STEP ONE: BREATHE
Take a deep, cleansing breath. Allow the air to fill your lungs and expand your body. Exhale and empty yourself into the room. Repeat three times - once for the one who Created you, once for the Incarnate One who walks beside you, and once for the Spirit whose life fills your being.
STEP TWO: DWELL IN WORD
“Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.”
Parables Invite us to Wonder…
The parables lift up the prayer: “I believe, help my unbelief!” They leave us scratching our heads wondering; what does it mean for the tiny mustard seed to grow into a bush large enough for birds to find shelter in its branches? The parables offer an alternate lens and counterpoint to the unquestioned wisdom of the world. They also hold up a mirror and say, “Look, knucklehead, you are not getting this; you are missing what lies right in front of you!”
Parables can open a dialogue within that may or may not be productive at this point. Parables also can cause us to be silent—to stop talking for a moment and listen for the wisdom that begins once we cease our incessant chatter.
This online series consists of forty devotionals that come right from the ordinary space of my backyard. It contains original parables of my creation. Through reflecting on ordinary things, I seek wisdom about extraordinary ideas such as forgiveness, grace, and God’s love. I wonder what we can learn from considering bird feeders and raised garden plots, weeds and Tiki torches, compost bins and solar lights, rhubarb and mowing grass? How is the Kingdom of God like these things? What insights can we glean from such everyday stuff?
Accompanying each parable is a prayer and a question to ponder. The prayers vary between being in the singular and plural tense. When we pray, we are always in the spiritual tension of being an individual believer and being a part of a community of believers. The questions that I pose for you to ponder, on the other hand, are asked of you. What do you think? I ask these questions not because I have all the answers—I don’t. I want, however, to spark your imagination as the reader. It is after all, my intent to shine a little light on your path.
STEP THREE: PRAY
Gracious God,
teach me to open my heart, eyes, and ears to your ways. Instruct me with your love so that my life might reflect your forgiveness and mercy.
Through Jesus Christ, amen.
Copyright 2020. Walt Lichtenberger. Permission granted to share with family and friends.