Tag Archives: life

Devotional

Prelude to Joy

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LENT_real_rest_FRONTPAGE 
Mark 6:11-44; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 24:28-31


Prayer for the day:
Lord Jesus, your prayers brought life. With your blessing the simple meal fed thousands, and with similar words you gave thanks and offered us all the bread and cup of life. We confess that all too often we overlook our own prayers of blessing so that we might get to what we think really matters. Turn our wandering minds back to your blessing so that we might see joy in the fullness of your grace. Amen.

Question for reflection:
What are your practices of giving thanks or offering a blessing?

~ Josh Brockway, Director for Spiritual Life and Discipleship

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lenten Devotional written by Duane Grady, pastor of Cedar Lake Church of the Brethren (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats). Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Duane’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.

Devotional

Judgment or repentance?

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Lent 2013 Cover   Romans 2:1-11

Question for reflection:
How might your own judgments, your struggle to forgive, be an excuse for not getting on with the life God wants you to have?

Prayer for the day:
God of grace, forgive me my judgments, my arrogance in refusing to forgive what you have already forgiven.

~ Donna Kline, Director of Denominational Deacon Ministry

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lenten devotional, The Practice of Paying Attention, written by Dana Cassell, Minister of Youth Formation at the Manassas Church of the Brethren. (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats) Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Walt’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.

Devotional

Walking asleep

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Lent 2013 Cover   Revelation 3:1-6

Question for reflection:
It’s hard to deny the popularity of “zombies” in popular culture today. The entertainment industry cannot be happier about people’s seemingly unquenchable thirst for movies, books, TV shows, cartoons, and songs about these unreal creatures that are somehow dead but somehow alive. Are you and I like the people of Sardis in this scripture, seeming through our works to be alive, but really being dead? What would it look like for you to “wake up,” respond to the Holy Spirit, and be fully alive?

Prayer for the day:
Please, loving God, help me wake up! Lead me away from soul-deadening activities. Help me discover tasks which give me life because they are so deeply rooted in You. May I listen intently to what the Spirit is saying to the churches and become fully alive through You.

~ Becky Ullom Naugle, Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lenten devotional, The Practice of Paying Attention, written by Dana Cassell, Minister of Youth Formation at the Manassas Church of the Brethren. (Available from Brethren Press in print and E-Book formats) Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Walt’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.

 

Devotional

That’s Just Foolishness!

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A Community of Love  1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Prayer for the Day:
O God, the source of life. You care for us from birth and bless our lives. We spend our energy seeking to become important and powerful in the eyes of the world. Mysterious and compelling God, whose ways spun our values upside-down, you change seeming foolishness and weakness into wisdom and strength. O God, our life is appraised by strength, power and possessions, but as followers of Jesus, life is measured by what we share—your seeds of truth, compassion and resources that make possible works of love. Amen.

Question for reflection:
1 Corinthians 1:18 can be a challenge to how we think.  What sources of information did you rely on recently resulting in a personal or vocational decision? What information or observations shaped your assumptions and conclusions shaping your decision?

~ Stan Dueck, Director for Transforming Practices

Congregational Life Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is offering these simple prayers and questions in connection to this year’s Lent devotional written by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford. (Available from Brethren Press) Join us as we look and listen for the coming of the Word through the reading of scripture, Cheryl’s reflections, times of prayer, and conversations on this blog.