Daily Scripture reading

Pope Benedict in his Post Synod Exhortation said that the Word of God should be at the heart of every ecclesial activity.  Meaning that we should read, reflect, ponder, meditate and soak in the Word of God every day.  The best way to do this is to read the Bible/Scriptures every day.  Whilst some of us may be familiar with this style of daily devotion, it is not something that all of us are used to.  

In a previous post we looked at Good habits on a WYD pilgrimage.  Perhaps daily scripture could be one of the new habits that you pick up on your WYD pilgrimage.  However when most people start reading their bible they play a game of "flick to a random page and read".  Perhaps you need to be a little more planned that than.  Pick a book of the bible and work your way through it a chapter per day.  The book of Acts is a great place to start as you read about the birth of the early Church.

After reading the Chapter of the Bible here is a simple tool to process what you have read:

1. Scripture: read the scripture through once more
2. Observation: highlight the things that strike you, the elements that speak to you.  What words jump out to you as you read?  What links can you make with other scripture passages.
3. Application: what does this passage mean for your life at the moment?  Ask God "what are you saying to me through this passage of scripture".  Write down any areas in life where this passage could strengthen you.
4. Prayer: turn the experience into a prayer, perhaps ask for the courage to implement what you just read. This final step is important or else it can just been a task that you "get done" in your day.  The prayer element turns the word on the page to the "Words of God".

You will notice that these four steps make the word SOAP.  It is an easy formula to remember each day.  Perhaps you can start by writing your reflections in your journal and soon you will be able to do the entire exercise as a prayer with writing it down.

What is your daily reading advice?  Leave a comment about where you encourage people to begin their daily reading or perhaps share a favourite passage with our readers.

Are you following your plan or God's? A WYD story

Sometime the best laid plans fall apart and that is what God wants.  This is a story about trusting in God rather than trusting in yourself.

In 2000, my wife and I went to WYD in Rome, a beautiful and holy city but not one that is well organised.  On the first night in Rome the bus load of pilgrims that I was traveling with was taken to our simple accommodation site in a parish in the southern part of the city.  Whilst this was the parish that we were supposed to be staying at it was already full of pilgrims and couldn't take anymore.  It was nearing midnight and the bus driver wanted to go home, so asked us to all get off the bus.  Without a place to stay the group decide not to leave the bus but to pray for a miracle that this site would find some room for us.

The group prayed for what seemed eternity that the parish would welcome us and take us in.  At this point I was frustrated and just wanted to get off the bus but I didn't want to leave the group.  My prayer was "I'll do anything just get me off this bus".  After praying so hard for the parish to take us, we received news that the parish would not take us, but there was another parish that would if the driver would take us there.  Many people in the group were disappointed that our prayer hadn't worked, we didn't get into this accommodation site.

Well after midnight the bus driver dropped us off at an accommodation site, but it was still another kilometre walk to the hall where the guys would be sleeping, and I would have to separate from my wife.  When I got to the hall everyone was packed in like sardines and I thought "God why did I promise to do anything to get off that bus?"  It was one of the worst nights sleeps that I have had in my life, an over crowded metal scout hall in the middle of the Roman summer.

The next morning the guys walked the kilometre back to where the girls were staying.  Whilst it was a good place for the girls but I thought it would be a tough week being so far from my wife.  During the morning an old lady named Concetta walked into the parish office, she heard the parish was short of beds.  She had a double bed, if two girls wanted to share, she could take two pilgrims.  My wife and I asked if she would be prepared to take a married couple, which she would, so we walked to her house.

When we arrived at her house she welcomed us into her house and gave us a cup of good Italian coffee.  For the rest of the week she got us breakfast each morning and strong Italian coffee.  She started to watch the WYD events on Roman television to see if she could see her two Australian pilgrims.  In some way she became more connected to WYD because she had two pilgrims in her house.

After a great week in her home we left for Australia.  Concetta was a great host and we were blessed to be in her house.  Concetta had made it possible for my wife and I to share WYD together rather than apart.  Three months after WYD we received an expensive book in the mail from Concetta thanking us for our visit.  She had made our WYD experience more memorable yet she said she was blessed too.

Whilst it might sound like a long stretch, but I really believe that if our prayers had worked and we did get a piece of floor in the first parish we tried, Lisa and I would never have met Concetta.  God had a plan about who we would meet and where we would stay and no tired bus driver or bus load of pilgrims could change that plan.  Sometime what we think is in our best interest is really not as good as what God has prepared.  

Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think ... to Him be the glory"

When you travel to this WYD be prepared to give up your plans so you have the opportunity to follow God's plan.

Lent 7 Day Challenge

Every year when I was growing up, it would come to Ash Wednesday and the conversation would turn to what each family member was giving up for Lent.  There were many easy things to give up for Lent, like the time my brother and I gave up lifesavers for Lent.  At the end of the 40 days we weren't any closer to God because it wasn't lollies or candy that were separating us from God.

As we got older the things that my family members were giving up go a little more difficult.  One Lent I gave up coffee, my sister in law gave up chocolate and my brother gave up soft drink.  Whilst these were good things to give up, the focus was more on surviving 40 days without these luxuries.  Usually at the end of Lent we almost consumed 40 days worth of the thing we had given up on Easter weekend.

So how can we enter into this season of Lent:

1. Take something up for Lent - one Lent I took on 30 minutes of spiritual reading every day.  I read a number of books, did more reading of scripture and in the end had better understand of God because of it.  Take on something really specific to drawing closer to God.
2. Give up something for Lent -  try giving up something to free time for prayer and reflection.  One year I gave up listening to music or the radio as I drove to work.  Each morning I had 45 minutes to sit with my thoughts.  Whilst it was hard at first but it was surprising how much God was trying to talk to me when I normally would listen to the radio.  Give up something that specifically distracts you from God.
3. Do the Lent 7 day Challenge - perhaps if you don't know what to give up or to take up this Lent, join with others doing the Lent 7 day Challenge.  There are seven habits, one for each day of the week, that will draw you closer to God.  Perhaps some will come easier than others and that is ok.  It is the journey not your performance that is the most important.  Download the Lent 7 day challenge card here

Lent is all about our preparation for Easter.  How will you use the time of Lent to draw closer to God?  Leave a comment that might encourage others about what you will do or not do during Lent.