Monday, September 27, 2010

Toolkit Closing ???

"You must arrange to live with deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday experience of life with God." - Dallas Willard

Well, it's been nearly a month since my last blog entry. I have missed this "conversation" and have prayed much about how this will "end" and in what way it will continue. It began as a 30 day blog about the exercises of Benedict and Ignatius. It morphed into almost 30 exercises over a much longer period of time (much longer than I care to think about!). The stuff of life has been happening in good and not so good ways over these last months. It has caused me to cling to my practices ways I had not yet experienced.

We have practiced the examen, written a little rule, practiced Lectio with our senses (Ignatius) and without our senses by soaking ourselves in scripture (Benedict). We have thought about making decisions and prayed about the manner in which we make them. We have wondered and pondered and allowed ourselves to feel the thin places. WE have lit our candles and held seashells and practiced hospitality. We have talked of paradox and our faith journey; we have wrestled with the concept of humility and deep and abiding prayer. We have looked at obedience and considered our motive in our faithfulness.

For me, this quote from Dallas Willard captures my heart, "You must arrange to live with deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday experience of life with God." Everything else follows. Everything. This journey of faith is one that is full of much... when co workers are losing their jobs, when children are placed in protective custody, when my sermon feels like it has or needs training wheels, when I learn of twin grand babies, when I get to lead women on deep journeys, when my faith feels dry and in need of a soaking...I work to remember to live deep...to stand at the crossroads...to breathe...to look...to wonder...to be aware that God is closer than my hands and feet.

My questions to you are these:
Has this journey been helpful to you? How so?
How have Benedict and Ignatius, or more pointedly their teachings, been embraced by your life?
Robert Benson says he has a 21 rule...and among other things you can only go about 21days without a crises...have you, during this "blog time" experienced a hard or difficult time? If so, have these teachings been helpful for you? How so?
What else?
Has your devotional life changed at all?
Are you in any way interested in continuing this conversation/blog?

These are the questions we started with...want to add anything?
1. Do you have any regular spiritual practices? If so, please share them.
2. Would you be willing to spend time each morning and evening focused on developing a spiritual toolbox? How much time?
3. Do you desire a deeper prayer life?
4. What do you want your daily life in God to be shaped like? In other words, what do you want your life in God to look like/feel like?
5. What prevents your living your life like you want or you intend?
6. Is there anything else that would be helpful for me to know?

I'd like to hear. Email me: ellenshep@gmail.com


Resources:
Willard quote from an article written by John Ortberg in LeadershipJournal.net; What I Learned on my Sabbatical. (9/13/10)
Robert Benson; Living Prayer.

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