Dear Corinne,
Newsflash! I am introducing Sea-Salt: Spiritual Reflections for a Contemplative Journey shortly. As you know my health has been a challenge and so I have not finished the book yet. However, I have decided to release these daily reflections as a 6 month subscription in the first instance…… details being finalised! There will be 5 weekday reflections and an audio meditation for the Weekend.
You can sign up here for the free 6 day trial
So what will the format be I hear you ask! Well, given the importance of pondering on the Word of God, the format will continue the theme of the into-deeper-waters website. It is designed to provide busy people with the opportunity to stop and be still, using the format below:
Stillness
Begin with a couple of minutes of stillness and silence, to let go of the things on your mind and to become aware of God’s presence.
Read
Read the verse(s) of the day and the brief comment.
Ponder
Ponder on a word, phrase, or the whole verse, for a few minutes.
Turn it over and over in your mind and see what God says to you about it (5 minutes)
Pray
Close by praying the Lord’s prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer must be the most well-known and oft repeated prayer in the Bible. It is the model of prayer that Jesus gave to his disciples in response to their request that he teach them to pray. It contains the essential elements for prayer and is widely and regularly used across denominations.
It is a prayer of both simplicity and depth and I have found, in recent years, its power and relevance an increasingly significant part of my prayer life. You can read more about this prayer here
Carry
Carry the word, phrase, or whole verse with you, into the day, and repeat it at intervals during the day. Perhaps as you drive or travel, or as you do everyday tasks, like washing up or cleaning your teeth!
Centuries ago the Eastern Orthodox Church developed the tradition called Hesychasm. It involves the practice of repeating a simple prayer over and over again. It is a way to focus our thoughts on God and to enable God to enter our hearts. You can also use a Bible verse in the same way, and I have found this to be a significant ingredient for the journey of faith. It can be a way of engaging with God at the depths of our being. As the writer of the letter to Hebrews comments, “the word of God is alive and active, sharper than a two-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together.” (Hebrews 4:12 GNT)
It maybe, that on some days you do not feel drawn to a specific part of the verse/ verse of the day. On these occasions you can reflect on what thoughts, images, memories come to mind as you read the verse. You could carry the verse from the previous day into the day or ask God to give you another one, that meets you where you are, and is more apt for your situation/circumstances.
Record
You may like to chart the journey, by recording the word/phrase/verse you chose each day and what you gleaned from God about it, in a journal. You may have time to do this daily or maybe it would be easier for you to take time once a week to do so. I did encourage you to Journal in my first letters to you! Check out To Write or not to Write that is the Question
Subscription
The reflections will be free for the first 6 days! You can sign up here.
From then on, we will be offering a subscription. Details being finalised!
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
with love,
PS You may be wondering which Bible Versions I have chosen the Daily verses from…..So here they are!
Good News Translation (GNT)
Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Passion Translation (TPT)
The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017 by BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.