Look: The Basket of Bread (Rather Death than Shame), Salvador Dali - Source

Listen: Daily Bread, Strahan - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read: (Sunday) Genesis 2:18-24; Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:1-8; Hebrews 2:9-18; Mark 10:2-16

Readings for the rest of the week*: Exodus 16; Deuteronomy 8; Psalm 3; Psalm 127; Mark 1:29-39; Mark 8:1-21

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Nineteenth Week After Pentecost

Do: For the final seven weeks of Ordinary Time, we’ll consider God’s gifts of work and rest - both spiritual acts of worship.

+ Register for the third (and final) virtual retreat in the Rhythms of Grace Retreat Series for Ordinary Time: Enjoy Work & Rest.

When: October 14, 11:30am - 1:30 pm (includes 40 minutes offline for personal reflection)

Who: Anyone who longs to live in the unforced rhythms of grace Jesus offers us to enjoy work and rest.

How: Read all of the details and register at this link.

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Look: An Autumn Morning, Henry Herbert La Thangue - Source

Listen: Establish the Work of Our Hands, The Porter’s Gate, feat. Aaron Keyes & Urban Doxology - Bandcamp w/ Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read: (Sunday) Numbers 11:4-6; Numbers 11:10-17; Numbers 11:24-29; Psalm 19:1-6; Psalm 19:7-14; James 4:7-12; James 5:6-20; Mark 9:38-48

Readings for the rest of the week*: Genesis 1:24-31; 2:1-25; Psalm 90; Luke 5:1-11; Acts 16; Romans 8:28-39; Colossians 3:22-41

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Eighteenth Week After Pentecost

Do: For the final seven weeks of Ordinary Time, we’ll consider God’s gifts of work and rest - both spiritual acts of worship. In the company of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, ask this question prayerfully: What is one thing you have learned about vocation that has a direct bearing on how you should think or go about your work, whether in a paid job or in you home or in your community?

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Look: A deer wanders through heavy smoke in front of a row of burned cars during the Dixie fire in Greenville, California on Aug. 6. The enormous wildfire has been burning since mid-July and is the largest in the state's history, Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images - Source

Listen:

Read: (Sunday) Wisdom 1:16-2:1; Wisdom 2:12-22; Psalm 54; James 3:16-4:6; Mark 9:30-37

Readings for the rest of the week*: Psalm 42-43; Psalm 131; Matthew 11:28-30; 2 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Seventeenth Week After Pentecost

Do: For this middle seven weeks of Ordinary Time, we’ll consider a cycle of God’s love that alternates between permission to love ourselves and the imperative to love our neighbor. Set aside some extended time alone this week for quiet contemplation; give attention to the state of your soul, and open yourself to God’s loving and healing presence.

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Look: Bless Those, W. Hemmerling - Source

Listen: Prayer of St. Francis, Laura Mvula - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read: (Sunday) Isaiah 50:4-9; Psalm 116:1-9; Psalm 116:10-16; James 2:1-18; Mark 9:14-29

Readings for the rest of the week*: Genesis 32 - 33; Exodus 33:12-34:9; Psalm 103; Matthew 5:38-48; Matthew 18:21-35; Romans 12:14-21

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Sixteenth Week After Pentecost

Do: For this middle seven weeks of Ordinary Time, we’ll consider a cycle of God’s love that alternates between permission to love ourselves and the imperative to love our neighbor. As you bask in the forgiveness of God through Christ, ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind someone in your life that you might need to forgive for some wrong against you.

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Look: Be of Love (a little) More Careful Than of Everything (four works), Corita Kent (Sister Mary Corita) - Source

Listen: The Greatest Commandment, The Porter’s Gate - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Love Will Never Fail, The Porter’s Gate, feat. Leslie Jordan - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read: (Sunday) Isaiah 35:4-7; Psalm 146; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:31-37

Readings for the rest of the week*: 1 Samuel 18:1-9; 20:1-42; Psalm 101; Matthew 6:19-24; Matthew 13:1-23; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4:7-21

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Fifteenth Week After Pentecost

Do: For this middle seven weeks of Ordinary Time, we’ll consider a cycle of God’s love that alternates between permission to love ourselves and the imperative to love our neighbor. As you meditate on the shape of love from 1 Corinthians 13, choose one facet of love to offer each person you encounter this week (including your own self.)

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Look: A Busy Mind, Caitlin Connolly - Source

Listen: Would You Be Well, Taylor Leonhardt - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read: (Sunday) Joshua 24:1-2; Joshua 24:14-25; Psalm 16; Ephesians 5:15-33; Ephesians 6:1-9; John 6:60-69

(Through the week) 1 Kings 3:1-12; 4:29-34; Psalm 19; Proverbs 1; Matthew 11:25-27; 1 Corinthians 2

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Thirteenth Week After Pentecost

Do: For this middle seven weeks of Ordinary Time, we’ll consider a cycle of God’s love that alternates between permission to love ourselves and the imperative to love our neighbor.

This week, consider the reality that “In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3).

As you linger in the mystery and wonder of this gift, consider what a posture of intellectual humility and spiritual openness looks like in your relationships with yourself and your neighbors.

Consider these questions: What are the habits you’ve cultivated to feed your mind? What are the habits you’ve cultivated to stay humble in mind?

1. WE MEET THIS WEEK for the second virtual retreat in the Rhythms of Grace Retreat Series for Ordinary Time. WANT TO JOIN US?

   The Love My Neighbor & Myself has a few open spots left. Want to join us?

   We’ll meet 40 minutes for guided prayer, silence, and scripture reading, 40 minutes for individual reflection (offline) with the help of simple prompts included in the downloadable retreat guide, and 40 minutes for group spiritual direction with space for guided response and Q & A.

   AUGUST 26: Love Neighbor & Self

   11:30 am - 1:30 pm (Eastern)

   Caring for self and neighbor: Hospitality, generosity, justice, and forgiveness.

   To keep it simple, I’ll email you the day before the retreat with the Zoom link and retreat guide pdf. That's it. You just register and show up!

   REGISTER HERE

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Look: Interactive map of Native Lands - Source; Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America, University of Richmond’s Digital Scholarship Lab via American Lament + area description notes- Source

Listen: The Zaccheaus Song, The Porter’s Gate, feat. Sandra McCracken & Paul Zach -Spotify | YouTube w/ lyrics

Read: (Sunday) Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 147; Ephesians 5:3-14; John 6:53-59

(Through the week) Psalm 112: Genesis 13; Matthew 20:1-16; Luke 2:1-4; Romans 12:1-13

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Twelfth Week After Pentecost

Do: This week, consider how one response to God’s incalculable grace is to extend that bounty to our neighbors.

1. In the lavish generosity of God’s presence with you, consider the following question: Where do you have an opportunity to be generous this week with your money, time, or God-given abilities?

2. Register for the second virtual retreat in the Rhythms of Grace Retreat Series for Ordinary Time.

   On August 26, I’m hosting Love My Neighbor & Myself. You can read all of the details and register at this link

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