Awakening: Renewing Our Commitment to Christ for 2017
Hi Everyone, I pray that you, at this very moment, are experiencing the presence of God in your day. Now is a good time to be still and let God speak to your heart.
Renewing Our Commitment to Christ for 2017
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! As we come to the end of 2016, I would like to offer the following as a way to recommit, or more deeply commit our lives to Jesus Christ in this coming year.
1. Find a quiet place
2. Sit comfortably
3. Silently come before God. (3 minutes)
4. Take three deep slow breaths
5. Feel God drawing you closer
6. Rest silently, simply enjoying God’s presence (3 minutes)
Prayerfully confess to Christ Jesus: “Without you, my Lord Jesus Christ, I would be lost in my sin.”
Ponder your sin and repent
Pray words of thanksgiving to God: “Yet, by Your grace I now can stand in awe, before You my God and ponder Love in my midst.” Thank you Lord.
Ponder God’s love and God’s forgiveness, which is being showered upon you in abundance, by God’s grace, at this very moment.
Silently surrender, without words, all to God. (5 minutes)
Pray the following:
Lord Jesus, with all my spirit, soul, heart and strength I acknowledge my love for You. “I Love You Jesus Christ.” I pray for You my Savior to take me into yourself, into God. I reassert my commitment to follow you into eternity, here, now, and for evermore. I cast myself upon Your righteousness, as I come into atonement by Love, whom you are. I cast all my hopes upon Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior and place all that I am; all that I do, say, and think; I lay my very soul before You to do with me what You see fit. In Christ’s the precious name Christ I pray, Amen.
5 minutes of silence
Do the following guided meditation, using the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer as a way to surrender ourselves to God more fully this coming year.
Wesleyan Covenant Prayer
The prayer is in bold type. Comments are provided as a guide to your meditation.
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Take a moment of silence and give yourself to God. Sense the Lord with you. Say to Christ “I am Yours, Oh Lord.” Two minutes of silence.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
I value no status other than that of being a child of God. Lord I am yours. My identity I find in You. Two minutes of silence.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
All accomplishments or discomfort in God’s name. May what I do and how well I suffer for Your glory, Lord, be a testament to Your love. Two minutes of silence.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Doing or waiting; recognized, or seen as nothing, for the glory of God. For God, you are with me. Two minutes of silence.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Being content or hungry I press on with my God who sustains me. Two minutes of silence.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
Riches or poverty are both instruments of God’s kingdom in the hands of the righteous. All is Yours my Lord and my God. Two minutes of silence.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
Everything is yours my God. I hold back nothing. Two minutes of silence.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
Lord God, by Your grace we belong to one another, this is unshakable as I am in You and You are in me. Two minutes of silence.
And the covenant which I have made on earth let it be ratified in heaven.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Two minutes of silence.
Amen.
Close by reading just the prayer (the bold print) slowly followed by 5 minutes of silence.
If you have an article, poem, or thought that may be edifying to the human soul, please consider submitting it to “Awakening”, for publication in a future issue.
Coming in 2017
Enneagram Training Courses
Introduction to the Enneagram Seminar
A Six hour seminar,
February 18th, 9:30-3:00,
1 hour break from 12:00nonn to 1:00pm
At Epworth UMC
7651 Johnson Street
Hollywood, Florida, 33024
During this seminar we offer the following as an introduction the amazing enneagram.
Historic Background
The Three Part Symbol and Its Nine Points
Body, Heart, and Head
Initial Exploration Into Discovering Your Space
Subtypes (Self-Preservation, Social and One-to-One)
Arrows (growth through stress points and healing the child heart)
Self-care (vice to virtues)
Cost for this seminar is $25 prepaid before February 1st
and $35 after February 1st
Feel free to email theawakeninginstittue@gmail.com or call 321-298-8801
for further details
Coming in the Fall of 2017
Introduction to the Enneagram
Eleven Week Course
This is an Eleven week (27.5 hour) course into the fantastic world
of the Enneagram.
This class will include an in-depth look into all nine spaces as well as their subtypes, wings, triads and Holy ideas, with emphasis on its usefulness within the context of spiritual direction and self-care.
Syllabus is now available; theawakeninginstitute@gmail.com
Want to learn more about the important practice of spiritual direction, or are looking for a spiritual director to walk with you in your spiritual journey?
Contact “The Awakening Institute” 321-298-8801
theawakeninginstitute@gmail.com or visit our website www.theawakeninginstitute.com
Have Something You Would Like to Share?
Awakening would be blessed to receive original articles, poems, or artistic work that would be helpful and edifying for those interested in Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Direction, and/or Soul Care for future publication.
Please submit via email to theawakeninginstitute@gmail.com
Upcoming Classes and Seminars
Introduction to Spiritual Direction
Contemplative Listening
Lectio Divina
Centering Prayer
Exploring Spiritual Dispositions
Introduction to the Enneagram (Six hour seminar February 18th)
And much more…
Request a free syllabus today: theawakeninginstitute@gmail.com
To register please call
321-298-8801
Or visit our website www.theawakeninginstitute.com for a complete listing of available classes and a free syllabus for a class of your choice.
Community Bible Experience
This is an encounter with God’s Word designed for those who wish to experience the Scriptures at a deep heart level, as a way to inner transformation.
Coming in the summer of 2017
The Gospel of John
Watch for details
Do you know someone who would like to receive “Awakening” every Friday?
Send us their email address and we will make it happen
Some recommendations for excellent spiritual guidance…
cac.org
henrinouwen.org
couragerenewal.org
contemplative.org
contemplativeoutreach.org
willwillimon.wordpress.com
paintedprayerbook.com
If you have others to share with our readers please send them to theawakeninginstitute@gmail.com
Something to Ponder
A person who worships in Spirit and Truth no longer honors God because of God’s works, but praises God because of God’s self.
Evagrius Ponticus, 4th century desert father, Chapters on Prayer, 59
A Gathering of Spiritual Directors
This coming spring The Awakening Institute will host a gathering of spiritual directors. The reason for the gathering is to come together in prayer and to seek discernment regarding ways we can, together, raise awareness within the church of how spiritual direction can be a vehicle by which God’s presence and voice can be more deeply felt and more clearly heard, at both individual and congregational levels. If you are a spiritual director and would like to join in this conversation please contact Gene Yotka at 321-298-8801 or email theawakeninginstitute@gmail.com for additional details.
Recommended Reading
(Additional to our daily Scripture reading)
Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer, by David-Steindl Rast
I Am A Follower, by Leonard Sweet
Becoming Human, By Jean Vanier
Knowing As We Are Known, by Eugene T. Yotka
Let Your Life Speak, by Parker Palmer
Desiring God’s Will, by David Benner
Walking In The Light, by Steve Harper
Thoughts in Solitude, by Thomas Merton
Incarnation: The Surprising Overlap of Heaven & Earth, by Will Willimon
The Mystic Way of Evangelism, by Elaine A. Heath
A Hidden Wholeness, by Parker Palmer
The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Henri Nouwen
Way of Love: Recovering the Heart of Christianity, by Norman Wirzba
Falling Upward, by Richard Rohr
Between the Dark and the Daylight, by Joan Chittister
New Seeds of Contemplation, by Thomas Merton
New! Love Henri, by Henri Nouwen