Experience Screened

Tuesday, March 5, 2013 -- Week of Lent 3 (Year One)

[Go to http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html for an online version of the Daily Office including today's scripture readings.]

Today's Readings for the Daily Office
     (Book of Common Prayer, p. 954)
Psalm     78:1-39 (morning)     //      78:40-72 (evening)
Jeremiah 7:21-34      
Romans 4:13-25      
John 7:37-52

Can you remember times of delight or joy when it seemed like life was coming up from the midst of you and flowing all over your being?  I can remember a time watching one of our children in a particularly happy and creative moment.  It felt like my joy started somewhere below my belly-button and flowed through me like a warm current of energy or a rich fountain of delight.

Jesus speaks of the heart-centered joy that he invites us to experience in his Spirit.  It is like living water that flows from our hearts and refreshes our whole being.  It is what we experience when we know the Spirit's presence, when we feel embraced and blessed, when we delight in the moment.  It sounds like his teaching and stories effected people that way -- "Never has anyone spoken like this!"

But not everyone heard him that way.  There were some who had studied their scriptures and used the words there as a definition to map the future.  (Not unlike our "Left Behind" friends.)  They took offense at him because he was from Galilee.  No prophet, and especially no Messiah was to come from Galilee.  They can't listen to him, despite the grace of his words, because he didn't meet the expectations of their allegiance to the literal word of scripture. 

We can only hear and see what the framework of our world view will allow us to hear and see.  For those who knew the Messiah could not come from Galilee, who were certain because the Bible told them, their ears would not allow them to hear these words that brought springs of living water to others.

How profoundly we screen experience.  Where might we be missing grace?  Where might we be blind to living water flowing out in blessing and refreshment because we have a preconceived notion that such things can't happen with those kind of people?  To miss such manifestations is to miss Christ's visitation.

Lowell
___________

Audio podcast:  Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week.  Go to: http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id244.html

About Morning Reflections

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.

Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html

Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location

-- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church

is to explore and celebrate

God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life: 

We aspire to...

    worship weekly

    pray daily

    learn constantly

    serve joyfully 

    live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Fayetteville, Arkansas