Begin by listening to the guided contemplative prayer
and move into the scripture reading and exercises below.
Follow these guides as you read the passage several times:
1st time through: Slowly and prayerfully read the passage. Simply open yourself up to God and let the words of scripture sink in.
2nd time through: Prayerfully read through the passage looking for a word or phrase that feels highlighted to you by the Holy Spirit. If nothing is illuminated, simply choose a word or phrase you find meaningful. Meditate on that word or phrase, allowing some space before moving to the next step. Reflect on why that word or phrase may have been highlighted to you.
3rd time through: Prayerfully engage with what God might be trying to say or might be wanting to give to you in this time. How might God be inviting you to respond? What might God be inviting you into?
4th time through: Rest in the love that God has for you. Practice being and feeling God’s love towards you, Gods presence with you.
John 1: 1-18 MSG
1-2 The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
in readiness for God from day one.
3-5 Everything was created through him;
nothing—not one thing!—
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
6-8 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.
9-13 The Life-Light was the real thing:
Every person entering Life
he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
the world was there through him,
and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.
14 The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
15 John pointed him out and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.”
16-18 We all live off his generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding—
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made him plain as day.
Turn your attention now to the painting.
What do you notice about the painting? Glance over every part.
Prayerfully move your eyes around the art piece looking for a portion that is highlighted to you. If the Spirit does not illuminate a portion for you to meditate on, don’t worry, simply choose a piece you find interesting. Look deeply at the portion you have chosen and take in all the details you can. Reflect on why that portion of the art piece might have been highlighted to you.
Engage by asking God to draw connections for you. How is the portion of the art piece you have been meditating on connected to your present reality? How is it connected to the scripture you just read? What might God be inviting you into?
Finish this exercise by resting in the love that God has for you. You are beloved.
