Monday, August 23, 2010

New Life in New Creation

I just finished participating in the Greater Dayton Men's Walk to Emmaus #50 serving on the live-in team as Assistant Spiritual Director. My devotional this morning is a prayer form Norman Shawchuck:

" O God, I surrender to you the habits and sins that, like frost, chill my soul and cause your life-giving energy to cease its flow in me. Uproot me form the weed patches of evil wherein I have chosen to sink my roots. Plant me instead in your field of righteousness.

Direct the search light of your love into every crevice of my life that I may see to journey from this long winter of sin, to once again flourish in the summer of your goodness and love.

Send the gracious showers of your forgiveness to break the long drought of spiritual aridness that has shriveled my soul, and grant, my Lord, that I may become more like you and less like my shadowy self.

This day I pledge to you and to myself that I will begin even now to pursue right thinking and right living, but my God, I need your help. Amen"

This prayer has led me on a reflection of the weekend events. One of my colleague's had seven men from the church he serves present as pilgrims on this walk and another had four. I am convicted that this weekend experience can as I have seen before help build the local church community. One pilgrim was a pastor of a new church start and will incorporate this community experience into his building plan. I fill renewed by the witness of the weekend; and that I've found another component that will facilitate our efforts for Stillwater @ the Kleptz Y to not only be energize but also to realize the vision for "spirituality connecting health and wholiness" as a re-presentation of the kingdom of God in real and tangible ways.

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