DOWNLOAD THE 2022 VERSION OF THE CHALLENGE HERE
WORK OUT OF THE PEOPLE
Breast Plate of St. Patrick
Intro, reflect on the theme, offer a prayer or intention. – 5 minutes
“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty.” [Psalm 104:1]
In the bible, white clothing represent purity, and clothing made of light represents divinity or divine transformation.
We see it in Daniel [7:9] where the mythic vision of the enthroned God, the Ancient of Days, is clothed in white. The angels come dressed in white in Mark [16:5], Luke [24:4], Matthew [28:3], John [20:12], Acts [1:10,10:30] and Revelations [19:14]. As do the Saints, those who have labored in grace, and now sit in the Lord’s throne room, as we see in Revelation. [Rev 4:4, Rev 3:18, Rev 3:5, Rev 17:4, Rev 3:5, Rev 6:11, Rev 7:13.]
In the transfiguration, Matt [17], Mark [9], and Luke [9], Jesus climbs atop a mountain (Mount Tabor according to tradition) and “… he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.” Then Peter, James and John, “ fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” [Matthew 17:2, and 6b].
The ancients believed that seeing the divine light transforms the witness. So the transfiguration is also about Peter, James, and John and all who strived for the Saintly pinnacle of our journey as disciples. Describing Jesus’s shining face on Mount Tabor, and that of Moses on Sinai before him, Paul says that “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another…” [2 Corin. 3:18].
First reading – a reader will be selected
Romans 13:12-14
The night is far gone; the day is at hand.
So then, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Let us walk properly as in the daytime,
not in [lewd feasting]* and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality,
not in quarreling and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rise and go to your mat or prayer rug
Lectio Divina [more on lectio divina here]
Rev. 3:5-6
“The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments,
and I will never blot their** name out of the book of life.
I will confess their name before my Father and before his angels.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says…“
Somatic prayer – [Sanctified yoga] 20 minutes
Come back to our seats
Noetic prayer – [Centering prayer] 20 minutes, [more on centering prayer here]
Bell rings
Open eyes: Shared silence 1 minute
Blessings to you all who have completed this 8-week challenge. You have, in a small way, labored up the mountain of askesis, the training of the body, mind, and spirit. With faith, hard work, and grace, I hope we all will reach the summit and receive the loving vision of God’s light as we continue in the shining raiments that is our life in Christ.
Thanksgiving
Galatians 3:26
… in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.
As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek,
there is no longer slave or free,
there is no longer male and female;
for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ,
then you are Abraham’s offspring,
heirs according to the promise.
Retire to the table
Fasting
Group 2- Try the a one day fast. See bottom of Week 6 blog.
Group 1 – Devise your own fasting routine. Try it this week and we’ll talk about the results next week.
Sessions
This Wednesday we are on Zoom, AND at Brookside Community Church in Mendham, NJ. If you wish to attend in-person, please arrive a good 10 minutes before we begin. Masks are required.
Note, if you wish to have chair yoga available, let us know a day or two ahead of time at info4praxiswellness@gmail.com and we can accommodate you.
This session has been cancelled. Tuesday, 6:30 pm, EST
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3130965380
Wednesday, 6:30 pm, EST – In person and on Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81453475523
Thursday 10 am, EST – Fitness oriented wake-up practice
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8570180783
*-here the word is
κῶμος (kōmos) Meaning: “orgy, revelry, carousing primarily a festive procession, a merry-making; in NT a revel, lewd, immoral feasting, Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:21; 1Pet. 4:3” Stepbible. This word is sometimes rendered as orgy, but because sexual immorality is mentioned in the same passage, revelry or immoral feasting may be the better translation.
PraXis 