Liturgy 004: Searching for Gratitude, Searching for Enough
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Oikon + Wesley liturgies are designed to guide you through 5-10 minutes of slowing down and paying closer attention… to the Spirit, to your own soul, and to the peculiar people located in your world. These liturgies feature a singular prayer, quote, scripture, reflection, and benediction. You can go through them alone or with a partner or a group.
Beginning next week, these liturgies will be posted on Monday mornings to help center you at the start of a typical American work week.
🕊️ Prayer
Take 5 deep and deliberate breaths.
With each breath, offer this prayer:
INHALE: Good and Faithful One
EXHALE: May I be found good and faithful
🧘♀️ Quote
Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
-Unknown
📖 Philippians 4:11-13
Read slowly. Listen for the Spirit. What stands out?
What is God saying to you personally through these ancient words?
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
☕️ Contemplation
I like to say there are three kinds of gratitude:
Moralistic.
Circumstantial.
Contemplative.
Moralistic gratitude is when you give thanks because it is the right thing to do. Such as when our parents reprimanded us for not thanking our grandmothers for their unfashionable Christmas gifts.
Circumstantial gratitude is when the circumstances of life create a spontaneous reaction in our nervous system. Such as when you win the lottery, find a restroom just in time, or when the weather in Texas settles between 71 and 74 degrees for an entire two days. Something serendipitous prompts reactive appreciation.
Contemplative gratitude is the New Testament kind of gratitude: unnatural. It is what the Apostle Paul calls the secret of contentment. Paul writes about happiness in the face of hunger and need. This kind of gratitude requires spiritual work. It is not natural. It is the way of seeking out the presence and activity of God, while yet undergoing grief and loss and injustice.
Take a breath and prayerfully consider the person, scenario, or circumstance that has brought you much grief this year. In what ways has God remained good and faithful even at the site of grief and loss? What does it look like to be mature enough to name and acknowledge your grief, while still yet searching for the goodness of God?
🤲 Blessing
May you discover what the saints of old found - the secret enduring joy of being with God in all seasons of life. May you rejoice always and pray continually as you search for the goodness of God in all things. Amen.