosmic praise from all creation. As we approach the awaited day, we recall God’s…
Light the first two purple candles, the pink candle, and the last purple candle. Say “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light…
Prayer of Examen “Soul Training: Two-by-Four” The Good and Beautiful Community by James Bryan Smith Find a quiet, restful place to be alone. It should be a place where you feel…
Read 1 Peter 1:3-9 We’re reading Peter’s letter to the churches in Asia Minor. Peter was in Rome writing to the Christians because he had heard of their persecution from…
Read Luke 1:46-55 The story of Mary and Elizabeth’s interaction in Luke 1 is quite possibly one of my favorite parts of the Christmas narrative. Right before Mary bursts out…
Read Psalm 126 God’s people in this psalm are reflecting on a joyous memory, a time when God’s mercy was on full and brilliant display. They recall laughing uncontrollably and…
Read Isaiah 55 Isaiah the prophet yells, “Hey!” He has an important announcement. The announcement is for all. But we still may feel our lives are so bankrupt that this…
Light the first two purple candles and the pink candle. Say “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness,…
Prayer of Examen “Practice Being Known” Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson This examen prayer is based on the story of Jesus’ baptism. Find a quiet place where you…
Read Romans 13:11-14 If there is one word that typifies the modern holiday experience better than “busy” I have yet to discover it. We are busy with parties of every…
Read John 1:19-26 In the days before the ministry of Christ began, there was John the Baptist going forth and preaching the word of God and offering baptism to those…
Read Psalm 1 Where do you find your delight? This is a question I often ask myself. When straying from discipline, I tend to find my delight in the idea…
