Weekly Practices
Weekly Practice 8/3/26
Make every effort to do or reflect upon this week’s practice with others.
Suscipe
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.
Scripture
James 2:1-16 NIV
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Practice
“Presence Over Preference”
Preferences are not a bad thing. Not at all. Jesus had preferences. But following Jesus means following his lead and saying “yes” to the Father’s will above our own. As James points out, true faith is proved by our willingness to do what God asks of us.
This week, prayerfully consider which people God wants you to be present to. For sure, it’s easier to focus on those you naturally gravitate towards. But consider those who, while not at the top of your list, have God’s undivided attention. Be willing to set your preference aside to be present to the people God puts on your heart. Be generous with your time, attention, and resources—just as God has been generous with you.
Song
He Is Among Us (The Least of These) by The Porter’s Gate. More good stuff.
Vineyard Northwest Region Newsletter
A bit outdated now, but Trellis was featured in our region’s newsletter back in March! I didn’t realize I had to sign up to receive them. Here’s a link to avoid my mistake.
Weekly Practice 7/27/26
Make every effort to do or reflect upon this week’s practice with others.
Suscipe
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.
Scripture
James 1:19-27 NIV
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Practice
“Do the Thing”
A wise puppet once said, “Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.” This week, do the thing that you sense God inviting you to do. This will be different for each of us. Maybe you’re being led by the Holy Spirit to talk less and listen more. Maybe God is asking you to be generous to someone in a practical way. Or maybe there’s some other thing that you just know God is asking you to do. If you don’t have a sense of God’s invitation to you, the thing you should do is ask him to show you. Create some time and space to pray and listen. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you.
Weekly Practice 7/20/26
Make every effort to do or reflect upon this week’s practice with others.
Suscipe
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.
Scripture
James 1:9-18 NIV
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Practice
Examen
James seems to suggest that God’s goodness is present, no matter the circumstance we find ourselves in. Always present, but admittedly not always easy to see or feel or even believe. This week, prayerfully go back over each day to notice where you sensed yourself moving towards and away from God’s love. It will be most beneficial in the evening, looking back over your day, or first thing in the morning, reflecting on the previous day. If it helps, try out this model for the examen prayer from the Order of the Common Life:
1) Be still — Allow yourself to settle and to become aware of God’s presence.
How do I want to welcome God’s peace?
2) Give thanks — Ask God to bring to mind specific things from your day for which you can experience gratitude.
What am I grateful for today?
3) Reflect — Notice how you're coming to this time of prayer, what you experienced today and where you felt drawn throughout your day.
How do I come to this time of prayer?
Where did I feel drawn today?
What do I notice now about my day?
4) Pray — Talk with God about one or two things that came up in your reflection, and invite God to respond however God might choose.
What in my reflection seemed significant
What do I most want to talk to God about?
What might God most want to talk about?
5) Hope — Look ahead with God to the day’s remaining hours or the upcoming day.
Where will I need or desire God’s grace and loving presence?
6) Surrender — Offer yourself, the past hours and your upcoming hours to God, to use however God might desire.
What can I more fully offer to God?
How do I want to express this surrender?
Also this week, continue to incorporate the “Suscipe” into your daily time with God!