Listen How? #2 (Day 16, Thursday)

February 28, 2021, By: Jimmy Scruggs

Starter Prayer: God of hidden wisdom, cure me of the anxiety that keeps me speaking, arguing and justifying. Help me listen to, and receive direction from, Jesus. Give me a vision for this alternative way of being.

Focus Word: Imagination

Imagine you are Peter, who countered Jesus when Jesus tried to talk honestly about his suffering. Imagine you are Jesus speaking a forceful truth back to Peter. Imagine you are the truthful woman in the blue hijab or the man questioning her from the microphone in Rev. Sarah Are’s story, “Truth That Ricochets” (p.13). Imagine you are the Gospel writer, Mark; and you have a balcony view of the Transfiguration scene, and you’re tasked with telling the story for the generations. Imagine you are Rev. Sarah Are who witnessed the exchange between the woman storyteller and the man with the questions.

Imagination is essential to empathy and essential to listening. We need to use our imagination to get past our perspective and place ourselves in the story of another. This kind of Holy Listening is a form of prayer.

Be encouraged in your practice,

Katie Martinez

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE:

  • Reflect again on Rev. Pitmon’s commentary and artwork on pages 15-16 of Again & Again. The link is in every Journey email. If you’re not getting those, register here.
  • Use your imagination to pray/listen with Mark 8:31-9:8.
    • Enter the 3-scene story, using your imagination. After you’ve read the story to become familiar with the scene, close your eyes and imagine that you are Peter. See Jesus, in your mind’s eye, correcting your nervous claim. See yourself in the big crowd as Jesus teaches the relationship between suffering and abundant life. Next, walk yourself through the transfiguration scene and hear the voice of God asking you to listen to Jesus.
    • Imagine what Jesus does next. What does he say to you? What do you say to him?
  • Prayer Practice this Week: To get started, watch this video about the new prayer wall installed at the Taft Ave. Facility. Each day, write a short prayer coming out of your practice. Then choose one word or short phrase to represent your prayer. Sometime this week, weave one or more of your words/phrases to the prayer wall in the Atrium; or text your prayer to 970-500-0970, and the prayer team will weave it into the wall for you.

ENDNOTES:

  • For daily texts with the Focus Word, Starter Prayer and link to these daily posts, text the word “lent” to 970-500-0970.
  • Join Ryan on Facebook Live, every weekday morning at 10am for spiritual conversation on these Lent themes.
  • Looking for the link to the digital devotional or your copy of the print version? Register here.
  • Join the Orange Dots of Hope Facebook Group for spiritual conversations.

This is part of Again & Again: Journey of Lent 2021 with Crossroads Church. The theme, devotional booklet, poetry and art is the work of the creative community of theologians and artists at A Sanctified Art. Crossroads is grateful for this resource!

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