So often, we move through life on autopilot. If we think ahead, we tend to imagine more of whatever is happening now. But the sacred practice of re-imagining - when we deliberately imagine things that are different from the norm - can open up amazing new possibilities. Why not try it today?

Scholars suggest that Psalm 23:6b - "And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever" - can best be translated as, "I will continually return to God’s presence, my whole life long."
How does this impact your understanding and application of this verse, if at all?
https://bit.ly/4cTXMOd

Psalm 23 can feel like a prosperity preacher's favourite sermon. It can feel comforting in some ways, but can also leave us feeling abandoned and betrayed by God.
But what if it is really a prayer of commitment to trust in the midst of struggle and pain?
Here are my thoughts: https://bit.ly/4cTXMOd

How we tell the stories of our relationships, experiences, and perceptions changes how we engage with them and how they impact us. That's why an essential practice to nurture holistic health is 're-storying' - being mindful and intentional in our storytelling. What stories do you need to re-story?

In chaotic times like this, which generate such uncertainty and anxiety, there is also great potential for creativity. Finding new ways to navigate our challenges is essential now. What new possibilities are you becoming aware of? How does your spirituality help you to be open to them?

Musical improvisation requires the players to trust one another and the music within and around them. Sometimes, to create the best music, they need to be willing to go through dissonance to bring the melody, harmony, rhythm and soul together.
I'm talking about life.

...in a world of misinformation and disinformation where trust has been all but eradicated, the choice to cling to trust as a source of resilience, courage, and hope is subversive and prophetic.
From 'Lectionary Reflection for Easter 4A on Psalm 23': https://bit.ly/4cTXMOd

When spirituality becomes about escaping to another world, we become oblivious to the sacredness around us. Healthy spirituality will always attune our hearts, minds, and bodies to the sacred wonder in our world and in all of its inhabitants.
Where are you seeing sacredness in the mundane today?

I'm not a big fan of Psalm 23, which is in the Lectionary for this Sunday. But I feel much better about it when I realise it has a communal voice, and is meant to be read together with Psalm 22. This changes its meaning significantly.
Here is my take on this popular Psalm: https://bit.ly/4cTXMOd

For most of human history, we had limited control over the seasons, so we learned to follow their rhythms. Spirituality was designed to help us honour and cooperate with the Earth. Now technology often robs us of our connection to nature. What would it mean for you to reconnect with the Earth?

Here is a breath prayer which you can carry with you through this week as you prepare your heart and mind for 'Good Shepherd' Sunday:

Cosmic Shepherd,
teach me to trust the love that holds the cosmos together and to embody that love in my life and relationships.

We are all leaders in some way, even if only to a few others.
What does Jesus' claim to be "the gate for the sheep" say to you about how you engage with your leaders, how you lead those over whom you have influence, and how you lead yourself?
'The Gate to Freedom and Safety': https://bit.ly/4tJIJwm

I came across this quote today:

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
- Rainer Maria Rilke

I'm still processing it, but it resonated for me. What is your response?

If we can stay present through the difficult processes of change, conflict, or creativity in our lives, we often get into a rhythm where things flow more easily, and outcomes are wonderfully surprising and positive. When have you experienced that? And how does this relate to your spirituality?

From 'The Gate to Freedom and Safety: A Reflection on John 10:1-10 for Easter 4A': https://bit.ly/4tJIJwm

Resurrection is not just about literally coming back from the dead. It is also about living fully and freely and bringing life to others.
Let's pray…

sacredise.com/easter...

We all live in the tension between security and freedom. But Jesus shows us how to find a life that includes both. The gate is open, we just have to walk through it.
Read more in 'The Gate to Freedom and Safety': https://bit.ly/4tJIJwm

Have you noticed any unidentified rituals that you have adopted? Maybe there are specific routes that you always take to work. Or perhaps you always dress in a particular order. Or maybe you start or end every day in the same way. What habits are these rituals building into your life?

Think back on the last few days or weeks in your life. When did you experience moments of calm, groundedness, contentment, and inner stillness? What helped you to get there? What do you need to do to be able to access that place within you more easily and intentionally?

What do you do to calm your nervous system when your fight/flight/fawn/freeze instincts kick in? How might an ancient psalm help you to be more intentional about self-regulating in tough situations?
This reflection offers some ideas: https://bit.ly/4e3OJeX

What story are you telling about your week? What are you highlighting and what are you leaving out of that story? What would happen if you shifted the focus and told the story differently?
We get to choose how we tell our stories - and our choices matter.

What unexpected doors of insight, direction, opportunity, or possibility are opening to you right now? What voices are holding you back from walking through, and what voices are encouraging you to take the step?
These are spiritual questions that can shape our lives.

The ancient wisdom of the Psalms can teach us how to weave science, scripture, spirituality, and sacred practice together to activate our parasympathetic nervous systems and find sacred rest in the midst of our world’s transactional chaos.

How have the Psalms helped you to do this?
2/2

Many of us aren’t just exhausted. Our transactional world is leaving us in a chronic state of physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual “fight-or-flight”, with our sympathetic nervous systems constantly on high alert.
1/2

We need to learn how to consciously activate our parasympathetic nervous systems which calm us and allow us to rest from the stress-inducing, transactional treadmill of our society.

What practices do you use to shift from stress to calm?
2/2

Many of us are burned out without knowing it. The sympathetic branch of our autonomic nervous system often gets stuck in overdrive—like we’re on a treadmill, expending lots of energy, but getting nowhere. This means that we need to do more than just stop.
1/2

Is it possible to find sacred rest in a transactional world? And how can an ancient Psalm teach us to opt out of the transactional treadmill and learn to calm our autonomic nervous systems in the midst of the threats we are all navigating right now?
Here’s what I believe: https://bit.ly/4e3OJeX

As you enter this week, where in your life can you identify life growing out of what seemed dead? How will you protect, nurture, and expand that life this week?

#Life
#Resurrection

I got a prompt for this morning to post a stunning image of scientific wonder. Well last night I became a grandfather. And there is nothing more wondrous that the birth of a child!



How have the children in your life led you to wonder?



#Wonder

#TheWonderOfAChild

I have listened to Amy Grant's music since I was a teenager. And my theology seems to have changed with hers, in not completely different ways. Two days ago, a video of her singing 'Lead Me On' live, one of my favourite songs, came up on feed. So I thought I'd share it. 🤓
youtu.be/KsHfTjW2awQ...