“Being able to see truly means that we have to pay attention with our body and soul. We know that when we don’t, it becomes too easy to miss the subtle influences of God’s Spirit around us. Yes, our eyes still function—along with our ears, nose, fingers and mouth. To see God present, however, we must learn to pay attention with all of ourselves. Too often, we pay attention with part of ourselves while the rest of us thinks about work that needs doing or any of the myriad other thoughts that crowd our minds. When that happens, as photographer David Vestal tells us, “You don’t have enough attention to see what’s around you.” If we want to see God present in the ordinary, in the daily gifts we’re given, we want to move beyond seeing and into perceiving. Learning to see using our bodies and souls teaches us to receive the presence of God that surrounds us—in whom we live and move and have our being.” Awaken Your Senses (p. 60, adapted)
Today (Feb. 13) is the start of week two of the “Awaken Your Senses Contest.” The contest is featured on:
· Awaken Your Senses Facebook Page
1. This week, you are invited to pay attention to your sense of SIGHT and see how it introduces you to the wonder of God.
2. If something cool happens, post a description about that experience on the Awaken Your Senses FB Page or Beth or Brent’s blogs. (All entries must be submitted by Sunday at noon.)
3. Brent and Beth will choose a winner on Sunday evening and that person will receive a $25 gift card for a gift related to taste.
4. Brent and Beth will also do a drawing from the names of everyone who participated each week and the weekly winner of the random drawing will receive an autographed copy of Awaken Your Senses.
5. The winners will be announced on Awaken Your Senses Facebook Page and Brent and Beth’s blogs on each Monday when a new sense begins!
The Contest Schedule!
February 6 – Taste
Winners: Leah Sophia -- $25 Harry and Davids Gift Certificate
Sherry Redinger – autographed copy of Awaken Your Senses
February 13 – See
February 20 – Touch
February 27 – Hear
March 5 -- Smell
Tell your friends about the contest. Tweet, tumblr and blog about it. Spread the word. We can’t wait to hear about your experiences as you awaken your senses to the wonder of God.
What do you see out there?
-- Brent
1 comment:
Maybe by the end of the week I will have assembled something concise and centered, but in the meantime, everything to do with sight is a whole lot of the wonder of God, wondering about God, and wondering about a whole lot of other things.
Here are two recent topical posts from my Quaker blog.
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2012/01/focus-points.html
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2012/02/playing-with-fire.html
RantWoman is busy with matters of sight and Light in her Salt and Light Study Group.
RantWoman is still trying to corral the right words for an item about a performance of the Rachmaninoff Vespers and some piercing Light in the cathedral moments.
Other than that RantWoman's inner blowtorch is loose with further verbal overachievement at http://rantwoman.blogspot.com
So if RantWoman does not seem to get back to the sense of the week....
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