As Jeff reminded us yesterday, the Apostle Paul gives a strong encouragement in Philippians 2 for us to “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Php. 2:12) This week we will offer you a number of suggested practices to help work out those deep muscles of faith in your everyday life.

Today: 

Working out compassion, even in the midst of conflict. Click here to revisit a recent Sunday practice, practicing how to shift our hearts towards compassion even in challenging circumstances.

Do you ever find it hard to keep your thoughts and your heart centered in the love of Christ – trusting the Spirit to hold you fast through every moment of every day?

Today we invite you into a few intentional moments of centering prayer and worship with The Prayer of St. Patrick. Allow yourself to sink as fully as you can into this practice right now, as a manner of training your muscles to live from this space throughout the day ahead.

Click Here for a guided practice in The Prayer of St. Patrick

Do you find it challenging to know quite how to express love to those around you?

1 John 3:16-18 reads “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

Today we challenge you to search the landscape of your life, and come up with at least ONE person (or family) towards whom you could practice generosity as a form of love. What do you have, that you could share? Whether a possession or a privilege, an unexpected present, an anonymous gift card, a dinner out, homemade food dropped off, a service you could offer free of payment… what is in your hands, that would be a blessing in somebody else’s? Figure out at least ONE act of generosity you can do today!

The Prayer of Examen is a classic spiritual practice the church has been engaging in for hundreds of years. It’s an exercise meant to attune us more sensitively to the activity and presence of God in and around us – knowing that the busy demands and general noise of our lives tend to drown out that natural awareness.

Examen is a practice of looking backwards and re-examining where God was at work, in the hopes that it will train us to more readily spot and cooperate with where God is at work in our present moments.  Which is 100% a learned – and learnable – skill!

So today we invite you to engage this classic discipline – click here for a 10-minute guided experience. 

“Hospitality creates a safe, open space where a friend or stranger can enter and experience the welcoming spirit of Christ in another.” – Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Safe places and safe people are too often few and far between in this world. How can you open your heart to be to be a safe place of hospitality to someone today?

• What are you doing tonight? How about extending a last minute invitation for someone to join you for dinner at home, dessert in a cafe, a winter bonfire in the backyard?
• What are you doing this weekend? Now is a perfect time to plan a gathering for this weekend. Who needs to know they’re loved and wanted? Who haven’t you seen for a while? Who never gets invited? No need to get fancy – just extend an open door!

Commit yourself to action right now. Somebody out there needs your open door more than you know!