In the conversation for Sunday, January 1, 2017, Pastor Stuart Nice shares about the gift of reflection and its benefits for life change, especially when we make it a regular practice while inviting God’s presence and guidance.

“I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”
Philippians 3:13, TLB

Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do. Make the best use of your time, despite all the difficulties of these days. Don’t be vague but firmly grasp what you know to be the will of God.
Ephesians 5:15-17, PHILLIPS

The Examen Prayer
God, thank you. I thank you for always being with me, but especially that you are with me right now.

God, send your Holy Spirit upon me. Let the Holy Spirit enlighten my mind and warm my heart that I may know where and how we have been together this day.

God, let me look at my day. Where have I felt your presence, seen your face, heard your word this day? Where have I ignored you, run from you, or even rejected you this day.

God, let me be grateful and ask forgiveness. I thank you for the times this day we have been together and worked together. I am sorry for the ways I have offended you by what I have done or what I did not do.

God, be close. I ask that you draw me ever closer to you this day and tomorrow. You are the Lord of my life, thank you.

Sacred Reading

A note about the recording of the Sacred Reading:
The reader will pause between each of the four readings. The pauses have been left in the recording so that the listener can experience the rhythm of the gathering and even participate in the reading.

Clearly, Christ’s love guides us. We are convinced of the fact that one man has died for all people. Therefore, all people have died. He died for all people so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for the man who died and was brought back to life for them.

So from now on we don’t think of anyone from a human point of view. If we did think of Christ from a human point of view, we don’t anymore. Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships. In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others. Therefore, we are Christ’s representatives, and through us God is calling you. We beg you on behalf of Christ to become reunited with God.
2 Corinthians 5:14-20, GW