Index |
X
|
Program |
|
Program |
This
program contains the principles, instructions and tools necessary to perform
a high spiritual practice entitled: The Gospel On My Knees. This
process involves the daily reading of the Gospel of St. John aloud
while on your knees in a devotional position of surrender. The purpose and
the principles behind this practice are described below. |
Purpose |
The underlying purpose of the spiritual practice described on this page is to realize and reveal the presence of Christ in your life. The full purpose, vision and intentions of this program of spiritual practice is described in the Sacred Covenant. |
Principle |
The best way to understand the practice of reading the Gospel on your knees is to use the analogy of the Vine and the Branch. (See John 15) Christ is the Spirit of God and represents the Universal Vine of Life. The branches represent our individual souls emanating from the One Life, or Vine of Christ. Our physical flesh bodies, as well as the body of our affairs, are the Fruits of the Vine that get expressed through the branches. When the branch gives its attention only to the natural world, it falls into the illusion that it has created its own fruit. When this happens it disconnects itself from the Vine and becomes a Prodigal Son (or Daughter). At first all is well, until the branch has used up all of its fruits and must begin to rely on the fruits of other branches for its sustenance. Finally, when the branch realizes that it can produce no fruit on its own, it seeks to return to the source of its creative ability. It ultimately realizes that it is merely the vehicle through which the Universal Life of God embodies Itself in the world as the fruits of Spirit. The purpose of the practice described in the following sections is to consciously reconnect ourselves to the source of our lives, which is the Vine of Christ. This requires only that we recognize It as our source, and surrender to Its life giving essence. When we read the Gospel aloud in an attitude of surrender we are keeping the words of Jesus Christ and allowing them to anoint us with their life giving transmission. This practice requires very little mental activity, and a lot of devotion and humility. It requires that we release our attachment to specific outcomes, and simply trust that a good vine will produce an abundance of good fruit in our lives. Ultimately, we must come to realize that it's not for us to use our mental powers for personal gain. It is for us to understand the workings of our minds as the reason why we must devote our lives to Love. When we do that, Christ will then use our minds to produce the highest possible good in our lives. The devotional practice outlined on this page will provide you with a practical process that you can use to invite the Christ into your experience of life. The two most important aspects of this practice are: |
Kneeling - We often refer to performing an act of surrender as being brought to our knees. Consequently, throughout this practice, kneeling becomes a gesture of whole body surrender to the living God, or Christ. Remember: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. ...James 4:6 | ||
Reading
aloud - The next thing
to realize is that speaking is a physical act. So when we read the Gospel
aloud, we are performing a physical act in alignment with Spiritual Truth.
This is how we build our faith. To silently read the Gospel will change
your attitude about the conditions of your life. However, reading the Gospel
aloud will physically change the conditions of your life. This is the power
of the spiritual practice described on this page. |
Preparation |
| Select a person or group that you are willing to perform this practice with. You will not be performing your daily ritual in their presence, but simply in spiritual partnership with them. You can choose to do this practice on your own, if you so desire. However, the benefits will be greatly magnified if you engage it in partnership with others. | |
| Mutually select a 21 day period with your partner(s). This will be the expanse of time that you are willing to devote to this practice. Each daily session should take about 20 to 30 minutes, and should always be performed without fail. However, if you miss a session for some unavoidable reason, simply read two chapters the following day to get yourself back "on track" and coordinated with your partner(s). | |
| Identify the place where you will perform this practice. Try to make this space as special and sacred as possible. It should include a burning candle and a picture or symbol of Jesus Christ that is meaningful to you. Both should be visible to you throughout each entire session of practice | |
| Identify the time of day when you will perform this practice. It does not necessarily have to be the same time each day. However, you will probably find it easier to sustain your practice if it is done on a regular schedule. | |
|
Thoroughly review the Sacred Covenant below. It contains the purpose, vision and intentions for this practice. Follow the the instructions given below. |
Daily Practice |
1. | Begin each daily session by preparing your space and lighting your candle. Remove all visual and audible distractions from your immediate environment. Disconnect your phone or turn down the volume on your answering machine. | |
2. | Next, get down on your knees and perform several repetitions of the Surrender Prayer. You can simply speak the words of this "posture prayer," or you can sing them as your musical talents allow | |
3. | Next, remain on your knees and perform the Gospel Invocation. | |
4. | Next, begin reading just one chapter of the Gospel of St. John aloud to yourself. Begin with Chapter 1 on the first day and move consecutively through all 21 chapters of the entire Gospel. Perform your reading with as much integrity and authority as you can. Try to imagine that you are preaching to a group of people in much the same way that St. John was doing when he presented this Gospel to all who were drawn into his company so many years ago. | |
5. |
Finally, at the conclusion
of your reading recite the Lord's Prayer.
As an option, you may wish to recite the prayer three (3) times. First,
perform it in your normal voice. Then, recite it
again in a louder tone of voice. Finally, repeat
the prayer in a soft whisper. |
Comments |
|
To perform all of the activities suggested in this booklet may seem a bit overwhelming to those who are not used to engaging in 'Daily Dedicated Spiritual Practice." If this is the case, it may serve you to just do the bare minimum practice of reading the Gospel on your knees. Everything else is suggested for the purpose of expanding and deepening the effects of that primary practice | |
|
If you are already engaged in a 'Daily Dedicated Spiritual Practice" use your own best judgment as to how to integrate the process described in this booklet into your daily routine. It is not intended to replace or compete with any program of meditation, prayer, or study that you may already be engaged in. | |
|
If for some physical reason you cannot perform this practice on your knees, then assume whatever comfortable position that creates a felt sense within you of humility and surrender. The purpose of this practice is surrender, not pain. | |
|
Be sure to perform your reading of the Gospel without stopping to contemplate or ponder any particular verse or passage. Pretend that you are being asked to read it out loud to an audience, and then act as if you were doing just that. Keep in mind that this process is intended to set the Truth of the Gospel into vibration in your life. This is accomplished by engaging in a process of active surrender. It is not an intellectual exercise of seeking the meaning of what you are reading, while you are reading. The appropriate time for contemplation and analysis is when you are working with your journal. This is when you should revisit those verses that created a felt response in you while you were reading them. |
|
|
Keep a special diary, or journal, throughout this entire process. Follow the suggestions in the section entitled: Dear Diary. If you are using a red letter edition of the Bible, you may want to consider using a red pen when you write out any of those red letter verses in your journal. | |
|
At least once a week read your Sacred Covenant aloud to yourself at the beginning of your daily session. This can also be an opportunity to revise your personal intentions if it feels appropriate. It is perfectly acceptable to change your mind. In fact, this entire practice is dedicated to transforming your life by the renewing of your mind. | |
|
At least once a week, communicate with your Prayer Partner. Your Prayer Partner does not have to live in close proximity to you. Because the Truth of the Gospel is omnipresent, your Partner can live literally anywhere in the world. The only requirement is that you have a way to communicate with them on a regular basis | |
|
An excellent time to perform
this practice would be during the period leading up to Christmas,
or New Years, or Easter, or any other time that might be personally significant
to you, such as your birthday. |
Sacred Covenant |
My Promise From God: (Upon which this practice has been created) |
Lord,
how is it that you will manifest yourself to me, and not to the world?
Jesus answered and said to him, "If you love me, you will keep my
words: and my Father will love you, and we will come to you, and make
our abode with you."
...John 14:22,23 |
My Purpose: |
Christ
Consciousness
(An Awareness of Oneness) |
My Vision: | Revealing the Presence of Christ in My Life |
|
My Intentions: |
1.
|
To surrender to the mystery of Jesus Christ by reading the Gospel of St. John on my knees. | |
2.
|
To deepen my devotion to the divinity within me by evoking the Presence of Christ. | |
3.
|
To have a meaningful personal experience of Christ Consciousness, which is the realization of thedivinity within me. | |
4.
|
To ___________________________________________________________ . | |
X5.
|
To ___________________________________________________________ . X |
6.
|
To perform this practice at the following time and place: _____________ . | |
7.
|
To perform this practice in partnership with: _______________________ . |
|
Name _______________________________ . XXXDate___________ . |
Sacred Covenant Instructions: |
1.
|
Write your Sacred Covenant on the first page of your journal. Use the Sacred Covenant shown above as is, or use it as a model to make your own personal version. | |
2.
|
Add your own scripture. If you so desire, you can use some other scriptural passage instead of the one shown above. Or, leave a space and select a meaningful passage from the Gospel of John sometime during the course of this practice. | |
3.
|
Fill in the blank of #4 with a personal intention that will serve your own highest good and healing at this time. | |
4.
|
Fill in the blank of #5 with an intention that will serve the highest good and healing of others. | |
5.
|
Write down the time and place when you intend to perform you daily reading. | |
6.
|
Write down the name and phone number of your Prayer Partner. | |
7.
|
Sign and date your sacred Covenant. |
This is a "posture prayer / chanting hymn" designed to create a mood of devotion and surrender prior to performing your reading of the Gospel. With a little practice you should be able to coordinate the bodily postures that accompany the lyrics of the chant, which are: |
||
Oh, radiant
Christ. XOh, giver of Life.X
I surrender to You.
< Click on the icon to the left to see the prayer performed. |
||
This process is highly effective even without the music. So if you are unable to remember the melody or read the attached musical score, simply perform the postures and speak the lyrics in a chant like manner. |
Return to Daily Practice |
Following are three prayers that can be used as part of your daily practice. You can choose to use the Gospel Invocation "as is" throughout the entire process, or you can use it as a guide to spontaneously create an invocation in your own words, or you may wish to use the Lord's Prayer as an invocation and the Serenity Prayer as an ending, or benediction. However you decide to utilize these prayers, it would be preferable to use the same prayers in the same order every day. Avoid excessive changes in the pattern of your practice. |
The Gospel
Invocation The Lord's
Prayer ...Matthew 6:9-13 The Serenity
Prayer |
Dear Diary |
Purpose:
Process: |
1.
|
Select a suitable journal. It can be hard bound, spiral bound or you may even choose to use a three ring binder in which you can also keep this booklet and other related materials. This journal should be dedicated exclusively for the purpose of this practice. | |
2.
|
Next, write your Sacred Covenant at the beginning of your journal. In writing this out, try to personalize it in whatever way is meaningful to you so that it is presented as your own expression. Be sure to sign and date this entry at the bottom of the page | |
3.
|
Next, write a prayer for the highest outcome of this spiritual practice. | |
4.
|
Each and every day: |
i
|
Record the date and the number of the Chapter that you read that day. Then then write a brief statement of one or two sentences that captures its essence. | |
i
|
Write out at least one verse from each Chapter that is meaningful to you. | |
i
|
Make an entry by writing the following statement: I am grateful God is Gracious. I am grateful for... Then, write down one or more things that you're grateful for on that particular day. Don't forget to date your entries. |
5.
|
Additionally, you can use your journal to record the following: |
|
i
|
Questions and ponderings that arise. | |
i
|
Important incidents that occur in your life | |
i
|
Realizations, insights and breakthroughs in understanding. | |
i
|
Events that demonstrate the presence of Christ in your life | |
i
|
Written prayers to express gratitude for the presence of Christ. | |
i
|
Significant issues that arise in your life during this period. | |
i
|
Written prayers to address issues that arise. | |
i
|
Significant dreams that you might have. | |
i
|
Mysterious coincidences that occur. |
Comments: Try to keep this process brief and simple. If it becomes overly complex, you will tend to find excuses for not doing it. Remember it doesn't have to make sense to anyone but yourself. It will be far more productive to jot down a few meaningful lines each day than to try to write a twenty page masterpiece at the end of the week. |
Prayer Partners |
Purpose: To fulfill
the scriptural promise, For where two or three are gathered together
in my name, there am I in the midst of them. ...Matthew
18:20 Process: |
1.
|
Select someone to be your Prayer Partner throughout this program of practice. | |
2.
|
Exchange pertinent personal information and set up a regular schedule for your sessions. You should be contacting your Prayer Partner at least once a week. | |
3.
|
On a daily basis, pray for your Prayer Partner to experience a greater realization of Christ in their lives. Additionally, pray for them to realize divine support in whatever issue that they may be dealing with at the time. | |
4.
|
Use your Prayer Partner communication sessions as follows: |
|
Share your progress in developing a deeper sense of understanding about the mystery of Jesus Christ. Also, share your progress in developing greater spiritual devotion and awareness of oneness with God through this program of practice. | |
|
Request prayer support in dealing with current issues in your life. Avoid getting into long detailed stories. Do not try to solve each others problems. Avoid asking for, or giving advice. Always turn everything over to God, and support each other in doing that. | |
|
Take turns praying
for each other to realize the presence of Christ in your lives. If you
are uncomfortable performing a spontaneous prayer, you can simply respond
to your partner's request for support in the following manner: |
|
(__Partner's
Name__) , I hear you, I see you, I agree with you;
and the Christ in me supports your request with Love. Amen! |
||
(If you
are working on the phone, simply close your eyes and visualize your
Partner surrounded by the light of Christ as you make this affirmation.) |
||
|
Be open to any additional activities that may spontaneously arise. Be sure that they are mutually beneficial and consistent with your overall spiritual practice. Include them in your sessions by mutual consent. |
5.
|
Be sure to record your Prayer Partner interactions in your journal. |
Comments: Try to keep your sessions short and to the point (10 to 20 minutes). If they become too lengthy or involved you will begin to find reasons for avoiding them. Once this program of practice is completed, it is highly suggested that you find a permanent Prayer Partner. This should be a 'like minded' individual with whom you share a strong personal rapport and deep level of trust. It can be a family member, friend or fellow church member. |
Homepage | Site Map - Matrix |