Daily Practices – Week 1 – Day 1

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmCm_2CXmtE&w=560&h=315]

THEME: The resurrection is more than an event, it’s a way of life.

GRACE*: Lord, help me experience Your power in my daily life.

Settling in:

• In a journal, note the day, time, and place you’re sitting.
• Open with a few moments of silence. Rest, and breathe deeply.
• Complete the following sentence in your journal: Today, I feel ________________.
• Read these words slowly (aloud or silently):

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1-2, NIV)

• Pause for a few moments of silence.

Practice:

• Choose one of the following practices.

Option 1: Study [5-30 minutes]

Read through Matthew 28:1-10. Take a few moments to answer some of the following questions in your journal:

1. Notice the reactions of the guards in verse 4, compared with the women’s reaction in verse 8. What do you think caused such different reactions to the same circumstances? How would you most likely react to this frightening experience?
2. Think of a time when you felt “afraid yet filled with joy” (verse 8). What was that experience like? If you have felt this way more than once, what do your experiences have in common?
3. Read Jesus’ words to his disciples in verse 10. Underline the specific words that Jesus speaks as commands (“Go,” for example). Which of these commands is easiest for you to obey? Which is most difficult? Do you sense the Lord might be speaking any of these commands to you currently?

Option 2: Meditation – Narrative Entry [30-60 minutes]

Read slowly through the passage from Matthew 28:1-10 three times. Pause between each reading for a few minutes of silence. Try to place yourself inside the story, imagining yourself as a guard who has fallen (as in verse 4) and watches quietly. Use your senses and note what you see/feel/hear/taste/smell. Take your time!

When you are finished, answer these two questions in your journal:

1. What did you notice in the scene? What stood out to you?
2. Why do you think God might be drawing your attention to this? What do you think He might be saying through this observation?

• Summary: Write a brief summary (five sentences or less) of what impacted you most during your Scripture reading.
• Closing Prayer: Lord, help me experience Your power in my daily life.

*The “grace” is what we seek from God during our time of practice. Jesus repeatedly taught His disciples to ask for what they desired, stating that our Heavenly Father desires to give us His good gifts. Following this teaching, each day we will pray for a “grace,” asking God to reveal His love in a specific way.

Questions? Please email us at info@parishanglican.org