To view daily devotions from "Day by Day" by Forward Movement Publications, click here Http://forwardmovement.org/todaysreading.cfm
Week of February 15th, 2010
Reflection:
This Lent, I will use as part of my weekly reflections, passages from a lenten devotional entitled 40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
For some background, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the leading Christian theologians of the twentieth century, an ecumenical leader, and the author of spiritual classics. He was a Lutheran pastor and a courageous leader against Hitler and the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. He was executed in a Nazi prison on April 9th, 1945. His death was the final witness to his profound belief that obedience to Christ inevitbly involves one in concrete and responsible action against evil on behalf of the victims of injustice.
He writes: "There are three things for which the Christian needs a regular time alone during the day: meditation on the Scripture, prayer, and intercession..." I don't know about you, but one of the hardest things for me to do in the midst of my busy life is carve out alone time. For many of us, our heavy family, work, and other demands keep us racing at such a pace, that often we neglect to spend time with God in reading God's word and praying for ourselves, others, and the world.
I know for me that I can only go so long without connecting with God in these necessary and important ways. I begin to feel hungry spiritually, off balance, and disconnected from the source of my being. Like any significant relationship, time apart from God leaves me feeling empty and lonely.
Lent invites us to make new and right beginnings. If you are finding yourself disconnected from God, now is the time to start re-communicating. Three ways to do this are those which Bonhoeffer's suggests....reading the Scriptures, praying, and offering intercession on behalf of yourself, others, and the world. Even if you take only five minutes a day, this is a good start to revitalize the intimate connection between you and the source of your being.
Faithfully,
Joan+
Prayer:
Intimate God, give us the help we need to reconnect with you in the midst of our hectic and busy lives. For you are the source of being who nourishes us, gives us wisdom, and provides us with the daily bread of love and hope that we need to press on day to day. Amen.
