Invitation to Lectio Divina

Only with a slight cringe am I using this blog as a bulletin board today. I just want to get the word out as widely and as quickly as possible about the invitation to explore Lectio Divina over the next several weeks.

You are invited this Sunday (April 20) to join myself and Stepfanie Funk in learning and practicing Lectio Divina.

Lectio Divina is a means of experiencing union with God through the scriptures. We hear God’s word for us through His Word. This community was introduced to Lectio Divina by Mike Stewart at the Prayer Workshops last fall.

As we embark on a new series focusing on the book of James, anyone interested in exploring Lectio Divina will follow the scripture focus for the morning, for each Sunday of the series.

Who: All are invited to come … any and all weeks
When: Sunday, 9:30-10:30 AM each week of the series on the Book of James
Where: Café area of The eXchange
What: Lectio Divina – some group time to orient ourselves followed by some solo time to experience what God has for each of us
Please bring: a Bible (though the passage will be provided on a printout as well), a pen and journal/writing paper

Any questions, please email me at candice@seedschurch.ca.

Come and try it out!

And perhaps ... some of what comes of the Lectio Divina ... will appear in subsequent postings here ... what this blog was really created for.

-Candice

Ontario Elf

Hmmmm...seems I too received an email "from Jesus" from a lovely Ontario friend. I had an experience very similar to you Candice. It is so encouraging to receive words and prayer from others. I wrote her words in my journal and look at them frequently. Seemingly, time does not wear them out. The key for me is to receive these words, to allow them to live and take root. I have not been good at this receiving thing in the past, but as I am receiving this friend's word, it has been such a healing balm of Truth and True Encouragement.

On the other end of things, I love encouraging and praying for others but often struggle with feelings of, "Am I smothering them?" "Will they think I'm weird because I always seem to have words to share?" "Will others think I'm just trying to gain affirmation" Ugh. This is very "me" focused.

So Candice, your post spoke right into these "me" thoughts and encouraged me to send off an email I was debating on sending.

-Andrea

Share Your Prayers

Yesterday there was a message in my inbox with the subject line: To Candice, From Jesus. The sender is a friend in Ontario whom I have not seen nor talked to in quite some time. My heart skipped a beat and I smiled as I opened the message and began to read.

She had been praying for me. She asked Jesus what he wanted to say to me today and it was a wonderful message of encouragement and friendship. There was scripture to go with it, too. It spoke exactly to where I've been at lately. It affirmed some things that I have been praying into for others, and now it was turned toward me. What a gift. It was like water to my soul.

I'm grateful that my friend was remembering me in this way. And even more grateful that she put in the extra effort to send me those words.

If you've ever been privileged to know how someone has been praying for you, you'll understand how encouraging this feels. If you've ever prayed on behalf of someone, whether they know it or not, don't hesitate to pass on any Good News or encouraging words to them. It could make all the difference in how they feel about themselves and how the rest of their day goes. It's just incredibly faith-building. So be bold. Share your prayers.
-Candice

The Journey

The journey to the cross is not a one time journey. I have found that at times, like during the series on Love, the journey is a process that takes days, even weeks. Some journeys have taken much longer - years. Then there are the journeys that I have made in a single day, in a few hours, or even a few miraculous minutes. Sometimes I've even made the journey several times in a day.

That's the beauty and grace of journeying with Jesus. He'll gladly go with us every single time. As many times as we need. And knowing what's at our destination: Jesus taking all our sin, shame, pain and everything we're willing to hand over to him, and leaving it there at the cross. And we get to leave with gifts, promises and blessings.

That's a journey worth making.
-Candice