Pastor's Midweek Message

September 7, 2025

Sisters and brothers,

One of the really neat things about our God is how God is always speaking to us. I hope God is using our current sermon series, Practice Makes Perfect, to speak to you about ways in which you could draw nearer to God, to deepen your discipleship, and hear God’s voice more often.

This past weekend was one of my favorite topics, looking at some of the spiritual practices of the saints of centuries ago to see what lessons we might learn. And I loved seeing that we had 17 people online with us on Sunday: that tells me that church is becoming something folks can’t miss, even when they’re sick or travelling. I love the dedication!

In the event you weren’t taking notes, though, I wanted to review the Examen here, so that it could become something you explore. I encourage you to make a copy of this page and save it wherever you do your devotional times, as a reminder and encouragement to try something new.

The Examen is half a millennium old, created by St. Ignatius of Loyola, and stands as a time-tested means of drawing closer to God. In my experience I’ve found it works best in the evening, perhaps just before bedtime. This spiritual discipline involves six steps:

1. Centering: Turn off the TV, put down the phone, go to a place where you can be comfortable and undisturbed, and turn your heart towards God.

2. Pray for light: The Examen really starts with asking God to shed God’s light on our day. As we review our day, let us see it with God’s eyes, not our own.

3. Give thanks: The day we just lived was a unique, irreplaceable gift from God. There will never be another day quite like it...so let us give thanks to God for the day we have had, the good and the bad, all of it a gift.

4. Review the day: As we review our day, we do so with God’s eyes. How did God see the things we chose to do? How did we honor God with the gift of our day? How did we ignore God, or ignore an opportunity to serve? In this step we must let God be honest with ourselves.

5. Ask forgiveness: Where God has shown us places where we maybe missed the mark, we take time to repent and ask God’s forgiveness, knowing it will be ours as we ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

6. Look forward to tomorrow: Where is it that we are excited about tomorrow? Where are we anxious or nervous? Invite God to be present in the coming day for us, that we may know how God has already gone before us and seeks to meet us there.

As with any new spiritual discipline, it will take time for this to become a habit...but if we practice it, it starts to build deep roots in us. I’d welcome hearing your stories about walking this path, and where God has been working to show you aspects of your spiritual life you hadn’t experienced before. This is all a part of discipleship: of surrendering to God, and staying in touch with God on our journeys, so that we can become the followers of Jesus we’re invited to b

So let’s go.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Eric