Issue 200 - Celebrating Soul Windows
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Soul Windows Ministries pauses now, after 10 years and 200 issues of the
Reflection newsletter, to celebrate our past and look to the future. We share our gratitude and dreams with you.
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In our inaugural issue ten years ago, I commented about the photo in our masthead. The picture is from the
Basilica of Mary Magdalene in Vezelay, France. According to experts, every stone in the interior of this 12th-century church is touched by direct sunlight at some time during the year. “Just so,” I wrote, “every ordinary thing around us lights up, now and then, reflecting God’s glory. May we have eyes to see.”
It is our prayer that these newsletters help you, our readers, to catch some fleeting glimpses of God’s love and grace. The discipline of writing these reflections has certainly helped us to be more observant, more open, to glimpses of the divine.
We have written about people we have met, from great saints, such as the late Jean Vanier, to anonymous smiling children. We have reflected on great art and everyday events, on football games and natural beauty.
The
Rule of Benedict specifies that all the tools and goods of a monastery, whether farm implements or cooking pots, are to be viewed “as though they were the consecrated vessels of the altar” (RB 31). Every created thing bears the touch of its creator. Every physical object can be sacramental, a sign of God’s presence and grace.
Norvene Vest writes that “humility, tenderness, and wonder arise naturally” for those who have learned to see “God’s presence in the ordinary.”
[1] We pray that these gifts be yours, and that our efforts may have, and may yet, be God’s tools toward that end.
-- Bill
[1]
Norvene Vest,
Preferring Christ: A Devotional Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict
, (Morehouse, 1990), 156.
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For those of us who are somewhat conversant with Scripture, “a new creation” flashes images of God making all things new. (
2 Cor 3:6). Friend and Ignatian master Joe Tetlow, SJ frequently says, “God is making us momently,” that is, God's Spirit continues to inspire and gift us moment-to-moment, in gracious ways that only God can.
Ten years and 200 issues ago, Bill and I said yes to the Spirit’s inspiration for
Soul Windows Reflection. Now we have discerned an extension of the ministry, to expand and amplify the platform for information sharing. It is a ‘new order’ of sorts, the goal being to reach out to a greater number and more diverse audience.
We are in the middle of a planning stage, that is, we’ve discerned the objectives, options, and process; now we are building the structures. We will soon offer you a survey to let us know what types of articles and services most appeal to you.
Next, we plan to update and expand our online presence to reach more seekers interested in engaging with
Soul Windows Ministries. We will extend and amplify our services beyond the
Reflection newsletter through various services and products. Finally, we will offer a funding initiative to cover upgrade expenses. Please be assured that your subscription to the
Reflection newsletter will remain free, our gift to you.
We treasure your continued readership and especially appreciate those of you who reach out to us with gratitude for our Reflections offerings. Together, with God’s grace and your support, we will ‘make all things new.’
--Jan
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John Piper speaks about glimpses of God in the ordinary
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The amazing power of gratitude for all that is created
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Recent Issues
Issue 177 - Mr. Rogers
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Please share Reflection freely by forwarding any issue (forward in its entirety), but remember to respect copyright laws by not altering, copying, or reproducing Reflection, text or photos, whole or in part, without written permission.
Copyright (c) 2019 Soul Windows Ministries
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Sincerely,
Bill Howden and Jan Davis
Soul Windows Ministries
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