### Naked day 3 > Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God. ### Opening Prayer: *O Lord my God, how I long to recapture the purity and joy of the Garden—when I was able to stand before you (and others) naked and unashamed. That, indeed, is what I was made for. But this side of heaven that is not my reality. My reality is filled with fear and shame; hiding and covering—terrified that I will be exposed, found out, not enough. How I genuinely long for true communion with you; total vulnerability; deep trust—to be fully known and fully loved. Have mercy on me! Amen. (JLB)* #### Psalm for the Week: Psalm 30 #### A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple. *30 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.[a]4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,and give thanks to his holy name.[b]5 For his anger is but for a moment,and his favor is for a lifetime.[c]Weeping may tarry for the night,but joy comes with the morning.6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”7 By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face;I was dismayed.* *8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:9 “What profit is there in my death,[d]if I go down to the pit?[e] Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!* #### Scripture for the Day: 2 Corinthians 5:2-5 *2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on[a] we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.* #### Reading for Reflection: *In the stripping of the dark night we encounter God in a deeper way than we may ever have allowed ourselves before…The outward elements of our life which used to bring a sense of fulfillment are often gone or drained of meaning. The techniques of prayer which used to be so meaningful are no longer so. We cannot control God’s presence. In fact, our “self” has no material with which to work. As a result we feel as if the self has been broken.* ​ *In a deep sense, this is just what has happened. The old self cracks open, we discover not the annihilation we had feared but a deeper “I.” This deeper “I” is not a possession that can be remade through all our efforts at self-improvement. This deepest self is a gift from God. (Dark Night by Sandra Cronk, Weavings, Volume XXIV, Number I, January/February 2009, p. 15-19)* #### Reflection and Listening: silent and written #### Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself #### Song for the Week: Just As I Am *Just as I am without one plea,* *But that Thy blood was shed for me* *And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,* *O Lamb of God, I come. I come.* *Just as I am, and waiting not* *To rid my soul of one dark blot.* *To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,* *O Lamb of God, I come. I come.* *Just as I am, tho’ tossed about,* *With many a conflict, many a doubt,* *Fightings within, and fears without,* *O Lamb of God, I come. I come.* *Just as I am poor, wretched, blind—* *Sight, riches, healings of the mind,* *Yea, all I need in Thee I find,* *O Lamb of God, I come. I come.* *Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,* *Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,* *O yes Thy promise I believe,* *O Lamb of God, I come. I come.* ### Closing Prayer: *Lord Jesus, give me the grace and the strength and the courage to take off that which I use to cover myself; and to clothe myself only and always in you alone. Amen. (JLB)*