Dear Godspace community,
The Following the Star retreat with Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine is only a few days away but there is still time to sign up.
Here are three reasons to attend:
- Resolutions usually fail in the first month of a new year, but intentions can stay with us throughout the year. This will be part of the focus of this retreat.
- We need creative prompts like Lilly and Christine provide to stir our imaginations and help us discern the path ahead. God often speaks through this type of exercise.
- We need a community of like minded people who help us to shape our dreams and hopes for the future. Through interaction with both Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine as well as other retreat participants, you will find the community you need to make this happen.
Please register here and join us online January 7th for this fun retreat. Hope you can join us!
O God, you trace my journeys and my resting-places and are acquainted with all my ways.Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, but you, O God, know it altogether.You press upon me behind and before and lay your hand upon me.Where can I go then from your Spirit; where can I flee from your presence?Even there your hand will lead me and your right hand hold me fast.– The Saint Helena Psalter Version
Following The Star Into the New Year
In January we celebrate Epiphany and the coming of the Magi to visit Jesus. Like them, many of us feel we are on a long journey following a star that is sometimes bright and shining, sometimes completely hidden yet still guiding us towards Christ. 2022 taught us important lessons that will shape the coming year. We sense God wants to do something new in our lives and we want to follow in the right direction.
Join Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine online Saturday, January 7th 2023 from 9:30 am PT to 12:30pm PT as they help us reflect on the past year and take time to hope, dream and pray for the year ahead. We will engage in some fun practices like chalking the door and interact with each other in ways that strengthen our faith and draw us closer to God.
Click here to register! We are once again offering several price points to aid those who are students or in economic hardship.
by Ron Friesen
Have you ever seen a large jar of water with some lemons floating in it? I see it most often in local restaurants in Arizona. I learned this is called “lemon-infused water.” I have since learned that you can order “Cucumber-infused Lemonade” and “Pricky Pear-Infused Lemonade.”
Thinking about infused beverages reminded me of a verse in the Bible: “27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 NIV).
“Christ in you.” (Pause and reflect – CHRIST……IN……..Me…..)
CHRIST in you. This Christ who is living in us is the Christ who is indwelt with the all the fullness of the Godhead (Colossians 1:19), a fullness that has existed from eternity past and will continue to exist into the eternal future. Most importantly, it is a fullness that exists in us right now, an Eternal Now existence and experience.
Christ is IN us. The Christ IN us is ‘the hope of glory.” It is tempting to think of this hope as purely a future hope fulfilled at the final resurrection of our bodies. Some Bible scholars suggest this understanding of the hope of glory. What if we thought of living a life filled with all the potentiality that exists in the fulness of God in us? Many Christians call this “the Spirit-filled life.” If the fullness of the Godhead exists in the Christ who is in us, then, accepting the truth that the Spirit of God resides in us is a good start to thinking about Christ IN us.
Christ is US. When we think about a God-infused life we might think of Mother Teresa of Calcutta who worked among those dying on the streets of her city. Or we might think of E. Stanley Jones, the Methodist missionary in India who courageously led Bible Studies under the watchful eyes of secret service agents of the British government. He remarked that the Gospel was so dangerous that its proclamation had to be supervised! Or we might think of the courageous Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church who, after the invasion of his country, said, “I’m not a military strategist or politician, but I assure you if we pray, if we trust in the Lord, if we look at the example of martyrs of the past and these days, we will find the answers to keep moving forward.” In the United States, there are many courageously going to our streets to feed and care for the homeless. One of them is my friend, Terri, who while dealing with a husband with brain cancer, went out each morning with her truck filled with food, blanket and clothes provide for those living under bridges and in drainage ditches. Though Terri’s husband died recently, she continues to go out each morning with her heart filled with the Christ who is in her and her truck filled with supplies.
Reading these examples, we might say, “I am no Mother Teresa or E. Stanley Jones, Archbishop Borys Gudziak or Terri.” These people only come to our attention because they faithfully lived God-infused lives which draws our attention. Each was faithful to the small task before them filled with the knowledge of “Christ in me is the hope of glory.” Their lives remind us that God always equips the called to whatever task before them. If promotion comes or recognition is received, it is only because God promotes and God honors.
You may be the widow carrying for a disabled child, the single father raising four children, the recovering drug addict who continues to battle with the scars left by years of addiction, the teenager who struggles with an abusive living situation, the businessperson who is watching their income decrease as costs rise and customers need to make careful choices as inflation causes them to review how they spend their money. Whoever we are and wherever we are, we can demonstrate that the God-infused life is the “Christ-in-me, the hope of glory” is a present-day reality.
What will our God-infused life look like in 2023?
Writing by Ronald Friesen © 2022 and photos by June Friesen
Following The Star Into the New Year
In January we celebrate Epiphany and the coming of the Magi to visit Jesus. Like them, many of us feel we are on a long journey following a star that is sometimes bright and shining, sometimes completely hidden yet still guiding us towards Christ. 2022 taught us important lessons that will shape the coming year. We sense God wants to do something new in our lives and we want to follow in the right direction.
Join Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine online Saturday, January 7th 2023 from 9:30 am PT to 12:30pm PT as they help us reflect on the past year and take time to hope, dream and pray for the year ahead. We will engage in some fun practices like chalking the door and interact with each other in ways that strengthen our faith and draw us closer to God.
Click here to register! We are once again offering several price points to aid those who are students or in economic hardship.
Rainer Maria Rilke – The Book of Hours
by June Friesen
As I have been preparing myself for the ending of 2022 I have contemplated the things I have done, the memories I have made that I treasure, and the memories made that I may not treasure so much. In recent times it is hard sometimes to believe all the things one has experienced as real. It can also be rather daunting to think about the things that may be in the future. When Jesus was with His disciples He no doubt realized that He had a very brief time to impart to them Who He really was and what it was that He was really going to do for the benefit of all of humanity. I contemplated what it might be that many if not most of us would like to embrace and hold close in the year ahead of us. And I was reminded of the words of Jesus in John 14 as He was preparing the disciples for the time when He would no longer be visibly with them. I begin with verse 23 as for me it really describes our world today.
John 14:24-27 23-24 “Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him—we’ll move right into the neighborhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn’t mine. It’s the message of the Father who sent me.
25-27 “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.
Yes, Jesus realized that the disciples would no doubt be rather puzzled, bereft and fearful the moment His physical presence would no longer be with them – there would only be a spiritual presence, the kind that you and I have in today’s world. So He assured them they would not be altogether alone but rather His spiritual presence would continue with them through the Holy Spirit. That Spirit is also the Spirit that lives here in this atmosphere, around us and within us trying to reassure us that God cares and He is what we need to know real love, joy and peace. So for you and I today I offer these words which kind of share the struggle we may find at times in our spirits. I will give a gift/exercise at the end that will allow God to endue you with a fresh presence of His Spirit.
The Gift of Peace
Peace?
What is this thing that you are talking about?
Peace – you tell me that there is to be a quietness?
Where is it that you find this quietness?
Certainly it is no where in this world –
Look at all the loneliness –
Look at all the sadness –
See all the tear-stained faces –
Never mind the tears still rolling down many faces.
Look at all the chaos –
Look at all the confusion –
See the people running to and fro –
Wondering where they should go.
Look at all the frustration –
Look at all the franticness –
People crashing and clashing –
People dashing and bashing.
Look at all the running
Hither and thither
Here and there
Directionless it seems.
Sirens are wailing from time to time –
Fighter planes practice flights overhead –
Crisis noises arising when one least expects it –
Oh Lord – I ask, “Where is peace?”
Certainly this world seems to be lacking
Peacefulness in many avenues –
So is it really possible to actually
Embrace and/or create some peace.
Or is it that peace is defined differently
By God and humanity –
Does God have one definition in His plan
And humanity has yet to truly know His plan.
The struggle of peace –
The confusion of peace –
The presence of peace –
The gift of peace – ……
The struggle of peace in this world is for sure real
As everywhere one looks even outside one’s own door
There is pain of all kinds –
Someone has lost a loved one, a job, or their ability to care for themselves,
There is pain of all kinds –
Loneliness, dementia, terminal illness, and more –
Yes, the pain faced in this world is real.
Someone has lost their home –
Shelter for themselves and family is impossible
As their paycheck or social security does not meet the bills.
Another has lost their health
And is unable to care for their daily needs –
Where does one go as all facilities are so expensive –
And so they wander the streets in a daze.
Another has lost a loved one tragically –
Doesn’t really want to live another day –
Painful sobs rack their body
As the tears seem to flow unceasingly.
So I ask – where oh where is this gift of peace?
And- how do you define this gift of peace?
And if our definitions are different –
How is it possible that we can both have peace?
Let me share a few thoughts on peace –
Peaceful is the night when all is quiet
The stars are twinkling
The moon is shining
And one can hear their own heart beat.
Peaceful is the night when there is safety –
No sirens or loud crashes –
No screams or clashes of voices –
Peace is in caring so others are not hurt and broken.
Peaceful is the night when there is
No growling empty stomachs –
No forlorn and empty eyes staring –
Peace is seeking to find help for the needy.
Peace is the night when there is sharing –
Reaching out a hand to comfort –
Reaching out to dry a tear –
Embracing another with a warm, peaceful embrace.
Yes, peace is definitely an almost forgotten gift in the world today –
There is so much clamor for the things that this world offers at this time –
The gifts, the parties, the gatherings, the festivities and so much more
And in the hearts of most the peace is often obscured and sadly in many even forgotten.
In the moment right now – what are you thinking?
Where do you find yourself?
Centered on yourself and what is important to you today?
Or will you be focused on others to help them have a better day?
Today I offer to you an opportunity to make a choice –
Yes, I am going to encourage each of us to take a moment or two
To ponder and maybe even realize that peace has somehow
Gone away in the craziness – or at least gotten lost for the moment.
Take a moment right now –
Sit down or just relax standing where you are –
Breathe and feel the breath enter your body –
Stop – hold that breath
And imagine it coursing through your lungs
And out into your arms and legs
And into your fingers and toes –
Now – it has nurtured your body once more with life energy.
Now – exhale slowly –
Imagine the air returning from your fingertips and toes –
Through your feet and your hands
Into your legs and your arms
Back into your lungs and out into the world –
And in that moment say
“God grant peace to all”
Amen.
(repeat this exercise as often as needed throughout your day, week and/or year)
All writing and photos by June Friesen. Scriptures is from The Message Translation.
Following The Star Into the New Year
In January we celebrate Epiphany and the coming of the Magi to visit Jesus. Like them, many of us feel we are on a long journey following a star that is sometimes bright and shining, sometimes completely hidden yet still guiding us towards Christ. 2022 taught us important lessons that will shape the coming year. We sense God wants to do something new in our lives and we want to follow in the right direction.
Join Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine online Saturday, January 7th 2023 from 9:30 am PT to 12:30pm PT as they help us reflect on the past year and take time to hope, dream and pray for the year ahead. We will engage in some fun practices like chalking the door and interact with each other in ways that strengthen our faith and draw us closer to God.
Click here to register! We are once again offering several price points to aid those who are students or in economic hardship.
by Christine Sine
Welcome to 2023 and the chance to start with fresh intentions and visions for the future. This year I am not making resolutions. Instead I am setting intentions. “Setting intentions is powerful when done properly” says AnnaMarie Houlis in How to Set Intentions “It is more than setting goals – it is about being purposeful in pursuing your desire… an invitation to step into your preferred story especially when your intentions solidly align with your values.” She then goes on to say “When setting intentions, it is like laying foundations for what you would like to have, feel and experience, providing you with the opportunity to actively participate in your life the way you want to live it”
As I reflected on AnneMarie’s words, I realized that for me intentions are far more powerful and necessary than goal setting . Goal setting is about what I want to do, intention setting is about who I want to be and who I think God wants me to be. A I look ahead the most important thing in my life is growing into the person that God wants me to be and I need to remind myself continually of who I perceive that person to be. Intentions help me to focus on the inner work God is doing within me.
Here is the process I developed during my retreat time last week. I will talk about this more in our retreat Following the Star on Saturday so I hope you can join us.
- Ask yourself “What kind of life do you want in 2023. We often set goals that increase our busyness and often set us up for disappointment and failure. When we think about the kind of life we want we focus more on values and relationships which are really far more imprint than tasks.
- What values do you want to undergird your intentions? Writing down the values that are the centre of our lives is often a good reality check for the dreams and goals we set. Love for God and family, concern for others and care for God’s creation are the values that came to my mind as I thought about this.
- What limitations might stop you fulfilling your dreams and intentions? In a couple of weeks I will turn 72 and I realize that the intentions I set for 2023 need to take this reality into account. I move slower than I did when I was 20 and have less energy which definitely affects what I will be capable of in 2023.
- Keep it simple. We are much more likely to remember and stick to guidelines that are simple.
- Revisit frequently for refocusing and encouragement. One of the reasons I love going on quarterly retreats is that I read through notes from the last couple of retreats and remind myself of my intentions for the future. It helps me get back on track and refocus on God’s intentions for me. I have also made these into a card that will sit on my desk at least for the first few months of the year.
Someone suggested that 2023 is a year of sevens. (2+2+3=7) Now I am not into numerology, but setting seven intentions for 2023 certainly seemed like a good idea. So here are mine. As you will see they are inspired by Joyce Rupp’s beautiful New Year’s prayer. I would love to hear what you come up with.
- Strengthen my spiritual practices.
- Live in awe and wonder.
- Seek regular intellectual stimulation.
- Dream and be creative.
- Take time to retreat.
- Build relationships and connections.
- Relax in the presence of unanswerable questions and unknowable mysteries.
Following The Star Into the New Year
In January we celebrate Epiphany and the coming of the Magi to visit Jesus. Like them, many of us feel we are on a long journey following a star that is sometimes bright and shining, sometimes completely hidden yet still guiding us towards Christ. 2022 taught us important lessons that will shape the coming year. We sense God wants to do something new in our lives and we want to follow in the right direction.
Join Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine online Saturday, January 7th 2023 from 9:30 am PT to 12:30pm PT as they help us reflect on the past year and take time to hope, dream and pray for the year ahead. We will engage in some fun practices like chalking the door and interact with each other in ways that strengthen our faith and draw us closer to God.
Click here to register! We are once again offering several price points to aid those who are students or in economic hardship.
A happy New Year’s Eve everyone. In the midst of your celebrations take time to read this prayer and contemplate the year ahead.
This morning I read out this beautiful prayer to my husband. He commented that there was a lot in it that he needed to process. I agree. Take some time as you begin the new year to reflect on this prayer and all it asks of us
Faithful Companion,
In this new year we pray:
to live deeply, with purpose,
to live freely, with detachment,
to live wisely, with humility,
to live justly, with compassion,
to live longingly, with fidelity,
to live mindfully, with awareness,
to live gracefully, with generosity,
to live fully, with enthusiasm.
Help us to hold this vision
and to daily renew it in our hearts,
becoming ever more one with you,
our truest Selves.
Amen.
(Sr. Joyce Rupp, Out of the Ordinary Prayers, Poems, and Reflections for Every Season. Notre Dame, Ind.: Ave Maria Press, 2010, p. 144.)
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