Center For Spiritual Formation at First United Methodist Church, BR

We had a wonderful weekend at St Joseph’s Abbey for the Women’s Retreat.

Taize Service focused on Peace

Where: St. Francis Episcopal Church
Date and Time: Thurs, October 13 at 7:00 PM

726 Maple St, Denham Springs, LA 70726

A little about the service…

The service will follow a rhythm of music, scripture reading, prayer and silence.

The music consists of simple phrases, usually lines from the Psalms or other scripture, repeated and sung in a prayerful manner.

The scripture readings are meant to evoke images or phrases that lead into prayer.

Prayer and silence are at the heart of the Taize´ experience. The style of prayer is highly meditative, set in a peaceful and reflective environment.

As Brother John, a Taize´ monk, says, “It is a time to rest in God, to let the words listened to and sung pe*****te one’s being.”

Are you drawn to deepen your relationship with God? This is an opportunity to hear wise words from spiritual writers, Amy Oden, Jerry Webber and Elise Eslinger.
Reach out to Cherri Johnson- [email protected].
https://academy.upperroom.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-AL-LA-MO-5-Day-Academy-brochure-2022-2.pdf

academy.upperroom.org

Zoom Lenten Study - Sacred Spaces
Wed., March 9- Wed., April 13
6:30pm - 7:30pm

Message me if you are interested and I will forward you the Zoom link

Wed., March 9- Wed., April 13
6:30pm - 7:30pm

Come journey through the Holy Week passages in the Gospels of the Bible together. We will read, discuss, ponder and pray. During our welcoming & closing prayer with a contemplative prayer practice to try out in your personal prayers to our God the Father of love; Christ’s peace & compassion in our hearts as we allow yourself to become more aware of how the Holy Spirit is leading you in this Lenten season.

There is a scripture daily within the study.

In the face of pain, may the people of God be found at their post, on their knees in prayer.
Because we know prayer isn’t just the least we can do,
and prayer isn’t all we can do,
but prayer is ultimately the most important work we all can do.

Because it’s calling on the One who slays all the dark, wins us all back from the mess, and cuts right through all the impossible knots of desperate things.

Where there is an invasion on earth, may our prayers war an all-out invasion on the powers and principalities, “against the rulers of the darkness of this world,” (Eph. 6:16).

Though missiles rain from the sky this morning, rain down Your mercy, Lord.

Though black smoke rises, our prayers rise higher, surer, greater.

Though explosions shatter and gunfire rattles, we hold our ground in the face of pain and we move toward the suffering, our hands reaching with bold solidarity.

Ours is a tired world, Lord, weary of suffering, weary of the dark, weary of all the heartbreak, ours is a tired world, weary for hope — raise us up with the indomitable certainty that this world is a broken one and You alone are our unwavering hope, King Jesus.

Lord, hear our cry:

Comfort children who cry terrified, give courage to mothers who gather to calm, strengthen leaders who stand steady to find a way to peace.

For those who need to flee — may they find our arms a safe haven.

For those who are hungry — may they find our open hands offering bread for today and living bread for all eternity.

For all the limping, weary and wounded — may they find us holding on to each other, because when we live like we all belong to each other — we answer so much of the longing in the world… even our own.

And for all those who despair, both near and far — may they find our hands and feet today to be those of King Jesus, we who get to be His very body of peace in a hurting world today.

Streams in the Desert

Matt 15:23
Jesus answered her not a word.

Zephaniah 3:17b
You will rest in God’s love.

God is silent in His love because God’s love is beyond the power of words to express or of human hearts to understand. For your sakes you should learn to love and trust God in Spirit taught spontaneous response to God’s love, without the spur of anything outward to call it forth.

Spiritual Formation Retreat in Woodworth, LA
May 1 - May 6, 2022
https://academy.upperroom.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-AL-LA-MO-5-Day-Academy-brochure-2022-2.pdf

academy.upperroom.org

Shared Mary Rotenberg’s post 🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼

Oh come let us adore Him
🙏🏼🎄🙏🏼
Baton Rouge
First United Methodist
Christmas Services

Longest Night service to those that lost loved ones this year
Thurs., Dec 16 7pm

Sun., Dec 19
8:30 am, 9:45am, 11am,
4pm Family Traveler Service
5:30pm Christmas Jazz Service

Christmas Eve services
Fri., Dec 24th
11am Family Christmas Service
2am American Street Service
5pm Candle Light Service
7pm Candle Light Service

Opportunities to worship at
First United Methodist Church
930 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Thou hast made us for Thyself, Lord,” Augustine, “and our hearts are restless until we find rest in Thee.”

John Newton quote, “ These inward trials we employ from pride and self to set us free, and break your schemes of earthly joy that God would find you all in Him.”

Pondering on our promises.
God guards us,
God entrusts us
to deliver God’s love, mercy and peace in the moments with those that cross your paths

What does God reflect on your heart?
Each person that ponders may see, correctly, a different facet and a nudge for you to be blessed and possibly inspire you as to how you can share through your actions (remembering attentively, lovingly, listen as a powerful action without fixing) what God has entrusted for you 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

2 Timothy 1:12b-15
For I know whom I have believed.

I am convinced that He is able to guard until that day ‘what has been entrusted to me.’

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Jesus Christ.

By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us,

Guard the good deposit entrusted to you.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

This morning studying the gospel of Mark. After Jesus called the first four disciples, spoke in the temple in Capernaum, cast out a demon; then went with his disciples to Simon Peter’s home. Peter’s mother-in-law was ill.
God nudged me to linger her:

Mark 1:31
Jesus came near to her;
Jesus took her hand;
Jesus lifted her up.
🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼

Visualizing His loving, compassionate eyes coming toward us, gazing into our eyes as He takes our hand and enables us to move forward, gently, yet with empowering strength.