For Such A Time As This 4-3-20 – Karen Haldeman
To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,
Sunday morning, around 8am, you will receive an email with a link to this Sunday's worship service. The service is being prerecorded this week, and continues our Lenten journey "Guided by Women.” Rachel Witkovsky will be our worship leader. Elaine Hoffer will be presenting the Story of Wonder. I will bring the sermon based on “The Widow with Mite: An Inspiration to Jesus.” Our music will include some favorite footage from previous Palm Sunday services, so that we can remember and relive our awesome Palm Sunday processions. We hope it will be a blessing to all.
Be sure to check our website at www.palmyracob.org for links to our:
Reminder:
If you know someone who does not have email, please call them and offer to read this email to them and share this devotion with them. And, check in on how they are doing.
I am thankful to Karen Haldeman for providing today’s devotion. Karen shares with us a way to name the challenges and remember the blessings of each day. If you wish to respond to John directly, her email address is kbhaldeman@verizon.net.
Shalom,
Dennis
Scripture - Psalm 90:12 (NRSV)
“So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.”
Thoughts
No, this reflection will not be a math lesson! I am not a biblical scholar, but I have often been struck by the word “count” in this scripture (other versions use the word “number”). While I’m not certain of the actual Hebrew meaning of the word in this context, I tend to think of it as “listing.”
I am a list-maker. My grocery list is clipped onto the refrigerator, beside the list of food I’ll be making the coming week. My Wal-Mart list is in my QuickMemo cell phone notes app. My daily to-do list is on paper at the kitchen table. I even have a list of all the spring cleaning jobs I want to do. Sometimes I think I might even need a list of where to find my lists!
There is another kind of list that I keep. This list is based on an ancient prayer practice called the examen. (Don’t go back to the math idea—this practice is different from a school test or examination!) The idea is to spend a few minutes each day prayerfully reflecting on the events of that day. I ask myself (and write down—hence, the “list”) three questions (or one of the variations):
During these weeks when we have more time alone, I encourage you to try practicing the examen. You can do it privately or modify it to do as a family, perhaps around the dinner table each evening.
Prayer
God of love, help us to use these days and weeks of increased solitude to strengthen our ability to see how you are working in our lives. May we train ourselves to look and listen more deeply for your presence, your voice, your invitation, that we may gain a wise heart.
Sunday morning, around 8am, you will receive an email with a link to this Sunday's worship service. The service is being prerecorded this week, and continues our Lenten journey "Guided by Women.” Rachel Witkovsky will be our worship leader. Elaine Hoffer will be presenting the Story of Wonder. I will bring the sermon based on “The Widow with Mite: An Inspiration to Jesus.” Our music will include some favorite footage from previous Palm Sunday services, so that we can remember and relive our awesome Palm Sunday processions. We hope it will be a blessing to all.
Be sure to check our website at www.palmyracob.org for links to our:
- Daily Announcements & Devotions
- Virtual Worship Services
- COVID 19 Community Resources
- Online Giving Instructions
Reminder:
If you know someone who does not have email, please call them and offer to read this email to them and share this devotion with them. And, check in on how they are doing.
I am thankful to Karen Haldeman for providing today’s devotion. Karen shares with us a way to name the challenges and remember the blessings of each day. If you wish to respond to John directly, her email address is kbhaldeman@verizon.net.
Shalom,
Dennis
Scripture - Psalm 90:12 (NRSV)
“So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.”
Thoughts
No, this reflection will not be a math lesson! I am not a biblical scholar, but I have often been struck by the word “count” in this scripture (other versions use the word “number”). While I’m not certain of the actual Hebrew meaning of the word in this context, I tend to think of it as “listing.”
I am a list-maker. My grocery list is clipped onto the refrigerator, beside the list of food I’ll be making the coming week. My Wal-Mart list is in my QuickMemo cell phone notes app. My daily to-do list is on paper at the kitchen table. I even have a list of all the spring cleaning jobs I want to do. Sometimes I think I might even need a list of where to find my lists!
There is another kind of list that I keep. This list is based on an ancient prayer practice called the examen. (Don’t go back to the math idea—this practice is different from a school test or examination!) The idea is to spend a few minutes each day prayerfully reflecting on the events of that day. I ask myself (and write down—hence, the “list”) three questions (or one of the variations):
- What gifts did I receive today? When did I give or receive love? For what am I most grateful?
- What is still unresolved in my heart? When did I struggle to love or be loved? For what am I least grateful?
- What might God be inviting me to hear or to do in order to be more whole in the coming day?
During these weeks when we have more time alone, I encourage you to try practicing the examen. You can do it privately or modify it to do as a family, perhaps around the dinner table each evening.
Prayer
God of love, help us to use these days and weeks of increased solitude to strengthen our ability to see how you are working in our lives. May we train ourselves to look and listen more deeply for your presence, your voice, your invitation, that we may gain a wise heart.
Comments
Post a Comment