Weekly Practices
Weekly Practice 5/4/26
Make every effort to do or reflect upon this week’s practice with others.
Scriptures
1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
Psalm 48 NIV
Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
Beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
the city of the Great King.
God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.
When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,
they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.
Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered by an east wind.
As we have heard,
so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
forever.
Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.
Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.
Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them
to the next generation.
For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.
Poem
“XLVIII Magnus Dominus” by Malcolm Guite
For heaven’s king has made the earth his home
Not just the hill of Sion, but the whole
Round world. Call him from anywhere, he’ll
Come to you and make his dwelling. Hail
Him in any language, he replies
In your own mother-tongue. For now your soul
Is his true Sion, and each day you rise
Already in the city of your God.
So mark the towers and temples, and apprise
Again the beauty of your new abode.
Your soul is greater than you ever knew:
Walk round its walls, then take the holy road
That winds towards its centre, where the new
Temple of his spirit shines and stands,
Where Christ himself is there to welcome you.
Practice
Examen
This is not a new practice for us, prayerfully going back a day, a week, or further, to notice where we sense ourselves moving towards and away from God’s love. But what if we examen with the mindset that we ourselves are God’s temple? You and me—and us together—we are the place God’s Spirit dwells.
This week, imagine yourself “walking around” your soul and your story, seeing yourself as a temple of the Holy Spirit. Begin by asking God to fill you with a greater awareness of his presence within you. Allow him to guide your mind, and pay particular attention to moments when you have experienced his love. Talk with him about what you notice. Then end by entrusting yourself—your living, breathing Zion-self—back into his care.
Accompanying soundtrack
Like a match made in heaven.
Weekly Practice 4/27/26
Make every effort to do or reflect upon this week’s practice with others.
Scripture
Psalm 62 MSG
God, the one and only—
I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I need comes from him,
so why not?
He’s solid rock under my feet,
breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
I’m set for life.
How long will you gang up on me?
How long will you run with the bullies?
There’s nothing to you, any of you—
rotten floorboards, worm-eaten rafters,
Anthills plotting to bring down mountains,
far gone in make-believe.
You talk a good line,
but every “blessing” breathes a curse.
God, the one and only—
I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I hope for comes from him,
so why not?
He’s solid rock under my feet,
breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
I’m set for life.
My help and glory are in God
—granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—
So trust him absolutely, people;
lay your lives on the line for him.
God is a safe place to be.
Man as such is smoke,
woman as such, a mirage.
Put them together, they’re nothing;
two times nothing is nothing.
And a windfall, if it comes—
don’t make too much of it.
God said this once and for all;
how many times
Have I heard it repeated?
“Strength comes
Straight from God.”
Love to you, Lord God!
You pay a fair wage for a good day’s work!
Practice
“Lean In”
We’re not in a hurry. Let’s continue to wait and wonder at what God might have for us in the coming season. We know we are meant to live as people of the Kingdom. We know we are called to partner with the Holy Spirit. Only God knows the specifics of how. Let’s do our best to keep our eyes and ears on him.
This week, ask God to show you what he desires for you in this next season, and keep leaning into the practices that you’re already doing:
Weekly Practice 4/20/26
Make every effort to do or reflect upon this week’s practice with others.
Scripture
Isaiah 40:27-31 MSG
Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
“God has lost track of me.
He doesn’t care what happens to me”?
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.
Practice
“Dig In Deeper”
Forty days passed between Jesus’ return from the dead to his ascension back to the Father. In those forty days, Jesus showed up in surprising moments to encourage his disciples. But the disciples also spent a lot of time waiting and wondering what would come next.
This week, let’s wait and wonder, too. Pentecost is coming, a time to remember that we have “kingdom work” to do. God has called us to be a “kingdom people” who partner with the Spirit. But for now, let’s dig in deeper to the practices that we’re already doing, like: