Today, try to take the time to get outside, or at the very least away to take a walk ( a treadmill in a pinch could work). Before we start take a moment to thank God for this holy moment and the opportunity to turn inward. Then think of a word or phrase that you want to embody, perhaps something from your bible readings has resonanted and stayed with you, or perhaps it is more a word or an image. In any case take a deep breath and try to focus on whatever you have chosen. Then as you start walking continue to focus on your mantra/image, try to walk at a steady pace while you continue to turn over your mantra/image in your mind.
Bible Study (Day 9)
Here in my corner of the earth the warmer weather has started and Spring seems around the corner, as it literally is being but a week away. With the beginning of groanings from creation I am reminded of the beginning groanings of the dust at the beginning of Creation. Today, I encourage to reflect upon Genesis 2:4b-23.
Another Account of the Creation
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.”
Give 5 (Day 8)
Yesterday we accepted the gift from the world of time for gratitude. Today we pass that sentiment on. Give something away 5 minutes of your time, $5, etc. and feel the blessedness of sharing and fostering community. The important piece here, which is something that came up in a Lenten Study I am taking part of at the church I attend, is that you give cheerfully and with no design on how the gift is to be used. Let us repeat that ‘give cheerfully and with no design on how the gift may be used’.
Take a Breather (Day 7)
In the Creation narrative that we find in Genesis, the Creator worked for six days and then took a Sabbath on the seventh. In our Christian tradition this lands on Sunday, however as follows of Christ on this Lenten journey I encourage us to also take a Sabbath on the seventh day (and all the multiples here on out). While taking the day off completely may not be so easy. Try to at the least cultivate that Sabbatical sense of freedom, serenity, abundance, and gratitude.
Afterall this is the day that the Lord has made.
Art Meditation
Take sometime to look at art. Perhaps this week you can make an outing to an art gallery, or you can Google artists and their works right from your desk. Take a moment to thank the artist for expressing their vision. Take as much time as you can to study the piece of art and think about what you can take away from this experience. We can see glimpses of the Divine all around us.