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Feb 11, 2018

Everything is on pause for this moment. Let things slow down. Allow your breathing to slow. Don’t shy away from this moment. Allow the tensions that have been hiding in your body escape. Feel what is going on in your body. Breathe slowly. Anything unpleasant that wells up in your at this moment breathe it out effortlessly. Don’t attempt to control it just let it go. Let your muscles go also. The longer you keep breathing, the more calm comes over your body. Don’t fight the calm. Allow your mind to slow. If it feels pulled to one place or another just breathe deeply and allow it to slow. Open your mind and your heart for the scripture we are about to read. 


Bible verse for meditation:1 Corinthians 13:1-3

NIV13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.


KJV1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Notice the similarities and differences in the translations presented. 


What does this scripture mean to you?Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past?How does this scripture make you feel?
Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning.

Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: I want to share a moment of vulnerability. This is not a flatering message but I hope it will be a metaphor for you to allow you to ask yourself the same questions.  I was preparing to put out this podcast. I had my scripture selected and I had read it and was trying to get ot a place of peace as I started writing my notes for the episode. I was thinking about someone who I have recently been feeling deep disagreement with, by the way if you’re listening to this then it certainly is not you, anyway in this moment I found myself getting upset and angry. I had ahard time shaking these feelings and I resigned in myself that I was allowed to guard a little anger for this person in my heart.Have you ever done this? Do you still do this?Many times as we try to live a Christian life we encounter the realities of our humanity in this fallen state. Hate and anger enter our hearts. I found myself upset and I was not in a good place to bring peace. Instead of forcing myself to continue, I sat in my favorite chair put on a soft sound of a rushing stream and I began to relax and breathe deeply. In this moment I realized how I was trying to do something that contradicts reality. I was trying to justify not feeling love for someone while preaching a message of love. I opened my heart to the idea that I could disagree with this person while still loving them. As I opened my heart to prayer, I felt the peace of this scripture penetrate my heart and the anger I was feeling lost its grip on me. What does it feel like to feel love?What does it feel like to give up a grudge?I hoep that as we in America celebrate Valentine’s day that we can always remember this message. It is equally appropriate for romantic love, family love, and friendly love. May God grant us peace as we make room in our hearts for love. 

Meditation of Prayer:Pray as directed by the Spirit.Pray now in a spirit of submission to Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:I invite you to sit in silence feeling the comfort and Love of God
Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life:This part is very important. It is no accident that scripture is so full of narratives. Our minds connect with narratives. Imagine a visualization of a Narrative of your life knowing the truths from this scripture.Now visualize someone or a group of people who need this message. Imagine what their face would look like as they receive this scripture in their hearts. Imagine how you can share it with them.Conclusion:Stay with me until the end for a final thought and the reflection question. I have a couple of things to say and then I have a final thought so stay with me to the end.I release a new episode of this every Sunday morning at 1AM Mountain time in the US.I did an interview with Nikki over at Bible Meditation Podcast. It's the Saturday’s episode if you’d like to hear it. She is a competent and kind person and I appreciated the opportunity to talk with her. Her focus is on letting the scriptures speak and the form factor is much more compact. If you would like to listen to a thoughtful podcast dedicated to reading the liturgical scriptures, that would be a great choice. Also I welcome your responses to the reflection question as well as any other thoughts. You can contact me by going to ChristianMeditationPodcast.com and clicking on the contact tab. The information you fill in there just sends me a personal email. Reflection Question:What is one way that you can let go of anger and embrace more love in your life?Here is the Final thought:I love this scripture and I love the message that follows it. Love is patient and kind. As we learn to discipline ourselves by ridding our hearts of hate and allowing more love to take root, we invite the Spirit of God. Many times this is an act of faith. If we believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ then we trust that he can heal our hearts. He can help us stay safe from those who would do us harm while at the same time letting go of the soul rusting power of hate. If you have experienced deep betrayal from someone close to you, I am certainly not arguing that you need to put yourself in the way of further harm. Let God guide you in how you can free your heart from unpleasant feelings while at the same time making place for more love in your heart. There is a deeply freeing feeling that can fill us with peace as we learn to trust God in this crucial way.  I say that in Jesus’ name Amen.

 

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