Vacare Deo

Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee. He didn’t want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. It was near the time of Tabernacles, a feast observed annually by the Jews.

His brothers said, “Why don’t you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you’re serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world.”  His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn’t believe in him either.

Jesus came back at them, “Don’t crowd me. This isn’t my time. It’s your time – it’s always your time; you have nothing to lose. The world has nothing against you, but it’s up in arms against me. It’s against me because I expose the evil behind its pretensions. You go ahead, go up to the Feast. Don’t wait for me. I’m not ready. It’s not the right time for me.”  He said this and stayed on in Galilee.  But later, after his family had gone up to the Feast, he also went.

                                    John 7

Praying the Scriptures …

1. Open your mind and heart to God, praying that you might be open and attentive to anything God might want to say to you. Ask that your heart will be receptive and your will ready to obey. Read the passage through to remind yourself of the event.
2. Now use your imagination to set the scene as vividly as you can. Use as many of your senses as you can: what would you hear? what would you see? what would you smell? who is in the scene? what are they doing? what is in the background? what is the emotional atmosphere like? Take time to let the scene unfold.
3. Now let yourself become part of this scene. Without forcing anything, what are you drawn to in the story? Perhaps you particularly identify with one of the characters, and take that role. Perhaps you are a bystander, watching what is taking place. When you have found your place it is time to …
4. Using the biblical story, allow the action to be played in your imagination. Now that you are part of the scene, notice how you find yourself responding – your thoughts, actions and feelings. It may be that the story unfolds a little differently to the biblical account. Notice what happens, as it may be significant. Do you find yourself interacting with Jesus? Is there anything you want to say to him, or ask him? Is there anything he seems to want to say to you, or ask you? Maybe a dialogue with Jesus, or another character, will unfold.
5. When your imaginary journey through the story has come to an end, take time to think back over what happened and how you found yourself responding. It might be helpful to journal your reflections. Allow this to lead into prayer, as seems appropriate.