Ancient Practice for Remembering God’s Presence Throughout the Day

Psalm 139

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]

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.

  1. Loving ourselves for our own sake
  2. Loving God for His gifts and blessings
  3. Loving God for Himself alone
  4. 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:

purposefulfaith.comPhotobucketHolly Barrett    Messy Marriage    Monday's Musings | What Joy Is Mine   Grab A Button          linkup      Embracing Every Day     Missional Women    “countingmyblessings"     button 125px        Grab button for Being Confident of ThisDance With Jesus    Imparting Gracesaving4six     Grace-Moments-button.png
   
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