I’m offering you a practice that can become a habit, a way of life, a lifestyle, as your connection with Jesus grows deeper. For myself, I call the habit Eucharist-O. The name is a playful adaptation of the Greek word eucharisteo, used by the gospel writer Luke to describe what Jesus did during the last supper with his companions. Before he made the ultimate sacrifice for our spiritual freedom, he took bread and eucharisteo — he expressed his thanks.
The rhythm of this practice is simple:
First, a centering word about thankfulness and gratefulness
Second, a centering scripture
Third, an invitation to be still for a few moments before returning to the day’s activities.
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The Eucharist-O for Friday, November 15, 2024
First: A Centering Word
What to do: read the words from a lecture by John Koessler at the C. W. Lewis Institute three or four times. Pause and breath between each reading. Pay attention to what draws your attention. What are you seeing? What are you believing? What are you doubting?
Next: Read Matthew 11:28-30
What to do: Read the scripture words three or four times. If you have time, perhaps read Acts 27 to see that Paul is on a ship in the middle of a deadly storm in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship is going down. They are in trouble. Read slowly. Pause between reading. Pay attention to what is stirring inside of you. What are you seeing? What are you believing? What are you doubting? What are you feeling? What questions are being raised?
Next: Be Still
What to do: Before returning to your full day, sit in stillness for a few moments. Your soul and imagination were possibly drawn to a word by a person whose life has suddenly tumbled in on itself or by Paul. Perhaps you were drawn to a moment in your life where you regret not being thankful. Maybe you were drawn to a situation that seemed too hard for you. Wherever you were drawn, be there for a few moments. Pay attention to the stirrings deep within, the questions that are forming, or the words that want to be spoken. Give your soul the gift of a few moments of stillness to let memories, questions, words, and prayers form.
Before returning to your day, let what is stirring inside become a conversation with God. The conversation, whatever its mood, is a form of prayer and communication with God who has been waiting for this moment all day.
Eucharist-O