Lectio Divina

Eva Sullivan-Knoff COVID-19, Spiritual Practice

Please join Eva in this video for a prayer and meditation spiritual practice known as Lectio Divina.

Psalm 63

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.

9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.

11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Sometimes Lord

Eva Sullivan-Knoff COVID-19

Sometimes Lord,
it is hard to find the words.
Sometimes, just one word expresses it well.
So we pray help.
Help all those who are grieving.
Help all those who are sick and/or who have been exposed.
Help the frontline workers.
Help all those whose livelihoods have been affected.
Help the most vulnerable.
Help our families.
Help the world.
Help us because we are tired and afraid.
Remind us that you are with us
in the midst of this.
We give you thanks for that.
So please cover us with your peace this day,
may we rest underneath the shadow of your wings.
Amen.

Fifth Week of Lent

Eva Sullivan-Knoff Lent

Opening
Lord, as I sit here with you, quiet my heart and mind. You invite me to come as I am and so I come. Open my heart to all you have for me. Awaken me to your voice within.

Reflection
As we continue our journey through Lent
we slow our pace so we can listen well
to what God desires to say to us.
God’s love seeks to heal the broken places within us,
To free us from the things that bind us
To bring light into our shadow places.
God desires us to know life in a fuller way,
And to live from a place of belovedness and belonging.

Invitation
Read the Scripture through slowly a couple of times. Pause where your heart is stirred.

Scripture: John 11:32-44 (Read verses 1-44 to read the whole story)
When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Prayer of Response
Beloved One,
How much it means to see your humanity,
to know that you loved your friends so much
that you were moved to tears by theirs.
How much it means to have a God
who loves us so deeply
that you feeling the ache in our hearts cry with us.
How blessed are we that you love us that much!
How blessed are we
that just as you unbound Lazarus
You unbind us and free us
with the life we have in you-
the life that heals, transforms, makes new.
Bless You oh Compassionate One. Bless You. Amen.

Prayer for These Times

Eva Sullivan-Knoff COVID-19

Holy One, the days of the virus linger on.
For God alone my soul waits in silence.
The news updates roll in like wave after wave,
bringing more stories, more pain, more fear.
For God alone my soul waits in silence.
The ache of separateness from loved ones
is sometimes hard to bear.
For God alone my soul waits in silence.
Cloistered in quietude, may deep speak to deep.
May I make my home within my heart where you meet me.
For God alone my soul waits in silence.
Expand my soul space, deepen my awareness of you
Help me to be still, that you may do an enlivening and healing work in me.
For God alone my soul waits in silence.
That I may emerge from this secluded space deeper, stronger, more whole.
For God alone my soul waits in silence.
My soul waits in you.
Amen.

Rev. Eva Sullivan-Knoff

Fourth Week of Lent

Eva Sullivan-Knoff Lent

Opening
Lord, as I sit here with you, quiet my heart and mind. You invite me to come as I am and so I come. Open my heart to all you have for me. Awaken me to your voice within.

Reflection
As we continue our journey through Lent
we slow our pace so we can listen well
to what God desires to say to us.
God’s love seeks to heal the broken places within us,
To free us from the things that bind us
To bring light into our shadow places.
God desires us to know life in a fuller way,
And to live from a place of belovedness and belonging.

Invitation
Read the Scripture through slowly a couple of times. Pause where you are drawn. What is God’s invitation to you?

Healing of the Blind Man. Carl Bloch / Public domain

 

Scripture: John 9:1-11 (Read through verse 41 to read the whole story)
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 We[a] must work the works of him who sent me[b] while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight

Prayer of Response
Compassionate One,
You are always on the side
of those who have been marginalized
You notice and reach out to those
who have been pushed aside,
judged, ridiculed, and wounded
so often by those of us
in the church
who presume we know you more.
While you include, we exclude.
Lord, help us to notice
those whom we make the stranger,
those we push aside.
Forgive us for making circles
of who is in and who is out.
Open our eyes
Remove our blindspots.
Help us to see as you see.
Open and transform our hearts.
Enable us to be true
reflections of your love.
We cannot do so
without you.
Amen.

Prayer During These Stressful Times

Eva Sullivan-Knoff COVID-19

We remember each person and family who has been directly affected by the Coronavirus. We light a candle and offer a prayer for healing for each one far and wide. We invite you to light a candle from ours and light another’s candle, for as we light each other’s candles, the light expands, warms, heals, and encourages.

Pray with us.

Gracious God,
We turn to you in these very uncertain times and we implore you for your help.
Breathe peace into our tired and fearful beings.
Breathe strength and protection into each front line health care worker as they put themselves on the line everyday.
Bless and protect those who deliver medicine and food and help as we seek to care for one another.
Comfort those who are shut in, isolated from everyone. May they feel your love and support deeply.
Compassionate God, we plead for healing for all those who have been affected. Breathe your healing into each one and may all toxins and sickness leave them and dissipate.
Please stop the spread of this terrible disease. Please heal and restore our global neighborhood, each country, each person who needs your healing touch, please grant it Lord.
Grant us all wisdom and discernment, especially those on the front lines.
Grant help and resources for those struggling for their livelihoods because of this virus.
Lord, please grant us all wisdom.
Move us all to work with you, to heal, to provide, and to protect.
Grant your peace to each and every person and may it permeate our beings.
Thank you Lord for hearing us, for walking with us.
We need you Lord.
Amen.

The One Who Draws Near

Eva Sullivan-Knoff News

Pastor Aaron on our board offers this encouraging word for us, ‘The One Who Draws Near’. This was first preached at Resurrection Covenant Church on March 15, 2020.

 

Grace and peace to you, ResCov!

We hope you are hanging in there as we seek to ‘flatten the curve’ and keep social distance. These are strange days in which so many of our rhythms and routines are being upended including, as you know, our Sunday morning worship. While we are not gathering together for corporate worship, our hope is that these resources offer an opportunity for you to worship where you are in a way that is reminiscent of worship at ResCov. This is new for all of us, so please let us know if this is helpful and how you experience it.

 

Here are links to the materials for today:
1. A reformatted version of our typical bulletin with links to songs for you to reflect on and/or sing along.

2. Pastor Aaron’s sermon for today which you can listen to as part of the service in the link above.

3. Materials for ResCov Kids:
– Water, Water, Everywhere! – an interactive devotional with activities and a paraphrase of Exodus 17:1-7, with a tie into John 4:5-42. It can be adapted for use with Pre-K to 5th graders.

– Generous Giving Week 3 – EOT Kids: They have been working each week to read and complete these lessons outside of class. These lessons do not follow the lectionary, and they can certainly be used by all ages!

– God Calls Me – a coloring sheet for all ages

Again, this is new for all of us. We hope these resources help as you seek God’s glory while we all live into our commitment to neighbor’s good. And please, stay in touch with us, reach out to and pray for one another, and let us know how we can help and support each another.

Peace to you, friends!

– Pastor Aaron, Pastor Dave, and Pastor Kyle

Third Week of Lent

Eva Sullivan-Knoff News

Opening
Lord, as I sit here with you, quiet my heart and mind. You invite me to come as I am and so I come. Open my heart to all you have for me. Awaken me to your voice within.

Reflection
As we continue our journey through Lent
we slow our pace so we can listen well
to what God desires to say to us.
God’s love seeks to heal the broken places within us,
To free us from the things that bind us
To bring light into our shadow places.
God desires us to know life in a fuller way,
And to live from a place of belovedness and belonging.

Invitation
Read the Scripture through slowly a couple of times. Pause where you are drawn.

John 4:5-14 (To read the whole story continue through verse 42)
So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.
7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”

Prayer Response
Gracious Lord,
I am struck by the way
you meet us where we are,
in our place of need.
How much you notice us
and see what is beyond our awareness.
There is compassion in your seeing
and the desire to deliver us
from the places where we are stuck.
With your help,
enable us to let go of the things that bind us
And that hold us back.
You have so much for us.
Open our eyes, our hearts, our minds
to receive the life we have in you.
Amen.

Second Week of Lent

Eva Sullivan-Knoff Lent

Opening
Lord, as I sit here with you, quiet my heart and mind. You invite me to come as I am and so I come. Open my heart to all you have for me. Awaken me to your voice within.

Reflection
As we continue our journey through Lent
we slow our pace so we can listen well
to what God desires to say to us.
God’s love seeks to heal the broken places within us,
To free us from the things that bind us
To bring light into our shadow places.
God desires us to know life in a fuller way,
And to live from a place of belovedness and belonging.

Invitation
Read the scripture through slowly a couple of times. Pause where you are drawn.

John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Prayer Response
Gracious and Holy God,
Who are we that you are mindful of us,
And yet you so are.
You are beyond our understanding,
bigger than the boxes we put you in.
You want so much more for us
than what we recognize.
The life and love you have for us all,
is freeing, healing, life-giving.
May it seep into the deepest part of us
And affect all that we are.
Oh may we embrace the life
You have for us.
May it transform
how we see ourselves
and each one you have made.
May it pour out of our pores
in a compassionate grace filled stream
that heals and blesses
all those around us.
Amen.

First Week of Lent

Eva Sullivan-Knoff Lent

Opening
Lord, as I sit here with you, quiet my heart and mind. You invite me to come as I am and so I come. Open my heart to all you have for me. Awaken me to your voice within.

Reflection
We begin our journey through Lent once again.
We slow our pace so we can notice and pay attention to all God has for us.
God’s love seeks to heal the broken places within us.
God’s love seeks to show us a transforming way to see and hear and live.
Let us intentionally imagine Jesus walking beside us.
What does He want to show us
within ourselves, within others?
May we listen and as we do
May we notice how deeply we are loved.

Invitation
Read the scripture through slowly a couple of times. Pause where you are drawn.

Scripture: Mark 1:9-15
“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” 12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Prayer of Response
Beloved God,
You name me your beloved.
Help me to live from that space.
Help me to so claim it
that its truth resides anchored in my inner core.
Even when I fail
may I remember this truth
that there is no place I can go
where you are not with me.
There is no place I can go
where I am not loved by you.
And oh Holy One,
may I remember and live out
that the same thing is true
in every person you have made.
Help me to recognize
their belovedness
and to love them well.
Help me to be touched by their pain,
to celebrate their joys
and to claim
our inherent connection to each other.
So Beloved God, to whom I belong,
please forgive me
for all the ways I have failed
You, others, and myself.
Help me once again to live in
and reflect your love
and all of our belovedness
wherever I am.
Amen.