BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY; FOOD FOR THE SOUL…
Engaging in a regular practice that helps to nurture a person’s relationship with God is a wonderful focus for the Lenten season.
I encourage you to consider adding some sort of spiritual discipline to your daily life. To help you with that, I will be offering suggestions each week throughout the season of practices you might try. After Easter, you may choose to continue with one of the practices, or adopt a different one.
Lectio divina is a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures, through which we can attend “with the ear of our hearts” to our own memories, listening for God’s presence in the events of our lives.
-Choose a text of the Scriptures that you wish to pray. It makes no difference which text is chosen, as long as one has no set goal of “covering” a certain amount of text. The amount of text covered is in God’s hands, not yours. -Place yourself in a comfortable position and allow yourself to become silent. -Turn to the text and read it slowly, gently. Savor each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the “still, small voice” of a word or phrase that somehow says, “I am for you today.” Do not expect lightning or ecstasies. In lectio divina, God is teaching us to listen to him, to seek him in silence. He does not reach out and grab us; rather, he gently invites us ever more deeply into his presence. -Take the word or phrase into yourself. Memorize it and slowly repeat it to yourself, allowing it to interact with your inner world of concerns, memories, and ideas. -Speak to God. Give to him what you have discovered during your experience of meditation. Experience God by using the word or phrase he has given you as a means of blessing and of transforming the ideas and memories that your reflection on his word has awakened. -Rest in God’s embrace. Rejoice in the knowledge that God is with you in both words and silence, in spiritual activity and inner receptivity.
WHAT’S ON AT NDPC …
WHAT: FAMILY CURLING FUNSPIEL
WHERE: Falconbridge Curling Club
WHEN: Sunday, March 20
We’re still trying to determine whether there is enough interest to make this event “a GO”.
Please RSVP George Young or Paulette Bozzo as soon as possible!
WHAT: LENTEN MINI-RETREAT
WHERE: St. Luke’s
WHEN: Monday, March 21 from 5:30 to 9:00 pm
Lasagne dinner with programme to follow.
A fitting way to begin the final leg of our Lenten journey.
Please RSVP Rev. Erin if you would like to attend.
A WINTER WOOL GATHERING …
Another day of fellowship and fun at St. Andrew’s United Church, Coniston
Saturday, February 27, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
All you need bring: Your current craft project; food to share for the pot luck lunch; yarn or knitting books you might want to swap.
Sponsored by the knitting retreat committee of Sticks, String and Stewardship
For more information email: ssands.sudbury@gmail.com
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER …
The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement which brings Christians of many traditions together to observe a common day of prayer each year.
Through preparation and participation in the worship service, we can come to know how our sisters of other countries, languages and cultures understand the Biblical passages in their context.
We can hear their concerns and needs and can feel ourselves in solidarity with them as we pray with and for them.
In this way, it is possible to enrich our Christian faith as it grows deeper and broader in an international, ecumenical expression.
This year’s World Day of Prayer service in Garson will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church on Friday, March 4 at 7:00 pm.
Everyone is warmly welcome!
SAVE THE DATE! …
The date for Neighbours Praising God has been announced!
Mark your calendars for June 3 to 5, 2016 for NPG 2016, hosted by Sudbury Presbytery.
The location and other details will be forthcoming.
Hope to see you there!
THIS WEEK’S LECTIONARY LESSONS…
Exodus 16:1-18
Psalm 34 (VU p 761)
Mark 8:1-9
LENTEN BLESSINGS…
A Blessing for the Journey into Emptiness: May the days that beckon the journey open a space between what is and what will be, a space of emptiness waiting to be filled. May the things that sit at the edge of revelation move silently into that emptiness. May they be noticed with attention and claimed as gifts given from the holy hand of heaven. When the gifts have been offered and received, may your soul be filled with gratitude.
Grace United Church Sudbury 