Experiencing Jesus with Bishop Mariann

I cannot speak to you as yet from the experience of weekly Sabbath as I imagine it--a full day of rest that I hope one day to have as part of my spiritual practice. But I can speak of the restoring, restful smaller practices that help me redeem time and restore my tattered soul. I know what some of those restful moments are for me: They can be as simple as lighting a candle before an evening meal, taking a deep breath, and savoring the moment gathered at the table. I find rest in a quiet walk and invigorating bicycle ride. It is restful and restoring for me whenever I can allow time to drift, when I can let go, even for a moment, of the need to be productive. It’s been said that there is more to life than increasing its speed. We are more in God’s eyes than what we feel we must do. To realize that for God rest is a priority for us surely has the power to shift our perspective even a little bit. Perhaps we can trust what the Book of Common Prayer encourages us to pray is actually true: that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength. May that be true for you, for all of us. Friends, this ends the first season of Experiencing Jesus and the exploration of the Way of Love. While this series is finished, our walk in the way of love continues, as the life practice, and foundational spiritual resource of the Episcopal Church. Executive Producers: Bishop Mariann Budde & Daryl Paul Lobban This podcast is sponsored by the friends and members of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington For the full text of this episode, visit: To Rest Full Text For The Way of Love, small group guides, daily devotional, & lectionary visit: EDOW Way Of Love Resources

However we sense God’s call to go--to places that frighten or inspire us; to places we would choose gladly or do anything to avoid; to travel across boundaries or to stay put, physically and to deepen where we are--the greatest truth is this: we do not go alone. I hope you know that. I hope you know that Jesus is always with you. And that God doesn’t expect us to get it right all the time, or even to say yes the first time, or the second, or third. But getting to yes, when we sense God is calling us to go somewhere, is, in fact, better than no. Even if where God’s calling us is right where we are, trying to determine the next faithful step. For the full text of this episode, visit: Bishop's Writing- To Go For The Way of Love, small group guides, daily devotional, & lectionary visit: EDOW Way of Love Resources

Bishop Mariann explores three ways that the practice of blessing can draw us closer to God and help us grow in our capacity to love. It seems as if we all must wrestle with things in life--hard things we would not choose but have come to us nonetheless. We must wrestle with them until the blessing reveals itself. That’s not to say that we are to pretend to feel the blessing when we don’t, to sugarcoat something terrible, but rather that we allow ourselves to receive blessing in our time of trial, however it comes. It could be the blessing of a hard-won truth; or a capacity that’s grown in us because of our experience, a gift that sustains us through our ordeal. We would never wish what we have gone through on anyone, and yet the blessing, when it comes, is often enough for us to be grateful for the person we’ve become as a result of our trials. That is the miracle, the power of blessing. The Way of Love is the journey of a lifetime. It’s a way of knowing God, receiving and sharing Jesus’ love, and being a blessing to the world. For the full text of this episode, visit: Bishop's Writings- To Bless For The Way of Love, small group guides, daily devotional, & lectionary visit: EDOW Way of Love Resources

Bishop Mariann takes us back to the days after the Ressurection and helps us experience Jesus on our own "roads to Emmaus" in our times of worship and in the celebration of the Eucharist. The Way of Love is the journey of a lifetime. It’s a way of knowing God, receiving and sharing Jesus’ love, and being a blessing to the world. For the full text of this episode, visit:Bishop's Writings- To Worship For The Way of Love, small group guides, daily devotional, & lectionary visit: EDOW Way of Love Resources

Prayer is a vital component of the Way of Love. Prayer does not have to be complex, long, or anxious. Prayer is a time in which we are able to bring our full selves to God trusting that God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, will hear our longings and concerns. So let me give you a bit of my personal testimony: how God spoke to my life in a time of prayer. The Way of Love is the journey of a lifetime. It’s a way of knowing God, receiving and sharing Jesus’ love, and being a blessing to the world. For The Way of Love, small group guides, daily devotional, & lectionary visit: EDOW Way of Love Resources

Reflecting on Jesus’ life and teaching can shed spiritual light on your life. Jesus says in the Gospel of John that we can only speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen. So let me give you a bit of my personal testimony: how God spoke to my life through a particular story from gospels that hat has become part of my spiritual narrative The Way of Love is the journey of a lifetime. It’s a way of knowing God, receiving and sharing Jesus’ love, and being a blessing to the world. For the full text of the sermon, visit: To Learn Sermon For The Way of Love, small group guides, daily devotional, & lectionary visit: EDOW Way of Love Resources

Turning is but one of seven practices in the Jesus-focused life. It’s the starting point when we first make the decision to turn toward the one who has come to us. We turn to him in need of forgiveness and strength. It’s a choice we make every day, to turn toward him and then to follow where he leads. But remember, as you turn, that he turns to you, first, and to me, in love. The Way of Love is the journey of a lifetime. It’s a way of knowing God, receiving and sharing Jesus’ love, and being a blessing to the world. For the full text of the sermon, visit: Sermon Text For The Way of Love, small group guides, daily devotional, & lectionary visit: EDOW Way of Love Resources

So often we think of the Christian faith as an obligation, or as a set of beliefs that we must hold. There are obligations and beliefs, but if we get stuck there, we can lose sight of, or never experience at all, what is most important. At its heart, Christianity offers an invitation to experience a loving, personal relationship with God. It’s a relationship we can trust, where we can find refuge and solid ground upon which to stand. The Way of Love is the journey of a lifetime. It’s a way of knowing God, receiving and sharing Jesus’ love, and being a blessing to the world. For the full text of the sermon, visit: Bishop's Writings For The Way of Love, small group guides, daily devotional, & lectionary visit: EDOW Way of Love Resources