Come Learn Rest Ministries

My friend and partner in prayer has been using the word “flow” all month.  She tells me, “Flow is my word for the year.”  When I read the second line of these words by 13th century mystic, Mechtild of Magdeburg, I think of her and my own desire for God’s love to effortlessly flow in and out of me.

Effortlessly,
Love flows from God into humanity,
Like a bird who rivers the air
Without moving her wings.
Thus we move in God’s world
One in body and soul,
though outwardly separate in form.
As the Source strikes the note,
Humanity sings—
They Holy Spirit is our harpist,
And all the strings
Which are touched in Love
Must sound.

May you and I be so touched, so blessed, by God’s love that we must sound with thanksgiving and praise in our hearts.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
~Psalm 40:3

Tomorrow is Epiphany Sunday. I invite you to take a few moments and pray through these prayerful words by Walter Brueggeman. Is there a prayer for each new day of 2015 stirring within you?

On Epiphany day,
we are still the people walking.
We are still people in the dark,
and the darkness looms large around us,
beset as we are by fear,
anxiety,
brutality,
violence,
loss—
a dozen alienations that we cannot manage.

We are—we could be—people of your light.

So we pray for the light of your glorious presence
as we wait for your appearing;
we pray for the light of your wondrous grace
as we exhaust our coping capacity;
we pray for your gift of newness that
will overtake our weariness;
we pray that we may see and know and hear and trust
in your good rule.

That we may have energy, courage, and freedom to enact
your rule through the demands of this day.
We submit our day to you and to your rule,
with deep joy and high hope.

Source: Prayers for a Privileged People

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;  

they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  ~Lamentations 3:22-23

It is a new year!  And if God’s mercies are new every morning, then surely they are new each year.  What new mercies are you looking forward? 

One of my spiritual practices is to prayerfully read through the Bible each year.  It isn’t about comprehending every word; rather it’s about experiencing the new mercies of the Word who became flesh and dwells among us (John 1:14).  It is about letting the steadfast love of the Lord be my portion daily.

Is there a spiritual practice God is inviting you to this day, this month, this year?  If so, I encourage you to practice it with hope in the Lord’s great faithfulness.  To that end, may may your soul and mine know the full extent of God’s new mercies in 2015!

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”  ~Lamentations 3:24