Developing Your Spiritual Core
Developing Your Spiritual Core
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General Council 43 REFLECTION #4
What Will Change? What Will Remain? - Rev Dirk The reason for beginning this series of blogs is to look ahead to substantial changes imminent in the structure of the United Church of Canada, something that hasn’t... Read More
General Council 43 REFLECTION #3
Other Outsiders—Rev. Dirk Last week I wrote about how Tofield United Church provided a welcome and a church home for my immigrant parents. The more I think about that welcome, the more I realize the significance of... Read More
General Council 43 REFLECTION #2
My Outsider Story—Rev. Dirk In 1960, my parents, Hans and Rosel Jessen emigrated from Germany to Canada, Tofield Alberta, to be precise. Once there, they were told by the owners of the ranch where my dad worked that... Read More
General Council 43 REFLECTION #1
The United Church of Canada: Radical Welcomeas a Starting Point Later this summer, the United Church of Canada will in all likelihood vote to significantly change its governing structure. I must admit that this... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - THE BASICS
Love Your Neighbor, Part Two—Who is My Neighbor? Exactly who our “neighbor” is has been discussed for hundreds, even thousands of years by followers of many different religions. For most of us today, a neighbor is a... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - THE BASICS
LOVE GOD, LOVE YOURSELF, LOVE OTHERS Loving Others - Part One “And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22: 39) In the above quote, Jesus is saying that it follows from the... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - THE BASICS
LOVE GOD, LOVE YOURSELF, LOVE OTHERS Loving Yourself, Part Two—The Oxygen Mask “I praise you God, for I am awesomely and wonderfully made.” - Psalm 139: 14 On an airplane, when the oxygen masks come down—you are... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - THE BASICS
LOVE GOD, LOVE YOURSELF, LOVE OTHERS Loving Yourself—Part One “Loving Yourself—Not To Be Taken for Granted “I praise you God, for I am awesomely and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14 The Bible verses about the human... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - THE BASICS
Loving God—Part Two “We love because God first loved us.” 1 John 4: 19 Last week I offered the idea that God loves us deeply and in fact is the source of love. In response, we are to love God with every part of our... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - THE BASICS
THE BASICS: LOVE GOD, LOVE YOURSELF, LOVE OTHERS Loving God—Part One “We love because God first loved us.” I John 4: 19 The above title can be read two ways. One way is to consider the idea that God is a loving... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - THE BASICS
THE BASICS: LOVE GOD, LOVE YOURSELF, LOVE OTHERS “Love God; love your neighbor as yourself.” These seven words are the basis of three major religions (in historical order) —Judaism, Christianity and Islam. These... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - LENTEN REFLECTION 7
God: “You’re Not Listening!” In our Lenten Study group we’ve heard stories of faith both from the Bible and from our own lives, where we are reminded how things can go off the rails when we stop listening for God.... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - LENTEN REFLECTION 6
Do Something—With Intention! For some of us, doing daily readings during Lent is an entirely new experience. How do we get the most out of this activity, we wondered? My first introduction to the word “intention” in... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - LENTEN REFLECTION 5
God is Listening. Are We? Recently in our Lenten discussion group, we kept returning to the idea that sometimes our prayers are answered in ways we did not expect, maybe didn't even recognize at the time. It... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - LENTEN REFLECTION 4
Listen to Reconnect a Relationship The resource for this year’s conversations during Lent, “I Am Listening—Daily Devotions for Lent” edited by Betty Lynn Schwab, continues to inspire and challenge. One of the themes... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - LENTEN REFLECTION 3
Re-learning to Listen“I Am Listening—Daily Devotions for Lent” by Betty Schwab Each week, as we discuss one another’s reflections, we continue to develop our listening skills. The first week, we had talked about... Read More
Developing Your Spiritual Core - LENTEN REFLECTION 2
This year, as our Lenten study, we are working with a book “I am Listening—Daily Devotions for Lent”. The first part of this title “I am listening” is a direct quote from the Old Testament Book of Samuel. One night... Read More