These are some journal entries I have written on my iPad instead od paper recently. Cutting and pasting them here. Used the SOAP journal method for these.
Scripture
“And he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; for he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall save it.” - Luke 9:23-24
Observations. The word "daily" jumps off the page at me today. In some ways, I am taking up my cross (a small one) in order to be in ministry. Especially at this moment of transition. But truth is, my family bear the cross more than I do. Leah has to leave her job when at the moment it is a source of great personal accomplishment for her. The change of sophie's routine has affected behavior and work disciplines. Dow is intensely feeling things, especially related to the rest of us in this small house and his highly developed sense of fairness. Where did I set down that cross last night, so I can take it up again. Carrying it is a daily work.
Application. Attend to relationships in the family and not just responsibilities.
Prayer. Be at the center of this family, God. Help me express the love that has no expectations beyond the chance to express itself. Amen
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Scripture
A person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
What we've learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.
Observations. Romans 3:27-8 from The message leapt at me today. I have to help lead the church, but do that by getting in step with God.
Application. Today being in step with God will take listening time. I'll spend anhour meditating over Urbana and Macomb churches. Also could stand tot find out about canceling loans, canceling credit cards, organizing tax material, following up with Jan, sending a thank-you note.
God, I rest in you today. Help me walk in your ways
Monday, April 25, 2011
Couple of SOAP posts
This is the day the lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it.
So many reasons to rejoice. God has saved me so many times, from trouble, from myself, from those who wanted to harm me...from debt. So I will continue to live for him and trust my future to his care.
How do we write biblical sermons that are topical. Most do it through quotes, but that forgets all we've learned about immersing self ion the word and letting it transform us.
Model rejoicing and being glad in the day the lord has made. For others. Ask for witnesses. Listen to people today.
God, make me a faithful servant today. Help with taxes.
Amen
------
The word that saves is right here,
as near as the tongue in your mouth,
as close as the heart in your chest.
I don't often explain the process of salvation, assuming a mostly church going crowd, or that we explain this during new member classes. Should be part of an Easter message.
Have this verse ready.
God, help me with the Easter sermon, may it do you honor and lead someone to faith. Amen.
Mortal can these bones live? O lord, you know.
¡ Bb mnm ,…;
Live as though you know the bones can live.
Lord, you know. Amen.
----
Romans
20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
The argument from design in part. Look at the eyeball. How could something so sophisticated be random? Multiply that by all parts of the bod and all animals and all ecosystems and the universe. But further, consider the lilies of the field, and realize how god continues to care for and provide for all needs.
Let nature teach me.
Dear god of heaven and earth, of the ant and the solar system, which is to the universe as an ant is to me, instead of feeling small, instead I feel loved. Amen
So many reasons to rejoice. God has saved me so many times, from trouble, from myself, from those who wanted to harm me...from debt. So I will continue to live for him and trust my future to his care.
How do we write biblical sermons that are topical. Most do it through quotes, but that forgets all we've learned about immersing self ion the word and letting it transform us.
Model rejoicing and being glad in the day the lord has made. For others. Ask for witnesses. Listen to people today.
God, make me a faithful servant today. Help with taxes.
Amen
------
The word that saves is right here,
as near as the tongue in your mouth,
as close as the heart in your chest.
I don't often explain the process of salvation, assuming a mostly church going crowd, or that we explain this during new member classes. Should be part of an Easter message.
Have this verse ready.
God, help me with the Easter sermon, may it do you honor and lead someone to faith. Amen.
Mortal can these bones live? O lord, you know.
¡ Bb mnm ,…;
Live as though you know the bones can live.
Lord, you know. Amen.
----
Romans
20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
The argument from design in part. Look at the eyeball. How could something so sophisticated be random? Multiply that by all parts of the bod and all animals and all ecosystems and the universe. But further, consider the lilies of the field, and realize how god continues to care for and provide for all needs.
Let nature teach me.
Dear god of heaven and earth, of the ant and the solar system, which is to the universe as an ant is to me, instead of feeling small, instead I feel loved. Amen
Friday, November 19, 2010
Desolations
Scripture:
Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire. (Psalm 46:8-9)
Observation:
des·o·la·tion/ˌdesəˈlāSHən/Noun
1. A state of complete emptiness or destruction.
The psalmist is contrasting the refuge God offers with the refuges we usually seek in the world - addictions, money, governments. We know what desolations the enemies of Israel threatened to bring and the tools of destruction they used. The psalmist tells us that God destroys things to - things like bows, spears, and shields. God destroys armaments not armies.
Application:
When I begin to be overwhelmed by things, I don't always turn to the healthiest solutions. I retreat behind time wasters that distract me for awhile from my problems, but aren't any real help. The refuge God offers is not an escape from the world, but sometimes when we watch the world closely, we might see that God is helping us endure in the world.
Prayer:
God, How I long to see the desolations you bring to the earth. Shatter the bows, spears and shields of warring nations before they bring a different desolation. Shatter my bow, spear and shield before I bring any desolation into the lives around me.
Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire. (Psalm 46:8-9)
Observation:
des·o·la·tion/ˌdesəˈlāSHən/Noun
1. A state of complete emptiness or destruction.
The psalmist is contrasting the refuge God offers with the refuges we usually seek in the world - addictions, money, governments. We know what desolations the enemies of Israel threatened to bring and the tools of destruction they used. The psalmist tells us that God destroys things to - things like bows, spears, and shields. God destroys armaments not armies.
Application:
When I begin to be overwhelmed by things, I don't always turn to the healthiest solutions. I retreat behind time wasters that distract me for awhile from my problems, but aren't any real help. The refuge God offers is not an escape from the world, but sometimes when we watch the world closely, we might see that God is helping us endure in the world.
Prayer:
God, How I long to see the desolations you bring to the earth. Shatter the bows, spears and shields of warring nations before they bring a different desolation. Shatter my bow, spear and shield before I bring any desolation into the lives around me.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Be Still!
Scripture
"Be Still and know that I am God!"
Observation
It's the first time I noticed the exclamation point at the end there. This is an attentive, edge of your seat being still.
Application
What have beauty have I missed from being too busy to notice. What people did God place in my way, and I didn't see. Every parent can identify with God's "Be Still!"
Prayer
God, keep me on the edge of my seat today. I want to hang on your every word, notice your every wonder, and encounter your every child with an attentiveness enabled by your Spirit. Amen
"Be Still and know that I am God!"
Observation
It's the first time I noticed the exclamation point at the end there. This is an attentive, edge of your seat being still.
Application
What have beauty have I missed from being too busy to notice. What people did God place in my way, and I didn't see. Every parent can identify with God's "Be Still!"
Prayer
God, keep me on the edge of my seat today. I want to hang on your every word, notice your every wonder, and encounter your every child with an attentiveness enabled by your Spirit. Amen
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Thomas Long on Pluralism
Thomas Long has a suggestion for those of us who preach to plural congregations - those with many different little groups in them. He bases his comments on a practice of St. Augustine, who would address groups of people at different points of discipleship formation. Augustine might say something like, "this next part is for the baptized (or is not for those baptized)."
By directing portions of his preaching to specific groups, he is able, suggests Long, to disarm those who might otherwise say, "he's not talking to me."
In my context, it might look like the challenge of saying, "This next part is particularly addressed to college students. The rest of you are welcome to listen in, but I need to talk specifically to our students." I could do the same thing with International people, senior citizens, etc.
Let's remember that even in a small congregation, there are people dealing with issues such as going to a nursing home, or facing a surgery. Preaching may need to speak to these issues, trusting that other people may one day benefit from having listened in.
Check it out: http://www.workingpreacher.org/preachingmoments.aspx?video_id=30
By directing portions of his preaching to specific groups, he is able, suggests Long, to disarm those who might otherwise say, "he's not talking to me."
In my context, it might look like the challenge of saying, "This next part is particularly addressed to college students. The rest of you are welcome to listen in, but I need to talk specifically to our students." I could do the same thing with International people, senior citizens, etc.
Let's remember that even in a small congregation, there are people dealing with issues such as going to a nursing home, or facing a surgery. Preaching may need to speak to these issues, trusting that other people may one day benefit from having listened in.
Check it out: http://www.workingpreacher.org/preachingmoments.aspx?video_id=30
Monday, July 14, 2008
MAP prayer journal
The facilitator of our dialogue with God is the scriptures.
Elizabeth O'Connor
Nobody finds time for prayer. You either take time for it, or you don't get it. If I am waiting for it to be given to me, it shall never be given.
Joan Chittister
Everything that one turns in the direction of God is prayer.
Ignatious of Loyola
One of the great and ongoing struggles of my spiritual life has been establishing a discipline of prayer. Learning recently that this is characteristic of my personality type (regardless of which religion is practiced) gave me some relief in the sense of "I'm not the only one," but didn't let me off the hook because the same analysis points out that forms of prayer and meditation can be most powerful for those who are driven in the way many of us are. We need to be reminded that time spent in prayer is time well used, not wasted. The MAP Journal is the way I've adapted Biblical journalling to better suit my approach to scripture.
People who work or volunteer at churches often read the Bible only to fulfill responsibilities for preaching or preparing for Bible studies. This kind of reading is necessary, but it should not be confused with reading for spiritual growth. Reading for work is no substitute for devotional reading where the Bible is concerned.
What scripture can do, if we learn how to let it, is give us direction, which is one reason I use the acronym MAP to describe my spiritual reading of scripture. MAP reminds me that I am engaged in devotional Bible reading in order for God to direct my steps. MAP also stands for Message, Application and Prayer. These headings help me be intentional about letting the encounter between the Bible and me, mediated by the Holy Spirit, lead to some form of positive response.
A mature prayer life involves not only talking to God about what we want, but also ways to let God instruct us about what God wants.
Though I've created a template for printing a MAP journal with the headings pre-printed, right now I'm using a Moleskine Ruled Journal, and I simply write in the headings on two blank facing pages as I start. On the left, I write "Scripture" near the top and "Notes" part way down. On the right page, I allow roughly equal spaces labeled: "Message," "Application," and "Prayer." I work through these more-or-less in order, and am thinking about the following things.
Scripture:
I believe a reading plan of some kind is helpful. It can be as simple as one of the "through the Bible" plans, or you can run a book - a chapter a day. One of the great coincidences of Scripture is that when the New Testament was divided up into Chapters, it was divided into 365. Read a chapter a day. Several denominations have developed "lectionaries," which are plans for reading scripture. I am most familiar with the Revised Common Lectionary which gives 4 readings for each Sunday These could be read during the week in preparation for Sunday (although I suggest that preachers should be deliberate about separating "work" and "devotional" reading). This space in your journal is reserved as a place to write out the verse(s) that, in the words of one of my spiritual guides, "glimmers." Sometimes words jump off the page or the screen for reasons we don't need to fully comprehend. When it happens, let's take notice. It is helpful to activate a different part of our brain by writing it out. Also, when we come back to review this journal in the future, it will be much more user friendly to us if we have written out the verse completely.
Notes:
I imagine people setting off on a Lewis and Clark-like journey. A Bible reading plan of some kind giving some direction along with the goal of growing closer to God. Along the way, they take notes about the discoveries they are making, noting features of the landscape, naming the new life they turn up, writing down the questions that come to them, about which they may want to find answers at a later time (this is not the time to open a commentary. That's a different kind of reading.) This is also the space where you write down those intrusive thoughts that try to pull your focus off of the work of this moment.
Message:
This is where you write down the personal message you have gotten during your time of prayerful reading. It will be clear to you that it comes out of the scripture, but because it is personal, it doesn't need to be obvious to anyone else how it arises from what you have read.
Application:
Research has proven that just knowing the right thing, doesn't usually lead us to change. Remember James 1:24 "Be Doers of the Word and not Hearers only who deceive themselves." The application should be specific and doable. What can I do today to put this new message into practice?
Prayer:
We write out a prayer to God. Be careful of abreviations you won't recognize when looking back at this in two or three years. Ask for God's help in following through on your commitments.
As a perfectionist, often prone to wanting to impress people, I've had to train myself to approach journalling with the idea that it is for my eyes only. I don't need to be profound, make a discovery that has never been made before, or even worry about whether or not anyone else will be able to read my handwriting. This also involves developing a level of trust in yourself that will free your subconscious mind to to surface very private and potentially embarrassing truths. These may be the most important things I have to deal with at present.
God Bless you on the journey - no matter what your journey looks like.
Elizabeth O'Connor
Nobody finds time for prayer. You either take time for it, or you don't get it. If I am waiting for it to be given to me, it shall never be given.
Joan Chittister
Everything that one turns in the direction of God is prayer.
Ignatious of Loyola
One of the great and ongoing struggles of my spiritual life has been establishing a discipline of prayer. Learning recently that this is characteristic of my personality type (regardless of which religion is practiced) gave me some relief in the sense of "I'm not the only one," but didn't let me off the hook because the same analysis points out that forms of prayer and meditation can be most powerful for those who are driven in the way many of us are. We need to be reminded that time spent in prayer is time well used, not wasted. The MAP Journal is the way I've adapted Biblical journalling to better suit my approach to scripture.
People who work or volunteer at churches often read the Bible only to fulfill responsibilities for preaching or preparing for Bible studies. This kind of reading is necessary, but it should not be confused with reading for spiritual growth. Reading for work is no substitute for devotional reading where the Bible is concerned.
What scripture can do, if we learn how to let it, is give us direction, which is one reason I use the acronym MAP to describe my spiritual reading of scripture. MAP reminds me that I am engaged in devotional Bible reading in order for God to direct my steps. MAP also stands for Message, Application and Prayer. These headings help me be intentional about letting the encounter between the Bible and me, mediated by the Holy Spirit, lead to some form of positive response.
A mature prayer life involves not only talking to God about what we want, but also ways to let God instruct us about what God wants.
Though I've created a template for printing a MAP journal with the headings pre-printed, right now I'm using a Moleskine Ruled Journal, and I simply write in the headings on two blank facing pages as I start. On the left, I write "Scripture" near the top and "Notes" part way down. On the right page, I allow roughly equal spaces labeled: "Message," "Application," and "Prayer." I work through these more-or-less in order, and am thinking about the following things.
Scripture:
I believe a reading plan of some kind is helpful. It can be as simple as one of the "through the Bible" plans, or you can run a book - a chapter a day. One of the great coincidences of Scripture is that when the New Testament was divided up into Chapters, it was divided into 365. Read a chapter a day. Several denominations have developed "lectionaries," which are plans for reading scripture. I am most familiar with the Revised Common Lectionary which gives 4 readings for each Sunday These could be read during the week in preparation for Sunday (although I suggest that preachers should be deliberate about separating "work" and "devotional" reading). This space in your journal is reserved as a place to write out the verse(s) that, in the words of one of my spiritual guides, "glimmers." Sometimes words jump off the page or the screen for reasons we don't need to fully comprehend. When it happens, let's take notice. It is helpful to activate a different part of our brain by writing it out. Also, when we come back to review this journal in the future, it will be much more user friendly to us if we have written out the verse completely.
Notes:
I imagine people setting off on a Lewis and Clark-like journey. A Bible reading plan of some kind giving some direction along with the goal of growing closer to God. Along the way, they take notes about the discoveries they are making, noting features of the landscape, naming the new life they turn up, writing down the questions that come to them, about which they may want to find answers at a later time (this is not the time to open a commentary. That's a different kind of reading.) This is also the space where you write down those intrusive thoughts that try to pull your focus off of the work of this moment.
Message:
This is where you write down the personal message you have gotten during your time of prayerful reading. It will be clear to you that it comes out of the scripture, but because it is personal, it doesn't need to be obvious to anyone else how it arises from what you have read.
Application:
Research has proven that just knowing the right thing, doesn't usually lead us to change. Remember James 1:24 "Be Doers of the Word and not Hearers only who deceive themselves." The application should be specific and doable. What can I do today to put this new message into practice?
Prayer:
We write out a prayer to God. Be careful of abreviations you won't recognize when looking back at this in two or three years. Ask for God's help in following through on your commitments.
As a perfectionist, often prone to wanting to impress people, I've had to train myself to approach journalling with the idea that it is for my eyes only. I don't need to be profound, make a discovery that has never been made before, or even worry about whether or not anyone else will be able to read my handwriting. This also involves developing a level of trust in yourself that will free your subconscious mind to to surface very private and potentially embarrassing truths. These may be the most important things I have to deal with at present.
God Bless you on the journey - no matter what your journey looks like.
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