Dayspring Blog

Have you ever been angry with God because of the events happening in the world? It all came crashing in on me as I meditated one morning. But in a time of quiet reflection I realized I wasn’t angry with God but with my image of God which was dying. My image of what a loving God looks like just didn’t fit the facts of cyclones in Burma and earthquakes in China.

The first edition of the Dayspring Members’ Communiqué tackles this issue. In Mark 10, Jesus confronts a wealthy would-be disciple by turning his expectations upside down. Rather than affirm the Old Testament image of a God who rewards the righteous with wealth, Jesus tells him to sell all he has and then follow him. Eugene Petersen calls this the Great Reversal. Perhaps this is God’s name - The Great Reversal?

If this is true, then what does it mean for me to love God, a God who is so different from anything I can imagine? How can I love someone I do not know? Yet this is precisely what I am called to do. To let my faulty images of God go, and to abandon myself to love someone I do not, and cannot, truly know.

For me, this is the struggle, the pain of being in the crucible of prayer. I wrote in my journal, “I will love God though I do not like God, though I do not feel God close, though I do not understand God nor feel that God truly loves.” This is the pain of The Great Reversal, of the death of my images of God. Images which demand that God loves in a certain way. Images which comfort but which must die. It is the call to love God because God is God, and not because God meets my expectations.

Have you encountered God, The Great Reversal, recently?

(You can receive a copy of the Dayspring Members’ Communiqué by becoming a member of Dayspring. Contact us on info@dayspring.org.au)

Greetings Friends,
 
 Dayspring has a great opportunity in trying out the new retreat house at Nathanael’s Rest in Mundaring.
The Proprietor, Beth Roberton has given us a great deal to be the first group to use the new facilities.
 
So on the weekend, 22nd – 24th of February a meditation retreat will be conducted.
 
Theme – “Taste and Be” with introductory session to meditation, “Silence as a path to knowing”
 
Come and taste the newly constructed retreat house at a very low introductory cost – an amazing $120 for the whole weekend.
 
Please register NOW as places are limited.
 
Ring the office, 9376 1400 to secure a room.
 
If you are not able to attend the weekend, you are invited to visit on the Sunday afternoon to have a look at the new facilities.

(Map attached for your directions)
 
Lynette

Greetings Friends,

just a reminder that the “Introduction to the Enneagram” workshop
is this Saturday 23rd February 2008

Starts at 9.30 – 4pm. (BYO lunch)

Cost $90 (concession $75)

Facilitator is Rev Dennis Ryle.

Please let me know if you plan to attend,

Blessings Lynette

Greetings Friends,
 
The Annual Twilight Easter Retreat will be on Saturday 8th March at All Saints in Henley Brook.  Please print off the following details and advertise among your friends.
 
 
“Walking with Jesus”
 
TWILIGHT EASTER RETREAT
 
You are invited to come aside for a time of reflection and meditation
to prepare for Easter.
 
Brian Stitt will lead you through reflection on the Easter story and the Stations of the Cross.
 
Saturday 8th March 2008
 
at
“All Saints” Henry Street, Henley Brook
 
3.30pm – 7pm
 
Cost $20
 
BYO picnic tea.
 Tea/coffee provided.
 
Please register your interest –9376 1400
 
 

“Sacred Spaces” has been launched as a contemplative ministry in the western suburbs of Perth.

While it builds on an existing program at this church, its intention is to promote ecumenically those programs that draw on the Christian contemplative tradition.

This morning we have launched http://wasacredspaces.blogspot.com/
Watch this page to keep up to date.

Please let me know if you are aware of any event or program that would merit inclusion.
 
Shalom
Dennis Ryle
Church of Christ Wembley Downs
www.wdcoc.org.au

Greetings Friends,

 Just a reminder that the Annual General Meeting of Dayspring will be held on Sunday 17th February at 5pm followed by a light supper. This will include a graduation for students finishing the Certificate, Advanced Diploma and Graduate Diploma Courses.

 If you would like to renew your membership with Dayspring you can do that at the AGM.

For more information please ring us on 9376 1400 or email,

Thanks

Lynette

The Dayspring Website has been updated.

Be sure the check the Calendar for the latest events.

- 2008 Dayspring Handbook

- 2008 Course Calendar

Greetings and a Happy New Year from all at Dayspring
 
We have such an exciting year ahead and look forward to your involvement with us.
 
The Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday 17th February at 5pm – 7pm.
We will feature
·        the graduation of our Graduate Diploma Students of 2007.
·        Life membership will be awarded to Joy Eichhorn and Jennifer Turner,
·        reports will be presented,
·        a motion for Changes to the Constitution (details to follow)
·        Guest Speaker, Rev Barry Ryall,
·        supper together.
 
Nominations for Guiding Committee members closes this Thursday (17th Jan) so if you want to nominate, please contact me by return email.
 
February Features:-
 
Journaling I Workshop – 9th & 16th February – 9.30am – 12.30pm.
 
Enneagram I Workshop – Sat 23rd February 9.30am – 12.30pm.
 
In March :-
 
The Margaret Silf Retreat –“At Sea with God” at Shoalwater – Monday 17th – Thursday 20th March
(please note dates as one of our publications was incorrect)
 
Professional Development Workshops with Margaret Silf – Friday 14th March and Saturday 15th March – 9.30am – 3.30pm.
 
The Retreat is filling fast so get your registration in as soon as possible.
 
For further information on retreats and workshops, email or ring the office on 9376 1400.
 
Blessings, Lynette
 

I am determined to start writing again. There has been a long lag in which I have not been writing, particularly in the religious part of my life. I want that to change. So i am setting myself the goal of getting up early enough to write for 15 mins every morning first thing.

I have neglected the Dayspring side of my life. I have some coursework to complete that I have not attended to. I need to do that. The secular education side of my life has completely dominated my thinking and writing. Many of my friends talk about going with the energy and passion. That's great. That's what I have been doing but I am thinking at the moment that I need to attend to the sides of my life that are filled with energy and passion at the moment. Isn't that important too?

The other thing that i have been neglecting and want to do something about is networking with the religious thinkers in my life. I have lots of friends and acquaintances that I hardly ever see. They have fine minds and i miss the engagement. It is my own fault. There is a blogging network. I want to get out there and start commenting in their blogs and start challenging the banal and inane points of view that religious folk tend to hold.

To finish this morning's post here is an exerpt from the NextReformations blog from several months back

NextReformation » detox and James Fowler:
“Here’s a strong statement: most evangelicals… are addicted to church culture. Take away their Sunday service, their bible studies, prayer meetings, and five-song worship teams and they start having withdrawals quickly. I would suggest a time of at least a year of not doing the ‘normal’ church stuff. For us, during that time of detachment we only did a few things together ” ask hard questions and eat. Those were our corporate disciplines.”

it is a long post. But I refer to it in finishing this morning because it is one of the key blockers to me engaging with my heritage: this addiction with religion.

I had a drink with my friend Tim tonight.

The thing that I came away with most of all is that I have to get back into blogging. I have let myself get distracted. Life is so full and there are so many things to pay attention to… but that is no excuse. If I am not writing, I am not contributing to the flow of ideas.

I have to develop a writing discipline. I need to the GTD thing and allocate myself 15 mins a day. That’s 15 mins a day for each of my blogging spheres… provocative thoughts about education, provocative thoughts about religion, general thoughts about my life and, If I am teaching a brief round up of the day’s lessons.

With regard to the last thoughts I also need to look into live blogging so that i can be putting down stuff as, or very soon after it happens.

The reason that I came away with these thoughts about blogging was that we spoke about networking. I already have a swag (30-40) religious bloggers in my aggregator that I could be reading more closely. So really it is a matter of just paying attention and giving a response. So a little less cyncism, Russel, and a little more attention to your brothers and sisters in Christ. it wouldn’t go astray.

Thanks Tim. As always your fine frienship is a source of inspiration and challenge.