Welcome to our weekly Friday Check-in for October 25th, 2024 ✅
If you are new to Soul Care, WELCOME!! We are so glad you are here. We have a weekly rhythm of checking in together on Fridays. We use Mindy Caliguire's Page, Person, Plan framework to create a weekly rhythm and prepare ourselves for Sabbath rest.
Let's check in - how are you doing? How does your body feel right now? Take the next few minutes to check in with yourself and enter into the presence of God's Spirit. If it helps to light a candle or adopt a prayerful posture, do so!
Page: An Invitation to Reflection
Read Luke 10:38-42:
“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.‘”
Spend a few seconds in silence before journaling in response to this passage:
- Is there a word or phrase that stands out to you most? Hold that word/phrase in meditation for a moment.
- Read the passage a second time, asking “To what area of my life does that particular word or phrase connect?”
- And finally, read the text a third time, asking “Is there an invitation for me? Is there a response of some kind that God is inviting me into?” What do Jesus’ words mean for you today?
Person: An Invitation to Connection
Did you know that noise can cause significant stress, fatigue, depression, anxiety and hysteria in both humans and animals. It can also cause sleep and behavioral disorders. Reflection questions for today:
- How might you be contributing to the noise?
- How well do you listen... to Jesus, to others, to yourself?
- How might noise be contributing to your ability to listen and listen well?
- Simply by listening, can you create a more restful space and posture?
- What is your posture when engaging with others... harried or attentive... quick to speak or quick to listen?
Let’s all make a concerted effort to be mindful of when/how to speak and really be present to others when they are speaking. Try to eliminate noisy distractions or devices to focus with intention on what is being communicated.
Pause to pray: that the right people come alongside you to listen at the right time and provide a restful presence in your life. And that, from a place of rest, you can provide that presence to others.
Plan: An Invitation to Intention
In response to this month’s Semi-Silent Retreat theme “Midnight Oil” and as we continue to meditate on the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 77, let’s intentionally explore and practice good sleep hygiene and soul rest...
How do you bring your day to a close? Do you ever end the day with a blessing?
As night approaches, we are oftentimes tired, worn out, and ready to sleep. But for many of us, our minds don’t wind down quite as fast as our bodies do. A spiritual practice of closing the day with prayer and reflection can offer us an opportunity to set aside chaotic thoughts and align our body, mind, and spirit into rest. Try using these lines to bless the closing time of day:
Lord, grant us a restful night and bless us with your peace. I will lie down in peace and take my rest, for in God alone I dwell unafraid (Ps. 4:8).
Try praying this either silently or out loud, as you close your waking day. You could also end with the Lord’s Prayer or other “end of day” blessings.
And you can also turn this into a simple breath prayer:
Inhale: I will sleep in peace
Exhale: for you will keep me safe.
Take 1 more minute to pray a blessing over whatever time of day it is for you right now, and for yourself and those you love, that God grant rest, safety, and Peace. Amen.
Thanks for checking in today!
Have a blessed Friday,
Team Soul Care