The Scripture ~ Jesus said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:21
The Spiritual Focus ~The Path of How begins the day we’re sick to death of making the same mistakes over and over again. And that path isn’t magic or moonbeams, it’s the path of imperfection, of practice, of making mistakes and trying again. Not trying to be better—trying to be present. Waylon Lewis, Author and owner of Elephant Journal.
Breath Prayer ~ First breath: Inhale ~ All I have, all I need, Exhale ~ Right here, right now,
Second breath: inhale/exhale is … a pause, allowing for silence and letting folks fill in their own breath prayer of need or to simply breathe.
The Devotion ~
We are still in the church season of Epiphany. There are numerous ways of thinking about Epiphany but a favorite definition is “a moment of sudden or great revelation that usually changes you in some way,” or in plain English, an “aha!” moment. The biblical narratives during Epiphany usually point to Jesus’ ministry of preaching, teaching and healing. These narratives proclaim God’s promised Presence is fulfilled today! The Reverend Dr. Karoline Lewis explains that “today,” as used in this text from Luke, translates from the Greek as an ongoing reality for those who hear the Good News, not just for the people back in in Jesus’ time and literal community, but for us today as well. Hearing the Good News begins simply by being present.
Have you ever heard something over and over, and then you hear it again, and it is almost as if you heard it for the first time? Perhaps this is because being truly present, and hearing it as though it is meant for you, leads to a life-changing moment. That is the story and origin of Yogadevotion 20 years ago this year. The “aha!” moment changed the path from doing to being present, to listening and actually hearing that God’s promise is fulfilled. When Yogadevotion started it was all about the physical practice which is still embraced with gratitude. The “aha!” life-changing moment came with the ability to be still and present after the physical practice. The change happened with the ability to sit with the breath and listen, trust the power of Jesus words, and believe the proclamation “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” as meant for you! Personal life-changing experiences have the power to transform the community and world around us, placing us on a path that mirrors the mission and ministry of Jesus.
