Verse of the day
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.
– 2 Corinthians 1:3–4
Voice of the day
As the church, we must do better to become community that offers more hope than judgment to those who experience oppressive inner turmoil.
– Jean Neely, “Suffering Is Not a Sin”
Prayer of the day
Merciful God, console us in our struggles so that we may, in turn, become a community of hope and compassion.
“Shimmering is a way to describe when something in the world is calling to you, beckoning you, sometimes even urging you to pay closer attention. Sometimes what shimmers is challenging, but we know that wrestling with it will yield something bigger in our lives.”
—Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Give Me a Word: The Promise of an Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year
Think back to what has shimmered for you — what was your felt response?
To register for a free, online gathering on Monday, September 22nd to celebrate the release of Christine’s book Give Me a Word, click here.
“The phrase ‘passive resistance’ often gives the false impression that this is a sort of ‘do-nothing method’ in which the resister quietly and passively accepts evil. But nothing is further from the truth. For while the nonviolent resister is passive in the sense that he* is not physically aggressive toward his opponent, his mind and emotions are always active, constantly seeking to persuade his opponent that he is wrong.”—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“The invitation today is about knowing that our prayers are held by an ancient presence — resting and knowing that love holds us, that love is the foundation.”
—Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Writing as a Spiritual Practice: A 28 Day Creative Journey — A Self-Study, Online Retreat
When you picture being held by an ancient presence and resting in that love, what images, sensations, colors, or phrases arise?
I am a human being who was loved by God before I was born and whom God will love after I die. This brief lifetime is my opportunity to receive love, deepen love, grow in love, and give love. When I die love continues to be active, and from full communion with God I am present by love to those I leave behind.
“In a nonviolent outlook, the ‘way out of no way,’ we no longer think of a dispute as a zero-sum game where, in order for me to win, you have to lose. It is not me against you but you and me against the problem; there is a way both of us can benefit and even grow.”—Michael N. Nagler, The Nonviolence Handbook: A Guide for Practical Action
Verse of the day
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
– Romans 15:7
Voice of the day
If you can do nothing else, do whatever is in your power to make the people in your life feel completely unashamed of who they are.
– Sam Killermann
Prayer of the day
God of boundless welcome, teach us to receive others with the same grace you’ve shown us.
“If you’re dealing with grief, think about how you might give some of that sorrow back to the earth and let the earth hold it with you. Let the stone — that density and heaviness and weight and endurance — help you to hold whatever it is that’s in your heart.”
—Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Sacred Rhythms of Sky, Sun, Sea & Stone: A Creative, Online, Self-Study Retreat with the Elements
What helps to ground you, sustain you, and keep you feeling steadier?
“Belonging is a verb. It’s not a static destination, but rather something that is cultivated and cultivated again through iterative practice. Simply talking about belonging, an idea full of abstractions, isn’t enough. To enact change in our groups and create opportunities for belonging, we must commit ourselves to practices that become our culture.”—Sammie Ablaza Wills, “Right Sized Belonging: 6 Practices For Organizers”
Verse of the day
But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required, and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.
– Luke 12:48
Voice of the day
When we identify where our privilege intersects with somebody else’s oppression, we’ll find our opportunities to make real change.
– Ijeoma Oluo
Prayer of the day
Open our eyes to where our privilege meets another’s pain, and give us the courage to respond.
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