# Small Day 7 > Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God. ### Opening Prayer: *Lord, give me the ability to persist through tedium, to survive without the oxygen of recognition, praise, and stroking, and to do some good things every day which are seen only by You. (Sacred Space: the Prayer Book 2010 by Jesuit Communication Centre)* #### Psalm for the Week: Psalm 131 #### John the Baptist Prepares the Way #### 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.[a] *2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,[b]“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,who will prepare your way,3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare[c] the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”* *4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”* #### Scripture for the Day: Philippians 2:1-11 #### Christ's Example of Humility *2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[b] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.* #### Reading for Reflection: *You love those with a heart for the poor* *For the helpless, for those with no escape.* *You love those who shamelessly and fearlessly,* *And sometimes fearfully,* *Go back to be with those who suffer.* *You love those whose lives are forfeit to servitude* *Of the needy, the unknown;* *Those who by going back become unknown themselves.* *You love those who whisper your affections* *in the shadows* *To those who are hidden, who no one else cares for.* *You ask us to proclaim your desires to the broken,* *In the places devoid of reward or compensation;* *In the places where no trophies are earned.* *And because you first called us* *Out of our own filth and brokenness and because of vast heart change,* *We jump at the chance.* *I’m willing to be unknown for You.* *~Tim Branch February 5, 2011* #### Reflection and Listening: silent and written #### Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself #### Song for the Week: Winter Snow *Could've come like a mighty storm* *With all the strength of a hurricane* *You could've come like a forest fire* *With the power of heaven in Your flame* *But You came like a winter snow* *Quiet and soft and slow* *Falling from the sky in the night* *To the earth below* *You could've swept in like a tidal wave* *Or an ocean to ravish our hearts* *You could have come through like a roaring flood* *To wipe away the things we've scarred* *But You came like a winter snow* *You were quiet You were soft and slow* *Falling from the sky in the night* *To the earth below* *Oh, no, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning* *No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind* *It was still* *It was small* *It was hidden* *You came like a winter snow* *Quiet and soft and slow* *Falling from the sky in the night* *To the earth below* *Falling* *To the earth below* *You came falling From the sky in the night* ### Closing Prayer: *Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,* *Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live* *in the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in* *by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.* *Let me learn by paradox* *that the way down is the way up,* *that to be low is to be high,* *that the broken heart is the healed heart,* *that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit* *that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,* *that to have nothing is to possess all,* *that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,* *that to give is to receive,* *that the valley is the place of vision.* *Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from the deepest* *wells. And the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars* *shine;* *Let me find thy light in my darkness,* *thy life in my death,* *thy joy in my sorrow,* *thy grace in my sin,* *thy riches in my poverty,* *thy glory in my valley.* *(The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions ed. by Arthur Bennett)*