I walked into my husband’s office to look through every single shelf seeking a book title that might touch my heart. My husband has two offices, each with walls covered with books. To be married to a man who loves books as much as I do is a dream come true. His books are organized neatly in rows according to subjects. It’s a far cry from my office with books scattered, piled high, and teetering about to fall over. I don’t always know exactly what I’m looking for as my eyes scan his neat rows until the title jumps out at me. This week, I discovered a little gem as my heart yearned for something to organize a way for me to seek the Lord throughout the day.
Daily Office, Remembering God’s Presence Throughout the Day, by Peter Scazzero
![Daily Office by [Scazzero, Peter]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51-7DOKKo%2BL.jpg?resize=112%2C158&ssl=1)
In his devotional, Peter Scazzero introduces the ancient spiritual discipline of the Daily Office. “The Daily Offices are about creating a rhythm of stopping to be with God at set times each day in order to cultivate our personal relationship with him throughout the day – that we might prefer the love of Christ above all else.” – Peter Scazzaro.
Each day of the eight-week devotional offers two Daily Offices – Morning/Midday and Midday/Evening – where each pause can last from five to twenty minutes long.
Each of the two daily offices include the following elements:
1.Silence, Stillness, and Centering
2.Scripture
3.Devotional Reading
4.Question to Consider
5.Prayer
Today’s devotional (Week 2, Day 2) included a devotion focusing in on ideas by Bernard of Clairvaux (AD 1090-1153), the abbot of a Cistercian monastery in France and perhaps the greatest Christian leader and writer of his day. In his great work, Loving God, Bernard describes four degrees of love.
- Loving ourselves for our own sake
- Loving God for His gifts and blessings
- Loving God for Himself alone
- Loving ourselves for the sake of God
The highest degree of love, according to Bernard, was that we love ourselves as God does. Personally, I think I’d like to see added in there a love for others and I’d like to see the order of 3 and 4 switched! I do, however, agree we should love ourselves as God does. That if we don’t love ourselves, God’s creation, then we aren’t loving God well.
Some questions I’m pondering today:
How well do I love myself as the unique person created in God’s image in my thoughts, words, and actions?
Do I love and see myself in the same manner that I say I believe God does?
Does the way I love myself, impact how I love God and others?
What about you? What is a way you strive to love yourself? I’m especially interested in how you love yourself in your thinking. This is always something I’m striving to do better!
I’m giving away a copy of Peter Scazzaro’s book this week to one person who likes my Facebook page or signs up for my newsletter (see sign up page to the right). I would appreciate it so much if you would connect with me on these platforms as I try to grow my audience in preparation for the development of scripture-infused therapeutic stretch classes. You can go directly to my Facebook page by clicking here. My goal is to provide these online classes directly to ministries working with healing the hearts and lives of human trafficking victims.
Linking up this week with these lovely blogs:
Sounds like a great study and a fantastic practice to establish. Thank you for sharing!
It IS great…I look forward to reading it and going through the prayer/devotion/question and quiet time each day!
Wow—I can’t imagine being married to someone who loves books as much as I do. My husband reads more now than he used to, but that’s maybe 2 or 3 books a year. 🙂 (Although he is an avid book-on-tape listener, so that counts!) Daily Office sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing about it. I just got a free sample sent to my Kindle.
Hi Lisa…thanks for visiting! Yes–books-on-tape DO count!! I think you’ll enjoy the book!
I am all for remembering God’s presence all day, at moments to stop and devote a prayer or moment of silence to Him! He remembers us all day and knows what we’re up to! This was a great subject. I started doing this last year and it has helped my faith a great deal! Thanks for sharing this post!
Thanks for visiting here, Sherry! I’m glad you could relate to this post by your own experience and it is good to hear that practice like this has helped you in your faith!
Sounds like a great read. Thank you for sharing!
It IS great…and has great benefits in helping me remember to slow down and turn toward the Lord. Thanks for visiting…
My bible study is doing a study on prayer and I am wondering if this practice might be good to incorporate. thanks for the information.
I think there are some other books that talk about the Daily Office and even some web sites that promote it and give prayers and scriptures for daily devotions. Do a web search and you’ll find much more out there on this!!
I love Peter Scazzero’s writing and he touched on much of what he fleshes out in the Daily Office in his book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Amy. It’s one of my favorite books. I also love his wife’s Emotionally Healthy Woman, though, like you, I have some slight disagreements with certain things. I’m with you on the order of Bernards 4 degrees of love and the addition of loving others. I mean the scriptures say that our love of others is an expression of our love of God, so I don’t know why it’s not included. 😉 Thanks for sharing this! I’ll be sharing this post too. Hey, I also realized that you don’t live too far from me, I believe. I live just over the river (and through the city, not woods) in Edwardsville, IL. We should try to meet sometime! 🙂
Glad to get some feedback on my thoughts about Bernard’s four degrees of love. I mean I hate to argue with someone so infamous for being a great Christian thinker but…was sort of surprised at that! Thanks for sharing my post. I’m glad to hear you are just over the river and through the city! My husband is from Shiloh/Belleville. I’m starting to keep track of the other bloggers in our area and I’d love to get together sometime. Deb Wolf, Sarah Geringer, Lynn Morissey, you, myself. We are all either in St. Louis or within an hour or so from St. Louis! I think it would very encouraging to meet for lunch/coffee and just inspire/encourage each other. Maybe even work together on something. Let’s keep talking!
Very interested in your goal of developing your ministry in such a focused direction. Also, I’m curious about the daily office — I’ve studied Lectio Divina and am reading about praying the Examen, and love the purposefulness of these ancient practices. Thanks, Amy, for this informative review.
Hi Michele…you can find out much more on the Daily Office by just googling it. There are free websites available that offer prayers and scriptures for each day!!! Enjoy your studies! I’m super excited about my goals for this year, Michele. My biggest challenge is…so many ideas…so little time!!
It sure sounds like a great year! Blessings as you pursue all that God is leading you to!
Thanks, I’ll be sure to google it.
This book reminds me of the one by Brother Lawrence- Practicing the Presence of God. Thanks for your insight and recommendation:)
Reminds me of that too, Gretchen! Thanks for visiting!
I think there’s some wonderful things to learn from the more liturgical disciplines like the morning and evening offices. I think being deeply rooted and confident in God’s love for us and in ourselves as His unique creation is vital to not being shaken by life’s adversities.
I couldn’t agree more, Elizabeth. A wise person once said (just can’t recall who right this minute) that most problems in the church can be traced to one not knowing who they are in Christ. So much of our walk depends on what we know. Thanks for visiting!
The Daily Office is a beautiful way to pause in the day and be filled with God’s presence. I’ve found it very helpful to refocus and center myself on tough days.
Yes it is beautiful…always beautiful to turn to the Lord again and again. I love having a tool that reminds me to do so! Thanks for visiting!