“How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” (Annie Dillard)

From the moment our bodies awaken, our eyes begin to open, and we enter into the ordinary wonder of a brand new day.

What do you do with the first few moments of your day? Does what comes ‘first’ really matter?

We gather as the church on the first day of the week and we worship together, because we believe it forms us. And it does.

But the rituals of our ordinary days form us so much more. The day in, day out patterns of where we point our eyes, our hearts. Our lives and our loves are shaped by what we do again and again.

From the very first moments of your day, your life is being formed; you are being formed.

When you awake, do you breathe in the wonder of the life that courses through your veins? Or do you rehearse with worry and anxiety the coming events of the day?

Do you pause in the stillness and tune your heart to God? Or do you launch headfirst into the mad rush of ‘things to be done’ and ‘hills to be climbed’?

Do you reach for a Bible to encounter the presence of God? Or for your phone, and its endless stream of entertainment, stimulation, information.

How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. It is shaping who you become, whether you want it to or not. What will you put first?

Contemplations
First Things First

Ready for what's next?

Reflection
Specific Prayers in Specific Places

I want you to take a minute right now to look away from this screen, to whatever is around you. Inside, outside, alone or with other people doesn’t matter. Where are you right now, and what do you notice about the physical space around you? 

Reflection
De-Centering Prayer

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of a “centering” prayer before – maybe you’ve even tried one – but this morning we’re going to practice something together called a “De-Centering Prayer.” 

Bible Study
Journaling the Bible | Micah 6:6-8

What we’re wanting to do here is to shake up both over-familiarity (for those who have been reading the Bible for a long time) that can sometimes cause the Bible to feel stale, as well as to think more deeply about what some of the ancient words and metaphors really mean, and what they might look and sound like in our present day context. 

At Southridge, we believe that LGBTQ+ people are deeply loved by God and are full image bearers of God, each bringing unique value to our community. In that spirit, everyone is welcome to belong and participate in the life of our church.  

As a fully-inclusive Jesus-centred church, LGBTQ+ followers of Jesus have full and equal opportunity to participate in baptism, membership, leadership, employment, and marriage.

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