Gentleness

Hi Ecclesia, thank you for joining me today in this practice on gentleness.

Let's begin by situating our bodies in a comfortable position and taking 3 deep breaths together to help us settle into our practice. Maybe tell God, I am here.

May our God give you the eyes to see the gentleness in yourself and others that come through the Holy Spirit.

What comes to mind when you think of gentleness?

Maybe you thought of a person you love or a memory close to your heart. Maybe you think about nature or something you love.

Now bring to mind an event when you were gentle with someone you love. Maybe a friend or a spouse or a child.

Now think about the last time you were truly gentle to yourself.

Not as easy right? We are so hard on ourselves and gentle to others. Now bring to mind how God displays gentleness to you.

If you are like me your inner critic might be anything but gentle. It might tell you that you aren't enough in a demeaning manner and be very cold. This is not of God. God's gentle nature tells us we are more than enough. I believe there are glimmers of God's gentle nature all around us.

Meditate on Philippians 4:5

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Silence 30 seconds

Take a few moments now just to rest quietly in God’s gentle and loving nature. Here we practice silence, letting go of our words simply to enjoy the experience of being in the presence of God.

Ecclesia may you always feel God's gentle spirit and voice especially when everything around you is hard. May we as a people share gentleness with others so they too can feel the true nature of God. Go in peace.

Goodness

Ecclesia family,

 

I invite you to spend some time with me reflecting on the fruit of the spirit, goodness. 

As we enter this space together, I invite you to take a few breaths. Take a moment to set aside the events of your day and just settle into a moment of presence.

 

 

What is goodness? Among many other things, goodness conveys God’s infinitely generous attitude toward us. By nature, He longs to bring joy and blessing to all His creatures.

 

What might it mean then, for us to bear the fruit of goodness, reflecting this quality of God toward ourselves and the world?

 

I invite you to listen to the following scriptures. Listen for a word or phrase that stands out  to you, or pay attention to any images that come to mind. For some passages I will read different translations, where the word “goodness” may be translated differently.

 

Psalm 145:9

But the Eternal’s goodness is not exclusive—it is offered freely to all. His mercy extends to all His creation. (The Voice)

 

Exodus 34:6

The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth. (Modern English Version)

 

The Eternal God, full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger, and abundant in loyal love and truth. (The Voice)

 

Psalm 27:13

I will move past my enemies with this one, sure hope that with my own eyes, I will see the goodness of the Eternal in the land of the living. (The Voice)

 

Psalm 107:8-9

For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. (Modern English Version)

 

Psalm 31:19-20

Your overflowing goodness you have kept for those who live in awe of you, and You share Your goodness with those who make You their sanctuary. You hide them, You shelter them in Your presence, safe from the conspiracies of sinful men. You keep them in Your tent, safe from the slander of accusing tongues. (The Voice)

 

Psalm 23:6

Surely your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever. (English Standard Version)

 

Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me where I go, always, everywhere. I will always be with the Eternal, in Your house forever. (The Voice)

 

Micah 6:8

He has told you, mortals, what is good in His sight. What else does the Eternal ask of you. But to live justly and to love kindness and to walk with your True God in all humility? (The Voice)

 

Take a moment to reflect on the word, image, or quality of goodness that is resonating with you today.

 

Has anyone every demonstrated this quality of goodness toward you? What did it look like? How did it feel?

 

 

What might it mean for you to reflect this facet of goodness toward yourself, your neighbors, and the world?

 

 

Thank you, God for revealing your goodness to us. May our lives produce the many facets of your goodness that you have revealed to us through your words.

 

May we be a source of goodness for ourselves, our neighbors, and our world.

The Lemon Tree - Self Control Examen

The Lemon Tree in Me by Misty Flores inspired by Hanna Hurnard’s book, Hinds Feet on High  Places with an exam prayer from Chris Webb’s book God Soaked Life 

Chris Webb says about learning attentiveness, “Those who are most aware of God’s presence in  their day to day lives are usually those who’ve troubled to train themselves in being aware.” 

Contemplative prayer is becoming attentive to God in our everyday lives.  

Let’s begin by situating our bodies into a comfortable position and taking a couple of slow deep  breaths together. Maybe tell God, “I am here.” 


If we want to grow a lemon tree, we first need to plant the seed. We don’t expect that seed to  produce fruit the very next day; that would be an unrealistic expectation. The same is true for  the fruit of the spirit. When we plant the seed of self-control in our heart and tend to it daily,  overtime with regular nourishment, that seed begins to grow. Should we neglect our seed, it  will eventually wither and be snuffed out by the wild weeds that will grow in its place. A well-nurtured seed will grow into a fruit yielding tree to share with our community that consists of  God, ourselves and others.  

Examen is a type of an ancient contemplative prayer that when prayed regularly, provides  nourishment and weeding for our soul gardens.  

The Fruit of the Spirit Examen for Self-Control 

Lord, the greatest command is to love You and love my neighbors as myself. I do love my  community, in my heart, but at times my actions do not reflect that love. Lord, plant the seed of  self-control into my heart, let me nourish that seed by asking “Where today, have I experienced  loving in community?”  

(pause) 

To help me to nurture my seed with gentle honesty, without criticism or judgment, either of  myself or of others, I simply ask “Where today, have I experienced loss of love in community?” (pause) 

Today, I saw a dragonfly. Yesterday, it was a bird. Many days I carry a rock in my pocket and  when I feel its cool rough edges with my fingers, I think of You, Lord. Continue to provide me  gentle reminders throughout my day so I can remember to give nourishment to my li>le seed of  self-control. “What other reminders of God’s presence did I noIce today?” (pause) 

Thank you, Lord, for longing me and loving me and believing someone like me capable to tend  Your Spirit growing inside of me. 

(brief pause) 

Before we leave this listening space, let us linger here with God -without asking for anything,  without telling anything, lets remain here a while and return often to savor the garden of  existence with our Creator.  

Amen and amen.  

Go in Peace friends.


Joy

We will continue our reflection on the manifestation of the Spirit of God in our lives by considering joy.

If you look up a definition for the word, you will find joy is defined as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness,” but this definition is too simplistic for our Christian understanding. If joy were

only possible during times of happiness, then it could not be a result of the Spirit of God in our lives, because in addition to pleasure and happiness, our lived experience includes pain and sadness. So we turn to scripture for a more nuanced understanding of joy, and we find this truth: joy is an attribute of the triune God.

God the Creator

Is a joyful God.

God’s joyful nature is woven Into the very fabric of the universe.

From the first story of Genesis, to the the final story of Revelation,

Scripture describes how nature itself expresses joy.

The heavens rejoice,

The trees of the forest sing for joy.

Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth.

Where morning dawns, where evening fades,

God calls forth songs of joy.

As part of His creation, God also calls forth joy from humanity.

We have the ability to express joy, because that is how God created us,

And because we are created in His image;

In the image of a joyful Creator.

Take a moment to quiet your mind...

Look and listen for the joyfulness of God in the beauty of the natural world.

God the Son

Is a joyful God.

In His great love, God became flesh and dwelt among us.

This God in the flesh experienced the brokenness and despair of a disordered world,

Yet Jesus knew joy.

And in His humanness, Jesus expressed joy,

So we know that joy cannot simply be the result of feeling pleasure or happiness.

Joy is not the emotional result of circumstances.

Joy is a willful recognition that God is bringing His created world back into order;

His perfect Love is making all things new.

As followers of Jesus, we will experience pain and suffering,

But God calls forth songs of joy anyway.

In fact, the joy of the Lord becomes our strength and our shield in the midst of suffering.

Maybe now you are experiencing a night of the soul, and joy seems impossible.

Take a few moments to rest in God’s promise;

Though sorrow may last for the night,

Joy comes in the morning.

Joy is coming...

God the Spirit

Is a joyful God.

The Spirit of God makes joy possible in every facet of our human experience;

Not only in circumstances of pleasure and happiness,

But also in the reality of pain and grief.

The joy of the Lord is a phenomenon that we feel deeply in our soul,

And that we express deeply with our bodies.

This spiritual joy, called forth by God, always leads to an outward expression of praise.

Over and over in scripture, the Psalmist reminds us that the joy of the Lord

Is expressed with songs of praise and with shouts of praise.

Joy bubbles up within our soul

And explodes in ecstatic worship.

Take a moment to ask the Spirit of God

To fill you with the joy of the Lord

Until all you can do is shout His praise!

Father God,

May we find joy in your creative beauty.

Son of God,

May we find joy in your everlasting love.

Spirit of God,

May we find joy in your steadfast faithfulness.

Ecclesia, rejoice!

Peace

Hello Ecclesia family, welcome to your invitation to experience God's peace.

In Isaiah 26:3, we are reminded of how we have unlimited access to God’s perfect peace. My hope is that you find it here today through guided prompts and moments of silence.

Let us begin by taking a few deep breaths in and out.

Ask God to help you be present and open. Perhaps tell God, I accept your invitation for perfect peace.

Now, imagine a warm, comforting light surrounding you. This light is the presence of God's perfect peace embracing you. Feel this gentle warmth spreading throughout your entire being, soothing every muscle, every nerve, every thought.

Bring to mind a place where you feel calm and at peace. It could be a beach, a forest, or a cozy room filled with soft candlelight. Visualize yourself there with God, surrounded by the beauty and peacefulness of this sacred place.

Here, share with God what you need help letting go of. With each inhale, feel God’s perfect peace filling you up, and with each exhale, release all your worries and anxieties to God.

As you continue sharing your thoughts and feelings, trust that God will carry your burdens and is always in control. Notice God there with you, sharing strength and comfort in all things.

Take a moment to silently offer gratitude for the blessings in your life, big and small. Reflect on the ones you love, the things going well today, or the recent experiences you enjoyed. Share them with God.

Now, allow yourself to bask in this feeling of peaceful connection with God. Know that you can return to this peaceful place with God whenever you need to find refuge from the busyness and stress of life.

As you leave your peaceful place, bring your attention to your body. Notice if there are any areas that feel more relaxed or grounded. Breath from this place of ease for a few moments.

When you're ready, gently wiggle your fingers and toes. Slowly bringing your awareness back to the present moment.

As you open your eyes, allow them to land on something that brings a sense of ease or comfort. Let this be an external reminder of your time spent in a peaceful place with God.

As we end today, may God give you perfect peace, at all times and in all things. Amen and amen. Go in Peace Ecclesia Family.