RDL WK3 Day 1 Lenten Journey – Following Jesus more Closely

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Emmaus School of Spiritual Formation has been developed for those seeking
a deeper and broader understanding and experience of Jesus Christ, with
an opportunity for training in spiritual direction.

RDL WK3 Day 1 Lenten Journey – Following Jesus more Closely

As you begin your scripture reading, consider last week’s scriptures and return to any that are staying with you. Or, once again take time to read and consider the scriptures below.

Introduction

Mark 2: 13-17 Jesus Comes for Sinners

Guide

Presence: Take two deep cleansing breaths, remembering that God is the giver of life. “Here I am God. Thank you for your presence.”

Mark 2: 13-17 twice, once silently and once audibly.

The Calling of Matthew

Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.
Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Journal your prayer and experience of this time.

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Spiritual formation gives us some really important Christian tools, primarily the spiritual practices to meet the deep longings and the big challenges of life.

Rev. Dr. Paul Bramer

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The testimonies of people who had experienced the benefits of having a spiritual director were moving and inspiring. Your ministry is a wonderful expression of God's love and tender care for His treasures here on earth.

Steve Read, PHD

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There's so much more you can learn with other people than when you're just reading scripture by yourself. The Spiritual Direction program has expanded my thinking about God, spirituality and how very different we all relate to Him. I highly recommend this program.

Tammy Pierce, Emmaus Student

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The course has developed a new hunger in me for scripture. I also appreciate the time of group spiritual direction as we process together between classes.

Lynne Ball, Emmaus Student

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Taking time in spiritual direction to reflect on where God is, day-to-day, has awakened in me, a clarity of vision. It has renewed my passion and continues to be a crucial part of my spiritual discipline. The impact of spiritual direction affects not only me, but my congregation and the community we serve.

Rev. Angie Song, Associate Pastor, Vaughan Community Church

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The first course – Introduction to Spiritual Formation – gave us high quality instruction that incorporated visuals, art, music, spiritual direction exercises as well as teaching that reflected a scholarly breadth of understanding and insight into both historical and current Christianity. I’d recommend this course, alone, for anyone interested in gaining a solid introduction into ancient-contemporary Christianity, and grasping something of how our orthopraxy and orthodoxy can fit even better together! Emmaus is a long-waited for gift, to believers and churches in the GTA and surrounding areas.

Naomi Johnson, Emmaus Student

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Ministry is challenging and can leave those who pursue it feeling depleted and lonely. Spiritual direction replenishes me. It deepens my perspective, keeps me grounded in God’s Word and reminds me that I am connected with Jesus and his community of friends.

Rev. Andrew Gordon, Pastor, Compass Church

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I discovered that I was serving out of a depletion—a growing depletion of soul. And so I knew that I needed someone to come alongside of me, and not listen for me—but to listen with me. And I think every emerging leader needs a spiritual director. Not to replace God. Not to replace the discipline of being in silence, in solitude, and listening to God through scripture, through His holy word, through the presence of the Holy Spirit—but to help clarify the questions.

Rev. Marc Gauvreau – PAOC Discipleship & Spiritual Direction

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Spiritual direction and spiritual formation has been a journey that I will continue for as long as I’m in ministry, and as long as I have breath because the benefits are just so astounding, and I can’t imagine carrying on in ministry without it.

Rev. Ron Shantz, Executive Director, Front Line Outreach

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How is your relationship deepened and nurtured in the context of your ministry? Many in ministry often say it’s not, and we’re all running around like a chicken without a head. It’s crucial, that we all have—especially in ministry—a spiritual director. These conversations about spiritual direction are immensely helpful because it starts where you are at—of your own ego and of your own desire to be somebody important in ministry. Now I can lead a life where I'm responding to God, rather than soliciting a response from God.

Rev. John Kim – Pastor Bridgeway Church

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The Individual Retreat is a process over a period of days where you interact with scripture, learn ways of praying, and develop that kind of personal connection with God. So it’s a process of developing our soul-connection—spirit-connection—with God, so that we are seeing God’s work in daily life, and that we are creating space for God in the crush of the normal things that happen in our daily lives. So that is one of the formation processes that an organization like Emmaus can facilitate or help with in churches—is to run retreats like that, that help people get into that mindset.

Rick Wukasch – Associate Pastor, The Meeting House

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