Trinity Episcopal Church

January 10, 2010

Fr. Ricks Reflections

This time of year many of us make resolutions and set new goals so we can be healthier and live better. We pick up new habits; we join exercise groups, determine we’ll eat better, make up our minds to put a little more order into our lives; or we drop a bad habit or two---”I’ll drink less coffee, eat less sugar, lay off the salty foods, give up smoking.”

I’m reminded of the guy who went to the doctor for a physical. The doc told him, “Friend, you can live a long life” then handed him a list of don’ts and said, “you just can’t enjoy it.”

I hope you will also consider a spiritual resolution, by picking up a good habit or two.

A good habit to begin with would be reading the bible. I recommend a short passage every morning or at evening. I say a short passage of the bible because you don’t want your devotions to turn into another thing you have to get through--- a “I have to finish this chapter by the end of the month” type of thing.

The goal isn’t to finish ;

the goal is to be nourished by it. Start with the Gospel of Mark and take your time---you don’t have to read in order of chapters. Maybe bouncing around in the middle would be best for you.

Another good habit would be spending 5 minutes in prayer every day (morning or night time). I recommend finding a quiet place where you can sit comfortably and close your eyes and focus on God in the room with you. Start by telling God what’s on your mind; pray for those you’re concerned about or the things that weigh heavy on your heart; don’t feel rushed; and then perhaps close with a written prayer, like the Lord’s Prayer or the following prayer from our Book of Common Prayer on page 832:

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills,

that we may be wholly thine, totally dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray, as thou will, and always to thy glory

and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

It’s amazing how ten deliberate minutes a day with God through reading and prayer will enrich your life. You will be like one of the wise men who followed the star in the east and traveled to find the baby Jesus in Matthew chapter two. It says in verse 12, “…and they returned home by a different way.” Spending ten minutes a day with God will change the way you think, you see;

the way you live. You will travel through life by a different way. Fr. Rick

Trinity Episcopal Church

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January 10, 2010