A Prayer for Guidance – Advent Meditation

Thank you for visiting today. I invite you into a short spiritual exercise of prayer and meditation.(It takes 2.5-4 min.)  Simply read over the following almost 1,000 year old prayer, about 3 times, (preferably out loud-even a whisper is fine). Each time think carefully, for 30 seconds or more, about something in the passage that stands out to you, before you re-read. Then, speak with God for a few minutes about the thoughts that came to mind.

Your comments, or reflections about your experience, or this prayer are quite appreciated.

Thank you, and happy Advent Season.

Page 28, Third week of Advent Meditation section-

Holy Bible: Mosaic, Tyndale Publishing, 2009.

Prayer for God’s Guidance

-The Sarum Breviary, 1085

We beseech Thee, O Lord, let our hearts be graciously

enlightened by Thy holy radiance, that we may serve Thee

without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of 

our life; that so we may escape the darkness of this world,

and by Thy guidance attain the land of eternal brightness;

through Thy mercy, O blessed Lord, who dost live and

govern all things, world without end. Amen.

 

All about Rhythm…

A fascinating book detailing opting for rhythm in life instead of balance is…

Your Life in Rhythm , (Tyndale Publishing) by Bruce Miller.

978-1-4143-1977-3

 

Bruce may be a bit too analytical for his own good, but his insights are excellent, and completely advantageous for anyone feeling burned out, or feeling too busy. Scads of practical helps and strategies make this an ideal book for groups, interesting discussions, and swift implementation.

Miller solidly proves that balance is a burden, with a built-in pose to secure, while rhythm offers us the freedom to live and function like organic creatures. He shows how the rest of the natural world around us operates in rhythm, and this approach is quite livable. The author makes the distinction between two helpful ways to view time: Kairos and Chronos, and includes a number of case studies that are followed through their progress, making the transformation, for the willing reader, more likely.

Ruth Barton’s Sacred Rhythms is far more poetic and filled with an artistic, even natural rhythmic approach in its actual style. It feels more peaceful to read, then this kind of handbook approach, which is still quite viable. However, if a reader thinks Miller will read like Barton, brace for disappointment. This is written cut and dry, masculinely, with strategies, tips, tricks, and lists. Miller has an engineer’s mind. I feel it’s nice to read a variety of voices on the topic of living life in rhythm, and I would actually suggest both books.