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Written by John S. Mogabgab (1946-2014), a theologian, editor,  and friend of Henri Nouwen. This is an excerpt from an Editor’s Introduction to a 1992 edition of the publication “Weavings.”

Richard Baxter, the seventeenth-century English divine, once described the chief end of contemplation as “acquaintance and fellowship with God” (The Saint’s Everlasting Rest). The homely simplicity of Baxter’s definition points to the essential dimensions of contemplative life. It is, in the first place, a life of deepening acquaintance with God, a life of removing the layers of misunderstanding that obscure our relationship with the Holy One. As we strip away the fear, mistrust, anger, or pain that encases our heart, we come to see that our desire for God is in fact an echo of God’s far more encompassing and passionate desire for us. Contemplative awareness confirms that God is closer than we think, that there is no path to God that is not first God’s path to us. Contemplative life explores these paths; it is wholly dedicated to the one thing necessary; it is a life consumed with and by God, and therefore a life committed to ever more unguarded exposure to the love that is at once the source, transformation, and joy of human existence.

Prayer:

Written by Brother Alois, a contemporary priest.

Christ Jesus, to each one of us you say: “Do not be afraid. Come on further: follow me.” Listening to your voice in the Gospel gives us the courage to leave behind everything that hinders our walk with you, and to live for the people God entrusts to us. Amen.

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Written by Rueben P. Job (1928-2015), an American writer and Marjorie J. Thompson, a contemporary minister, teacher, and writer. This is an excerpt from their book “Companions in Christ.”

A loving, living relationship with God is impossible without prayer. We cannot know the mind and heart of Christ, receive God’s direction, hear God’s voice, or respond to God’s call without this means of grace. We may enter God’s kingdom without the benefit of some of the means of grace but not without prayer. Prayer is so important that Jesus left even the needy crowd to pray. His entire life and ministry were set in the context of prayer. Those who choose to follow him can do no better than to take up his example.

Prayer:

Written by Eli Stanley Jones (1884-1973), an American Methodist missionary, theologian, and author.

Gracious Christ, teach me to pray. For if I fall down here, I fall down everywhere—anemia spreads through my whole being. Give me the mind to pray, the love to pray, the will to pray. Let prayer be the aroma of every act, the atmosphere of every thought, my native air. In Your name. Amen.

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Written by L. B. Cowman (1870-1960), an American writer and author of devotional books.

Comfort does not come to the light-hearted and merry. We must go down into “depths” if we would experience this most precious of God’s gifts–comfort, and thus be prepared to be co-workers together with Him. When night–needful night–gathers over the garden of our souls, when the leaves close up, and the flowers no longer hold any sunlight within their folded petals, there shall never be wanting, even in the thickest darkness, drops of heavenly dew–dew which falls only when the sun has gone.

Prayer:

Written by Martin Luther (1483-1546), a German professor of theology, composer, priest, monk and leader of the Protestant Reformation.

 Look, Lord, on an empty vessel that needs to be filled.

In faith I am weak – strengthen me.

In love I am cold – warm me and make me fervent

   so that my love may go out to my neighbor.

I doubt and am unable to trust you completely.

Lord, strengthen my faith and trust in you.

You are all the treasure I possess.

I am poor, you are rich, and you came to have mercy on the poor.

I am a sinner, you are goodness.

From you I can receive goodness, but I can give you nothing.

Therefore I shall stay with you.

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Written by Renovare, an organization developed by Richard Foster to support spiritual development. This is an excerpt from a class called “Inside Out.”

You are a spiritual being. You have an intangible center that shapes how you see the world and yourself, directs your choices, and guides your actions. This is the human spirit, sometimes called the “will” or the “heart.” It is what makes you, you. And it is why humans are the only creatures on earth made in the image of God. Your ability to choose, your capacity to connect with God and others, and what you desire all flow from your spirit. Richard Foster said, “It is the radical source of our life; the stream of actions and influences and contributions we make to our shared, visible world and its history.” In other words, how your spirit is formed affects everything in your life… A truly good, full existence starts with making Jesus Christ the primary shaping influence on the inner life. Why Jesus? The disciple Peter said it well:  “to whom else would we go?” No one can match Jesus’ wisdom about life’s most important questions. And he lived what he taught—he was patient, compassionate, self-giving, and completely in sync with God’s law of love. Jesus is the perfect picture of a well-formed human spirit. But more than just a past good example, Jesus is a present reality. He is alive, and his Spirit is available to you as an ever-present teacher and guide. He has divine power— far greater than any other source—to shape you from the inside out. You can’t escape every negative influence, but you can place your spirit in the care of One who outshines the rest. Giving Christ this place of influence is crucial if we want to become people who inhabit our unique place and time with the quality of life he had, flowing from the kind of well-formed center he had.

Prayer:

Written by Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), a writer in spirituality.

Let our lives run to your embrace … and breathe the breath of eternity. O God Supreme! Most secret and most present, most beautiful and strong. Constant yet incomprehensible, changeless yet changing all! What can I say, my God, my Life, my Holy Joy … You are the only reality. Amen.

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Written by Sandra Richter, a contemporary Old Testament scholar, author, speaker and professor. This is an excerpt from her book “The Epic of Eden: Book of Psalms.”

The great 4th century Church Father, Athanasius once said: “The Psalms have a unique place in the Bible because [whereas] most of Scripture speaks to us, the Psalms speak for us.” No truer words have been spoken. When we open up the book of Psalms, we find 150 of the most compelling, captivating, and heart-wrenching prayers ever uttered. And a full third of these can be categorized as “laments.” What is a lament? It is a psalm of complaint that names, often in graphic detail, the agonies and injustices of life. As Martin Luther once said, in a lament “you look into the hearts of the saints” and what you see there is a potent mixture of pain… and hope…To read a lament is to watch an ancient believer as they stand against the storm. For a modern believer to pray a lament is to allow the ancients to join you in the midst of your storm.

Prayer:

Written by Debbie Przybylski, a contemporary author and founder/director of Intercessors Arise International.

Lord, I know that you are faithful over all things, even the hard, dark times of my life. Help me not back away from you in my time of grief. Help me instead to lean into you and trust you, even when I do not understand your ways. Please keep my head above the waters of anguish and my feet from slipping off the ground of truth. Help me see you in these hard moments and glorify you in my response. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Written by Louie Giglio, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker.  This is an excerpt from his book “Seeing God as a Perfect Father.”

Sometimes in church or Christian circles, people focus on the moment of conversion as if it’s a sort of end point. Yes, the moment of accepting the gift of love being offered to each of us by God is crucial — but when a person comes to Christ, their journey has just begun! What flows from the Good Father to His children is a waterfall of transformation and blessing. And as His children, we can expect to take on His nature and learn from His loving example. What does it mean to mature in God? Some may call this process of growth discipleship. Others may think of it as God, the perfect Parent, modeling His power for His children and changing them from the inside out. Like children, we imitate God by becoming the mouth of God, the eyes of God, the ears of God, the hands of God, the feet of God, the heart of God, the thoughts of God, the compassion of God, the justice of God, the love of God. That’s how we mature. That’s how we grow up. As we walk with God, God shows us how to truly live. 

Prayer:

Written by Brendan the Voyager (AD 484-577), an Irish monk. Reputedly he set sail in a small coracle of wood and ox hide from Ireland and ended up in Newfoundland — an amazing achievement in his time.

Help me to journey beyond the familiar

and into the unknown.

Give me the faith to leave old ways

and break fresh ground with You.

Christ of the mysteries, I trust You

to be stronger than each storm within me.

I will trust in the darkness and know

that my times, even now, are in Your hand.

Tune my spirit to the music of heaven,

and somehow, make my obedience count for You. Amen.

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Written by Brian Morykon, a contemporary communications director for Renovare, a Christian organization that helps people in their spiritual formation.

With so much in the world to weep about, I’m tempted to believe that sorrow has the final word, that suffering is the fundamental reality of life. But then I think of the laugh of Desmond Tutu, the smile of Corrie ten Boom, and the unshakable heart of Jesus himself.  And I remember the truth: joy is what is real.  I’m talking about substantive joy—the kind that has known deep pain and grief. It doesn’t pretend everything’s just fine but it knows all shall be well. We can’t force our way into true joy but we can make room for it. In fact, making room for it is our calling. The Apostle Paul says, “Celebrate God all day, every day.” That doesn’t mean we ignore hard situations, stuff uncomfortable emotions, and plaster a smile on our face. It means our central focus is on the unshakable reality of the Kingdom of God. “One of the best ways to stay in touch with reality,” says Jan Johnson, “is to fully notice and even celebrate the good things that happen in our lives…. To notice these things is to live in reality!”  If you’re someone like me who deeply values authenticity, this idea—that giving thanks is to live in reality—is a big deal.  Because often when I give thanks there’s a nagging voice that points out, What right do you have to be thankful when so-and-so is suffering and this-or-that terrible situation is happening in the world. And that voice seems reasonable, logical. It almost convinces me that not giving thanks is the more spiritual thing to do. I don’t know where that voice is coming from but I do know it’s not the Lord.  We can always choose thankfulness and rejoicing in God in this present moment without second guessing. It’s literally the will of God for our lives.  I’m still thinking about Desmond Tutu—there is something in the laugh of a man who’s seen and overcome terrible things that fills a heart with courage.

Prayer:

Today’s prayer is from the Mozarabic Breviary, a liturgical rite of the Latin Church once used generally in the Iberian Peninsula (Hispania), in what is now Spain and Portugal.  Developed during Visigoth (Arian Christian) rule of the Iberian peninsula in the 500s AD.

 O Lord Jesus Christ, who art the ineffable joy of Christians, take away from us whatever is not Yours, and make us Yours in all things. We beseech You to hear us, O Lord. Amen.

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Written by Elizabeth J. Canham, a contemporary pastor, teacher, retreat leader, and spiritual guide. This is an excerpt from her work “Solo Journey.”

Those who follow Christ become family—they share the oneness of divine love. This is the primary belonging of all God’s people. Only when we know in heart as well as mind that we are beloved children in the family of God can we look at our lives—whether we are married or single—and see our loneliness for what it truly is. Our hearts are restless and lonely until we leave behind the attempt to find satisfaction in anything other than the Source of our being made visible in Christ through the Spirit.

Prayer:

Written by Meg Bucher, a contemporary writer and teacher.

 Love unifies us. Oh, God, that we would be able to see each other for the people You made us to be. Help us to remove the film of perfection from the mirror we gaze in, at ourselves and each other. Help us to embrace each other in the thick of this world. We are so much better together, God.  Unite us in prayer and common purpose to bring glory to You with our lives, Lord. Unite us in forgiveness, in choosing to let both past, present, and future offenses go. God, give us the strength and power, through Your love, to be un-offendable! God, we pray for unifying love in our homes, schools, communities, churches, workplaces, and all of the people who touch our everyday lives. Amen.

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Written by Keith Beasley-Topliffe, a contemporary pastor, writer, and editor. This is an excerpt from his work “The Beginnings of Wisdom.”

Catherine of Siena (1347-80) warns against giving in to slavish fear of critics, enemies, and demons. Such fear is characteristic of those who hope only in themselves, not in God. They must always be careful not to offend those who are more powerful. Holy fear, on the other hand, is freeing. Those who have it “are not afraid of the devils’ delusions; because of the supernatural light of grace and the light of Holy Scripture, they recognize them for what they are, and they suffer neither darkness nor spiritual distress from them.” Holy fear, God’s gracious gift, sets people free to love both God and neighbor. Spiritual growth, then, is in part a growth from fear of the world to fear of God and then from simple fear to the reverent fear that is awe.

Prayer:

Written by Kristine Brown, a contemporary author and speaker.

Almighty God, sometimes I feel like the disciples when they were in the boat, tossed around by powerful winds and fierce waves. But then I remember how the story ends, with your son Jesus speaking peace to the storm. The disciples were amazed, wondering what kind of man this was who could calm a raging storm. I adore you because you are the only One powerful enough to quiet the storms in our lives. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed when I’m struck by difficult circumstances. But I don’t have to fear anything as a child of God. All power belongs to you! Thank you Lord for your mighty power at work in my life right now. Thank you also for your Holy Spirit who provides power within me to do the things you’ve called me to do. I will never forget where my source of power comes from. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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Written by John S. Mogabgab (1946-2014), an author, editor, theologian, and founding editor of “Weavings, A Journal of Christian Spiritual Life.”

Forgiveness is a mystery. It belongs to the realm of freedom rather than the realm of necessity; it is scented with the spices of grace rather than the sweat of legalism; it delights and humbles with the impact of wholly unexpected bounty; gentler than a tender embrace, it is tougher than the bands of retribution that strap us tightly to our pain.

Prayer:

Written by Lysa Terkeurst, a contemporary American author.

Father God, I’m so thankful forgiveness isn’t something I have to earn or achieve. It’s a gift of grace I get to receive. Thank You that Jesus’ blood was enough to pay for my sin. Help me receive all You are offering me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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