WHPC Spiritual Formation Menu
Study Guide No. 1
"On Your Mark - Get Set - Read"
"On Your Mark" is a 9 week practice allowing you to do an in depth and contemplative reading of the Book of Mark, the earliest of the four Gospels of the New Testament. In each week you will have five 5 readings (Monday thru Friday) from Mark, with each passage of scripture followed by a commentary on the passage prepared by Pastor Stacy. Each is then followed by a brief question to ponder about that passage. We encourage you to think deeply about that question as it applies to you and to then offer a brief silent prayer that addresses that question. At the end of the nine weeks you will have read the book of Mark in depth and we hope and pray that you will have a deeper and more contemplative understanding of all of it's rich meanings.
On Your Mark - Get Set - Read
Week 2 - Mark 1:40 thru Mark 2:38
Week 3 - Mark 3:1 thru Mark 3:35
Week 4 - Mark 4:1 thru Mark 4:31
Week 5 - Mark 5:1 thru Mark 6:13
Week 6 - Mark 6:14 thru Mark 7:13
Week 7 - Mark 7:14 thru Mark 8:21
Week 8 - Mark 8:22 thru Mark 9:8
Week 9 - Mark 9:9 thru Mark 9:50
Study Guide No. 2
All That Glitters
Introduction
Welcome to a seven-week experience considering your life with God. "All That Glitters" is a great way to dive into this profound sermon, and to draw closer to your family of faith at WHPC!
We will spend these weeks in Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew Chapters 5-7). These chapters in Matthew’s Gospel constitute the largest collection of Jesus’ sayings in the New Testament. They paint a picture of a radically different way of life and a radically new ethic. In this “sermon,” Jesus presents a vision of life in the Kingdom of God.
So, let’s begin. A few notes:
• The passages of scripture in this reading guide are from the newest English translation of the Bible – the CEB. It is a rigorous and scholarly translation and will provide us with a “new” hearing of well-known scripture.
• This guide will provide you just a bit of study material. Feel free to use a study Bible or commentary for more extensive study.
• This guide will give you one thought a day to ponder and to pray into. Use that thought or allow the Spirit to speak in some other way.
• No matter how you use this guide, it is my prayer that you spend some time each day reflecting upon Jesus’ vision of life in God’s kingdom. It is also my prayer that such reflection may stretch you, but not distress you as you consider your life. Instead, I pray that God uses this time to show you the places in your life where God’s kingdom comes, and God’s will is being done.
Peace,
Pastor Stacy December 2019
All That Glitters - Sermon on the Mount Readings
Week 1 - Matthew 5:1 thru Matthew 5:8
Week 2 - Matthew 5:9 thru Matthew 5:26
Week 3 - Matthew 5:27 thru Matthew 5:48
Week 4 - Matthew 6:1 thru Matthew 6:15
Week 5 - Matthew 6:16 thru Matthew 7:5
Week 6 - Matthew 7:6 thru Matthew 7:16
Week 7 - Matthew 7:17 thru Matthew 7:28
PRAXIS - A LENTEN GUIDE
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations."
Jesus commanded his first followers then and challenges us now to make disciples. It makes me pause though - am I a disciple? To be a disciple means to be a student of another. In the midst of all there is to do in life, focusing on being a student of Jesus can easily move down the priority list until it is 11pm and my head is already on the pillow. If we are to make disciples, we need to be disciples. We need to practice our faith and make it a priority. This Lent, join me and our fabulous writing team to PRAXIS - a Lenten commitment to practice our faith through daily meditation. I am amazed what happens to our group think and group spirit when we are all studying the same scriptures; people find connections with the folks and their faith family in new ways. I know this will be the same as we practice our faith in familiar and new ways.
We will be focusing on a different Praxis each week. This guide will allow you to experience God in a 6 different ways through stillness, service, scripture, prayer, letting go, and surrender. We also know the value of doing things in community and so we have groups meeting throughout the week.where we will be doing the Praxis together.
A huge thank you to our writing team led by Stacy Ikard, Drew Beckley, Janis Claflin and Phil Haag.
With great anticipation for God's work through our Praxis - Pastor Emily.
Study Guide No. 3
Praxis - A Lenten Guide
How to Use This Guide
This book is a guide - a guide to your own practice of spiritual discipline this Lenten season.
Please take the time and use the scripture and questions you will find each day of the week throughout Lent. The practice is simple:
There is no right or wrong way to read scripture or to pray. The objective is simply to be in daily practice.
Week 1 - Experience God in Stillness
Week 2 - Experience God in Service
Week 3 - Experience God in Scripture
Week 4 - Experience God in Prayer
Week 5 - Experience God in Letting Go
Week 6 - Experience God in Surrender