Dear Friends,
Our next Cell group is on Nov 28th at the Imach's. We will meet around 3:30.
Here is a note from Jeanne about our meeting as well as another invitation on Dec 11 (my birthday!)
Dear Friends,
Dear Friends,
I want to invite you for two events:
1 Prayer, music, fellowship and food on the 28th (this Sunday) at my place...1860 Boardwalk, St Joseph
I will make bigos, a very tradtional Polish food served during Holidays (the sour kraut based stew).
It will be good for after the Thanksgiving as it has cleansing effects, ha ha.
If you want to bring some dish to pass, you are welcomed to, but not necessary...just an option if you have to many left overs from Thanksgiving:)
************************
2 I hope you can come to the Newman's Bookstore on Saturday, December 11th at 11:00 am as they welcome the Dominican Sisters of Mary to present ‘Rediscovering Christmas Traditions’. If you have ever been curious about the origin of the Advent wreath, nativity scenes, or the Twelve Days of Christmas, these beautiful sisters will bring to life the best-loved traditions of the Church, how to keep them alive in your home, and teach others about their true meaning. Join in and be sure to bring a friend.
(at Newman's Bookstore in Kalamazoo)
Immaculate Conception
Our Lady
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
FOP Fruit - Little flowers
I am so filled with God's amazing love today and just wanted to share a couple of little flowers with all of you that were there at the FOP this Saturday. I actually have 2 little flowers to share; one flower in my life and one to share on behalf of my son Zach (he gave me permission)
It seems whenever we go to the FOP's, our kids want to talk a lot about the Lord and the Spirit and everything to do with God's love as we journey home and throughout the week. Tonight was one of those nights. Sometimes they just say "talk Dad" which seems to be code for "share with us the good news and the work of the Spirit". Tonight at Dinner I was sharing with the girls about how this weekend inspired me so much to stay centered on Jesus, especially in Eucharistic Adoration. In fact, Luke Billing was evangelizing me about adoration and the gift of a plenary indulgence at the Holy Trinity adoration chapel on Sunday. He encouraged me to go pray with him in Adoration before we left town. I don't think he knew that God had been telling me the same thing through many people in community - that He wants me to spend more time in Adoration. As Luke led a small group of us to Adoration, I was so touched to See two people from the FOP, who were also at Mass on Sunday and who were also at coffee and doughnuts. As I walked in and saw those 2 people I had a certain knowledge that I was home - with my family - my spiritual family, and I knew I was in the right place. And That in front of Jesus is where God the Father wants us to be, to adore and receive the mercy and blessings from heaven. We stayed for 5 - 8 minutes and I was keenly aware that I was just led to prayer in front of our Lord by an 8th grade boy. I am in awe of God's Wisdom and that he would have a child (I mean young man) lead me. But that is not the flower I wanted to share. As some of you may know last winter was a rough one, and I am trying to stay close to Jesus right now as we enter into the winter months. There have been struggles at work that get me thinking negatively and very quickly I seem to get into a depressive period. I had one of those days on Thursday, but thanks to all of you incredible people that have shared the Joy of the Lord with me in your own ups and downs, I feel supported and inspired to stay close, very close to the Lord and put my mind on heavenly things. Today as I entered back into the world, the world which seems to drag me down and cause me to lose my center, I decided to break from the day at the office and go to Adoration. I spent about 1/2 hour there and I opened Scripture and the Spirit led me to read 1 Thes. I read the entire short letter and spent time in breath prayer meditating on His word. What a joy! Please pray that I can have discipline and go more often and go regularly. I can't tell you how many of you have been a witness to me in your devotion and consistency. I am too often all or nothing, and way too often - Nothing.
When I came home tonight, I was able to make time for evening prayer. Anneleisa and I have been doing pretty well with Morning prayer and Night prayer, but Evening prayer seems hard to fit in to our busy evenings that revolve around swim schedules. Tonight I was blessed to have time to do Evening prayer, and do it slowly. Here was the reading.
1 Thessalonians 2 11 - 13
11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
Okay, so for you Divine office experts I know it is not technically today's evening prayer reading if you were doing the Memorial for St Cecilia, but being the Novice that I am, I chose to do Monday Week II (we are on week 2 right?). So by God's providence I read the same scripture at adoration as I did during evening prayer and I haven't done either (adoration or evening prayer) in over 3 weeks. I know with all certainty and without a doubt that God is calling me to spend time with him, and especially much more time with him in adoration - He calls me into his Kingdom and his GLORY!!!
This seems to me to be the WORD of God at work in those who believe, both in me and in this community.
So fast forward a bit, I am crying... with Joy... thanking Jesus and sharing this story with my kids at dinner and after dinner my 8 year old son Zach and I have this exchange.
He told me basically that during the FOP, during the 4th or 5th song that he was by his friend Noah and started to cry.
I was a bit shocked and said with some force "You started to CRY?"
He corrected me, "Not crying dad, but I had tears in my eyes".
Ah, now I understood.
So I asked him why: "What were you crying about?"
He told me simply, "I was thinking about Jesus Dying."
I pretty much said, "Wow Zach, that is pretty cool of you to share with me".
But the spirit wasn't quite done with the conversation. I am learning that with my kids, I need to sit with them and talk to them just a bit longer than I would naturally with someone my own age to get the whole story. I put my hand on his knee and I gently pressed him further. "Were you standing? I mean, what was your body like? Were you raising your hands or just praying/singing with your arms open or what?" I was trying to help him help me experience a bit deeper the truths that the spirit was imparting into is soul. I thought maybe if I had a visual picture of his body language that might help. I wasn't prepared for the next part of the conversation.
He said "I was actually sitting down"
Pause
"I actually had some pain"
"Pain?" I said, "What kind of pain?"
"Stomach"
Pause
"But not like I was sick, it was a sharp shooting pain"
"Like a cut"
"Really," I said, "Can you show me where?"
He raised his shirt and pointed to his right side on his 4th or 5th rib above his stomach just below is pectoral area.
I asked him if that cause him to think about Jesus' pain on the cross and his wounds and he simply nodded and said "Yes".
I am completely amazed at how Christ is touching our children, literally touching them, changing them and capturing their hearts. I am so grateful for all of you and for being there for me and praising with us and putting all the time an effort into planning, preparing, organizing etc. What shocks me about what we just talked about is that neither my wife or I (and likely many of you) never would have expected that something like this happened to Zach. We see all of the outside "stuff" and draw conclusions. I had no idea that God was working in Zach's heart in that way.
"Thank you Jesus for opening my eyes and seeing beyond the externals and for the knowledge that You do so much more than we can even imagine or more than we ask."
Eph 2 14 - 20
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Peace in Christ,
Kurt
It seems whenever we go to the FOP's, our kids want to talk a lot about the Lord and the Spirit and everything to do with God's love as we journey home and throughout the week. Tonight was one of those nights. Sometimes they just say "talk Dad" which seems to be code for "share with us the good news and the work of the Spirit". Tonight at Dinner I was sharing with the girls about how this weekend inspired me so much to stay centered on Jesus, especially in Eucharistic Adoration. In fact, Luke Billing was evangelizing me about adoration and the gift of a plenary indulgence at the Holy Trinity adoration chapel on Sunday. He encouraged me to go pray with him in Adoration before we left town. I don't think he knew that God had been telling me the same thing through many people in community - that He wants me to spend more time in Adoration. As Luke led a small group of us to Adoration, I was so touched to See two people from the FOP, who were also at Mass on Sunday and who were also at coffee and doughnuts. As I walked in and saw those 2 people I had a certain knowledge that I was home - with my family - my spiritual family, and I knew I was in the right place. And That in front of Jesus is where God the Father wants us to be, to adore and receive the mercy and blessings from heaven. We stayed for 5 - 8 minutes and I was keenly aware that I was just led to prayer in front of our Lord by an 8th grade boy. I am in awe of God's Wisdom and that he would have a child (I mean young man) lead me. But that is not the flower I wanted to share. As some of you may know last winter was a rough one, and I am trying to stay close to Jesus right now as we enter into the winter months. There have been struggles at work that get me thinking negatively and very quickly I seem to get into a depressive period. I had one of those days on Thursday, but thanks to all of you incredible people that have shared the Joy of the Lord with me in your own ups and downs, I feel supported and inspired to stay close, very close to the Lord and put my mind on heavenly things. Today as I entered back into the world, the world which seems to drag me down and cause me to lose my center, I decided to break from the day at the office and go to Adoration. I spent about 1/2 hour there and I opened Scripture and the Spirit led me to read 1 Thes. I read the entire short letter and spent time in breath prayer meditating on His word. What a joy! Please pray that I can have discipline and go more often and go regularly. I can't tell you how many of you have been a witness to me in your devotion and consistency. I am too often all or nothing, and way too often - Nothing.
When I came home tonight, I was able to make time for evening prayer. Anneleisa and I have been doing pretty well with Morning prayer and Night prayer, but Evening prayer seems hard to fit in to our busy evenings that revolve around swim schedules. Tonight I was blessed to have time to do Evening prayer, and do it slowly. Here was the reading.
1 Thessalonians 2 11 - 13
11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
Okay, so for you Divine office experts I know it is not technically today's evening prayer reading if you were doing the Memorial for St Cecilia, but being the Novice that I am, I chose to do Monday Week II (we are on week 2 right?). So by God's providence I read the same scripture at adoration as I did during evening prayer and I haven't done either (adoration or evening prayer) in over 3 weeks. I know with all certainty and without a doubt that God is calling me to spend time with him, and especially much more time with him in adoration - He calls me into his Kingdom and his GLORY!!!
This seems to me to be the WORD of God at work in those who believe, both in me and in this community.
So fast forward a bit, I am crying... with Joy... thanking Jesus and sharing this story with my kids at dinner and after dinner my 8 year old son Zach and I have this exchange.
He told me basically that during the FOP, during the 4th or 5th song that he was by his friend Noah and started to cry.
I was a bit shocked and said with some force "You started to CRY?"
He corrected me, "Not crying dad, but I had tears in my eyes".
Ah, now I understood.
So I asked him why: "What were you crying about?"
He told me simply, "I was thinking about Jesus Dying."
I pretty much said, "Wow Zach, that is pretty cool of you to share with me".
But the spirit wasn't quite done with the conversation. I am learning that with my kids, I need to sit with them and talk to them just a bit longer than I would naturally with someone my own age to get the whole story. I put my hand on his knee and I gently pressed him further. "Were you standing? I mean, what was your body like? Were you raising your hands or just praying/singing with your arms open or what?" I was trying to help him help me experience a bit deeper the truths that the spirit was imparting into is soul. I thought maybe if I had a visual picture of his body language that might help. I wasn't prepared for the next part of the conversation.
He said "I was actually sitting down"
Pause
"I actually had some pain"
"Pain?" I said, "What kind of pain?"
"Stomach"
Pause
"But not like I was sick, it was a sharp shooting pain"
"Like a cut"
"Really," I said, "Can you show me where?"
He raised his shirt and pointed to his right side on his 4th or 5th rib above his stomach just below is pectoral area.
I asked him if that cause him to think about Jesus' pain on the cross and his wounds and he simply nodded and said "Yes".
I am completely amazed at how Christ is touching our children, literally touching them, changing them and capturing their hearts. I am so grateful for all of you and for being there for me and praising with us and putting all the time an effort into planning, preparing, organizing etc. What shocks me about what we just talked about is that neither my wife or I (and likely many of you) never would have expected that something like this happened to Zach. We see all of the outside "stuff" and draw conclusions. I had no idea that God was working in Zach's heart in that way.
"Thank you Jesus for opening my eyes and seeing beyond the externals and for the knowledge that You do so much more than we can even imagine or more than we ask."
Eph 2 14 - 20
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Peace in Christ,
Kurt
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Chicago FOP Nov 20th
A message from the Chicago Cell group regarding the upcoming FOP
Hello Folks,
Our next BSCD Festival of Praise will be happening on Saturday, November 20th, in Holy Family Hall at Holy Trinity Church. With the Thanksgiving holiday and Advent just around the bend, this will be another great opportunity to "dedicate ourselves to thankfulness" (Col 3:15) as we lift our hearts and voices in praise. In mindful preparation, starting today, we have 10 days to pray that all of our hearts will be truly ready to enter into to a special time of closeness to our God, and experience the joy that comes in praising Him. Let's spend some extra time each day in prayer and offer any little trials or sacrifices up to the Lord during these days. May our praise be pure, and somehow be of benefit to all those who are in need of God's love and mercy!
A reminder that the side door to the basement located on the southeast side of the church will be open. The start of praise will be around 7:15pm, to give people time to arrive and gather. As usual, we will be having ice cream after the praise & worship time ends, so bring your favorite flavor. And any help you can provide at the end in cleaning up and restoring the hall to its original setup would be appreciated.
God continues to bless us with some wonderful times of worship and prayer, and please feel free to prayerfully invite others to come who may be interested in praying with us through song. If it's someone who has not had much or any experience with the charismatic gifts of the Spirit, please be mindful of this and take some time to talk with them before the FOP, or feel free to let Colleen, Julie, or me know so we can speak with them ahead of time about some of the things they may experience there. Thanks!
God bless, everyone!
Brian
PS - Please update your calendars for the next FOP, which will be on January 22 (Saturday). It will also be in Holy Family Hall.
Hello Folks,
Our next BSCD Festival of Praise will be happening on Saturday, November 20th, in Holy Family Hall at Holy Trinity Church. With the Thanksgiving holiday and Advent just around the bend, this will be another great opportunity to "dedicate ourselves to thankfulness" (Col 3:15) as we lift our hearts and voices in praise. In mindful preparation, starting today, we have 10 days to pray that all of our hearts will be truly ready to enter into to a special time of closeness to our God, and experience the joy that comes in praising Him. Let's spend some extra time each day in prayer and offer any little trials or sacrifices up to the Lord during these days. May our praise be pure, and somehow be of benefit to all those who are in need of God's love and mercy!
A reminder that the side door to the basement located on the southeast side of the church will be open. The start of praise will be around 7:15pm, to give people time to arrive and gather. As usual, we will be having ice cream after the praise & worship time ends, so bring your favorite flavor. And any help you can provide at the end in cleaning up and restoring the hall to its original setup would be appreciated.
God continues to bless us with some wonderful times of worship and prayer, and please feel free to prayerfully invite others to come who may be interested in praying with us through song. If it's someone who has not had much or any experience with the charismatic gifts of the Spirit, please be mindful of this and take some time to talk with them before the FOP, or feel free to let Colleen, Julie, or me know so we can speak with them ahead of time about some of the things they may experience there. Thanks!
God bless, everyone!
Brian
PS - Please update your calendars for the next FOP, which will be on January 22 (Saturday). It will also be in Holy Family Hall.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Nov 28th Cell group
Our Meeting for our Nov 28th Cell group will be at the Imach's house. Their address is 1860 Boardwalk St Joseph, MI. Jeanne/Peter, any suggestions for us on what we can bring? Let me know, post a comment here or we can chat and come up with a plan. our Schedule will remain about the same (except for the time change 3:30)
3:30 gather, Meal
Worship
quiet reflection
Intercessions
Short sharing on community and journeys
Book review chapters 8 - 11 of "the world is my cloister"
Group discussion
Wrap up.
this seems to be flowing into our general meeting outline so for now we will leave this posted and tweak it as needed.
God Bless everyone!
3:30 gather, Meal
Worship
quiet reflection
Intercessions
Short sharing on community and journeys
Book review chapters 8 - 11 of "the world is my cloister"
Group discussion
Wrap up.
this seems to be flowing into our general meeting outline so for now we will leave this posted and tweak it as needed.
God Bless everyone!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Greetings Everyone,
We will be meeting this Sunday at the Collins home between 1:30 and 2. It is hard for the Filla's to make it by 1:30 so we should plan to eat at 2 and start worship around 3 ending around 5 or 5:30.
I will be bringing a White chicken Chili,
the lahs are bring breads and butter
the Imachs are bringing a side salad
Please fill in as needed.
We will be going through the next 4 (short chapters) of our book and Anneleisa will be doing the sharing.
I would also like to encourage us to continue to share how the Lord is working in our lives day to day throughout the last few weeks since we met. It seems like Lord is very much at work everyone's lives and I really appreciated getting to know how God is inspiring and moving everyone. Last meeting was truly great. Let's keep the fire going.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
We will be meeting this Sunday at the Collins home between 1:30 and 2. It is hard for the Filla's to make it by 1:30 so we should plan to eat at 2 and start worship around 3 ending around 5 or 5:30.
I will be bringing a White chicken Chili,
the lahs are bring breads and butter
the Imachs are bringing a side salad
Please fill in as needed.
We will be going through the next 4 (short chapters) of our book and Anneleisa will be doing the sharing.
I would also like to encourage us to continue to share how the Lord is working in our lives day to day throughout the last few weeks since we met. It seems like Lord is very much at work everyone's lives and I really appreciated getting to know how God is inspiring and moving everyone. Last meeting was truly great. Let's keep the fire going.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
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