It was so great to be back together with everyone last night and continue our journey through the second movement of Ignatius Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. Our opening liturgy led us through a reflection on the baptism of Christ. We rested in the personal love of God, and soaked in the words of the Lord, “You are my child, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.”
Then Ashlee helped us move away from experiencing God’s will as a formula to solve and build a foundation of connectivity, gratitude and retreat. In Jesus, we see that every part of discovering God’s will happens in the presence of the Lord. I continue to sit with something Ashlee said as we transitioned into the practice. Do I want God’s loving presence more than I want an answer to a question?
Ashlee then guided us through a practice of recognizing where we are in proximity to God, releasing our anxieties and fears in order to receive God’s thoughts, and resting in the God’s loving presence.
Have a listen to the full teaching and practice.
If you would like to continue exploring the will of God, we would recommend Surrender to Love, The Gift of Being Yourself, and Desiring God’s Will by David Benner.
Kingdom Practices
This week, will you join me and continue to engage the practice Ashlee taught? Will you recognize, release, and rest in God’s presence this week?
We are also continuing our practice of imaginative prayer. This week’s original contemplation was written by Lori Shoults, and it will lead us deeply into the first miracle Jesus performs in the Gospels.