[7] Spiritual Transformation (2)

Rhythm of prayer

This week we had been focussing on Romans 12:1-2 in our prayer times. Some highlights:

• renewing of mind is the same word as transfiguration

• the words "with eyes wide open" from the JB Phillips translation were really helpful to Lena.

• Greg discovered that "do not conform yourself to the standards of this world" means don't be thinking the old testament way.

• Alison was reading Ps 24 - "lift up your heads O you gates" and felt this was for us to pray for Southampton, that Jesus will come in. 

In groups we shared the prayers we'd written from Romans 12, and we made some time to pray them out.

Spiritual Rhythms

We started a new theme of hearing from each other about our spiritual rhythms in order to learn from each other and emphasise the importance of these for transformation and discernment. 

We believe that we are on a transforming journey to do something for the city, and in that we are accountable to each other and we all need to be taking responsibility for our spiritual formation. 

We appreciate that personal prayer is secret - Jesus calls us to find God in the secret place. We are not looking for that depth of sharing, but it will be really helpful for us each to do this reflection and for us a group to hear from each other.

The questions are:

1. What spiritual rhythms do we have in place?

2. How are we experiencing God in the midst of these rhythms?

3. What do we feel we still need?

This week Richard and Kathy (leaders of the group) shared their reflections on these questions with the group. They said it had been a helpful process, especially to think about how we are experiencing God in these rhythms. 

Two people will be sharing each week (although we won't make anyone do this who doesn't want to).

Sacred Space - pools

Tara had arranged the sacred space with visual representation of the springs and pools mentioned in Psalm 84 and also a cross to represent the pilgrimage mentioned in the psalm. She included some rounded pebbles, building on from what Sandra and Peter shared last week about living stones and being rounded as we bump along with one another. 

We spent 20 minutes together soaking in God and listening to what he was saying to us about the house of prayer in relation to these themes. 

• In a river there is a buoyancy given to stones by the water - this symbolises how the Holy Spirit can carry us along and we are rounded in a constructive way. 

• Pilgrimage - like stages in a river, beginning with stuttering and turbulence, developing through laminar flow to a deep river, flowing wide and deep. The river delta formed is teeming with life.

• The difference between driving a motor boat and sailing a sailing boat. In the motor boat you can just set your course regardless of the wind. In the sailing boat you have to be aware of and rely on the wind. This is like being sensitive to the Holy Spirit - get in the right position, know where he is taking us and ask 'what do you want me to pray'?

• Saw a child's 2-D drawing of a tree, as in Psalm 1 - the one that is planted by a river and bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. The tree became 3-D - head knowledge becomes real experience. 

• Saw water that was a deep royal inky colour. We were swimming in it. By osmosis we are transformed into the colour of it, as He is flowing in and through us.

• Saw a picture of a deer lapping at the water - 'so I long for You!'

We ended with short prayers of thanks for all that God had been saying and what He is doing with us on our journey.