Reading: Ephesians 1: 1 – 14 (NRSV)
Lectio divina (daily lectio instructions): Ephesians 1: 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
Prayer: I thank you, Holy Father, for all the blessings with which you’ve showered me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thoughts: I’m beginning a new study today, much though I am tempted to linger with Galatians. I’m encouraged by the fact that the study guide’s sub-title is Building Community In Christ because it affirms my study lessons from Galatians. Here’s the new study guide details: John Stott with Phyllis J. Le Peau, Ephesians: Building Community In Christ, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press, 1998 (the link is to the book in Amazon). Today’s lesson is on Ephesians 1: 1-16 and the title is A Life of Spiritual Blessing. I’ll be following my usual practice: read the passage for the day in 2 or 3 translations, usually NRSV, NIV, ESV; lectio the verse (s). I blog and do the actual study interchangeably (that is, I sometimes blog before I do the study guide Q&A and at other times I answer the study Q&A and then blog). In keeping with Ignatian Spirituality, I don’t rush my reading of the Scripture for the day. Thus, I won’t be finishing the 12 studies in this guide in 12 days. It will probably be more like 12 weeks and I will probably also spend another month or so putting it all together. The slow pace allows me to mull on the Scripture passage, sinking it deep into my heart, soul, and body, by letting the Holy Spirit to actually direct my study, speaking to me through it, my life’s circumstances, events, my church, etc.
Ephesians 1: 1-16 highlights my many spiritual blessings, the greatest of which is I’m in Christ. When I’m in Christ, I have no fears, no needs. Thank you, dear God.
Picture: You have to look a bit closely for the spider web and the spider. They are not in the tree or even attached to the tree although it might look so. The web is actually about 20 feet away from the tree in the middle of my patio and while I can trace one end to a lemon tree, I have never been able to trace the other. I suspect its the garden umbrella nearby but I can’t find it. No matter, its an amazing, intricately woven web and the spider seems to weave it every night. I have to come out to my patio before 6:30 am at least if I want to see the web. The web disappears during the day and he doesn’t always weave it in the same place again. The disappearing spider web, as I call this phenomenon, is a gift that reminds me of my being in Christ, 24/7, with every spiritual blessing.
[...] than do another Bible book study such as I’ve done in the recent past like Ephesians, Galatians or the Spiritual Exercises of Loyola, I’ve decided to pray The Daily Office (used [...]