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Spiritual Development |
Jesus Is Missing After they had completed its [the Festival] days, as they were returning, MY CHILD is MISSING! You who are parents must know the fear. Somewhere in your past your child (one or more) was missing. They missed the school bus. They didn’t come home from a date before curfew. You called them for dinner and they were nowhere to be found. You and your child become lost to one another in the department store. Or, perhaps you have experienced losing a child due to estrangement or other emotional distancing. It must be a horrifying and painful experience. Parents will move heaven and earth to find their child. In today’s reading from Luke, JESUS is MISSING! Mary and Joseph went some distance to return to Jerusalem, leaving the caravan of those traveling with them, to find Jesus. Three days later (yes, three!), when Jesus was found, their initial reaction was ‘why have you treated us like this?’ It’s an agonizing and almost angry response, perhaps more than a caring response. Today I invite you to focus on the missing Jesus. Is Jesus missing in your life? If yes, to what ends will you go, to find him? Jesus knew his priority which was to be “about His Father’s business?” (KJV translation). In other translations he responds “did you not know I must be in my Father’s house?” (NRSVUE). In our own quest to find and know Jesus more deeply, do we know what our priorities are? Jesus’s priority was to be in communion with His Father. What does it take each day, for us to find Jesus? As we begin Lent, may you know deeply that Jesus is also looking for you. See Him and run into His wide-open arms. Prayer: Loving Father, we are on the search for many things in life. Most are temporal and meet our needs for this moment. Help us to nurture our faith so that we might know a deep and lasting relationship with you, and experience your intimate and reckless love. When we arrive at Easter, may we have a renewed sense of hope and deep love because we are reunited with you and your truth. Amen Carol DeSchepper, LFCNA Executive Director |
Resources for Spiritual Growth and Development
Prayer Ventures - A prayer ministry of the ELCA
Welcome to the Prayer Ventures resource page. These petitions are offered as guides to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world. Thank you for your continued prayers for the life and mission of this church.
Click here to link to the monthly list of prayer intentions: https://www.elca.org/Resources/Prayer-Ventures
Center for Action and Contemplation Fr. Richard Rohr is a Franciscan of the New Mexico Province and the Founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Joyce Rupp, Author Joyce Rupp is well known for her work as a writer, international retreat leader, and conference speaker. She is the author of numerous bestselling books, including Praying Our Goodbyes, Open the Door, and Fragments of Your Ancient Name. Fly While You Still Have Wings is among her publications earning an award in the spirituality books category from the Catholic Press Association. Rupp has led retreats throughout North America, as well as in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Joyce has a B.A. in English, a M.R.E. in Religious Education, and a M.A. in Transpersonal Psychology. She is a member of the Servites (Servants of Mary) community and was a volunteer for Hospice for fifteen years. She currently resides in Des Moines, Iowa. To sign up for her monthly newsletter go to joyce@joycerupp.com.
Daily Grace from Women of the ELCA (WELCA) Daily Grace is an on-the-go companion for your journey, offering a faith reflection every day. Encounter God’s extravagant, boundless and often surprising grace by signing up for a daily email message. You can also download the newly updated app for your IOS and Android devices. | God Pause Daily Devotion Looking for spiritual refreshment? God Pause email devotions are short, meaningful reflections on the following Sunday's lessons and gospel delivered directly to your email box. By Sunday, you'll be ready for an extra meaningful worship experience. Melissa's Prayer Journal: The Power of Prayer in the Face of Cancer Lectio 365 App If you are drawn to Lectio Divina as a prayer practice, Lectio365 is a daily devotional virtual resource that helps you pray the Bible every day. Written by leaders from the 24-7 Prayer movement, this resource helps you engage with the word, fix your eyes on Jesus, and connect with God in prayer. TEXT & AUDIO – Read or listen to every devotional. The app is free and is available through the Google Play store. |
Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director — the Holy Spirit hidden in the depths of our soul. (Thomas Merton, Trappist monk, USA)
Some of you may wish to seek a spiritual director as a way to nurture your own spirituality. Spiritual maturity and growth is critical for the parish nurse. As you support others in body, mind, and spirit, tending to your own soul is important. Spiritual Direction is only one way of keeping yourself centered and grounded spiritually. You perhaps have other disciplines and practices that meet this need for you.
Contact Carol DeSchepper at lutheranfcna@gmail.com for a more in-depth discussion of Spiritual Direction, including access to a web site to locate a Spiritual Director.
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Tami Briggs is a pioneer in the harp therapy field. She has a certification from the International Harp Therapy Program. Upon returning from this program, she founded Musical Reflections located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tami is a therapeutic harpist, speaker/presenter, recording artist, and author. Musical Reflections was founded in 1999 by Tami. The company’s mission is to provide products and services to enhance and support the healing journey. |
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