Restoration Ministries Christian Spiritual Direction and Formation, 11985 Technology Drive Ste. 230, Eden Prairie, MN (2026)

12/25/2022

Merry Christmas from all of us at Restoration Ministries.

May the radiance of God’s glory,
whether it comes slowly or suddenly,
unfold and enfold you.

This glory surrounds you and dwells within you
whether you see it, feel it, know it, or understand it.
God’s glory is here
often wrapped in utter vulnerability.

May you discover afresh, the God who abides in you.

Amen.

Luke 2:1-14 NLT

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

For Reflection and Prayer:

As you listened to the text, was there a word, phrase or image which caught your attention? Gently allow it to linger, giving it room to form and settle deeply in your body and heart.

Reflect on what you heard. Relish the words. Notice how the word or words affected you. Which emotions are stirring within you? Notice what is happening in your body as you linger with how the text is affecting you. You might begin to describe that and choose to journal about what you are experiencing.

Respond to what you noticed and reflected on in your prayer with God. Might there a prayer that rises within you?

Rest in God as you simply be and entrust yourself to God in the quiet.

05/27/2021

Abandoned. Alone. Bereft. Inconsolable.

So often someone’s leave-taking feels like this.

Through the pain of separation, Jesus invites us to open our hands, our hearts, our minds, our bodies to receive his blessing. The gift of his indwelling presence in what is and feels like absence is not an easy one to unwrap. Yet Christ’s Spirit within us draws us to persist in unwrapping the gift of presence in absence.

Turn gently and compassionately towards all that feels left within you. Mysteriously, Christ is there, staying with you in the very place he seems gone. Often, we need the company of others to help us stay present to all that feels like absence.

Luke 24:44-53 (NIV)
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word, a phrase, image, or feeling that ‘shimmered’ as you listened? Allow it to land in your heart. Stay with it. Savor it.

Reflect on what you heard. What effect does it have on you? What meaning does it hold for you? What does the Holy Spirit seem to be conveying to you? Talk it over in your prayer. Perhaps you want to draw or color your prayer or journal the conversation.

As the time of prayer comes to a close, share some moments of quiet with Jesus, simply resting safely in his presence.

02/19/2021

At one time, I would have thought that only Jesus - the perfect, sinless human - could bring about this kind of joy to God. Somehow the qualifier ‘sinless’ overshadowed the beauty and vastness of the Creator’s absolute delight in all that was, is and is being created. Now I notice that God takes joy in our dust, our fumbled attempts to make something of our lives. Perhaps God’s greatest joy is that we can be in intimate, familial relationship together.

What is it about our, about my, uniqueness that brings you great joy, God? What does joy feel like to you, Abba? How do you want to share and communicate your joy to me?

You are the One who rends the heavens to let us know.
Help us hear.
Help us know.
Help us entrust ourselves into your joy.
Amen.

Mark 1:9-15 NLT
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word, phrase or image which caught your attention you as you listened to or slowly read the text? Quietly reflect on it in your prayer with Jesus. Journal your conversation.

Was there any particular emotion or longing which emerged as you listened to the scripture? Notice it. Be curious about it. Talk it over with Jesus in your prayer.

Savor any consoling words or pictures as you quietly rest in God.

https://www.restorationmn.org/listen-in/you-bring-me-great-joy

12/01/2020

You are invited to join us for our 2020 ADVENT RETREAT...

WELCOMING THE GIFT OF PRESENCE

Saturday December 5, 2020
9 am – 2pm
location: ZOOM + THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN SPACE
Cost: $25

Enter into a place of PRESENCE filled soul hospitality this Advent Season.

We all long for God’s Presence and especially in a year filled with trauma, loss, disrupted routines and uncertainty.

Your are invited to join us on zoom for a guided retreat in your home.

Together we will tend to the presence of Christ within us and before us through:
- body-based healing compassion practice,
- slow, gentle listening to scripture, our hearts and one another
- space for prayer, silence, solitude, discovery and
- communal hospitality online

This is the mystery, Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27

Find your way here to register or ask questions https://www.restorationmn.org/advent-retreat

08/08/2020

An Invitation to Experience Your Belovedness: 40 Days of Praying the Examen

To learn more and register find your way to
https://www.restorationmn.org/experiencing-your-belovedness

We would love for you to join us.

08/07/2020

Spiritual Formation is Slow Work

“Spiritual formation is slow work, not to be hurried.
Spiritual formation is slow work, not to be procrastinated.”

Years ago I heard the late Reverend Eugene Peterson say these words to a crowd of eager learners. They helped shape my own call to serve and deepend my trust in the unseen work of the Spirit within me and others.

As you pray with the metaphors and similes Jesus uses to explain his kingdom, perhaps one will capture your attention. Bring your curiosity, questions and imagination to the text and into your prayer.

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 (The Message)
Another story. “God’s kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it.”
33 Another story. “God’s kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread—and waits while the dough rises.”
44 “God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.
45-46 “Or, God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.
47-50 “Or, God’s kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That’s how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won’t do any good.”
51 Jesus asked, “Are you starting to get a handle on all this?”
They answered, “Yes.”
52 He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.”

For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word, phrase or image which caught your attention you as you listened to or slowly read the text? Gently repeat it to yourself and allow it to settle into your heart. Quietly reflect on it in your prayer with God. Journal your conversation.

Was there any particular emotion which emerged as you listened to the scripture? Journal about it. Or use color to illustrate the emotion. Where do you sense that emotion in your body? What does that emotion tell you about your need?

Savor any consoling words or pictures as you quietly rest in God.

https://www.restorationmn.org/listen-in/spiritual-formation-is-slow-work

07/03/2020

Learning to Live Freely & Lightly

Can you recall a teacher who truly inspired you to learn? How did that teacher interact with you? What was it about his or her demeanor which inspired you and gave you courage to learn something new, or perhaps something hard? What did her voice sound like? How did she look at you? What did she see in you that perhaps you could not see in yourself? It is possible that you have only longed for such a teacher.

Bring these reflections with you as you listen to the text. Notice the tone of voice you hear Jesus use with you. Be curious about how he is looking upon you as you meditate on this passage. Pay attention to the longings which rise up in your heart. What is it like for you to keep company with Jesus in this time?

Matthew 11:25-30 (MSG)
Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word, phrase or image which caught your attention you as you listened to or slowly read the text? Quietly reflect on it in your prayer with Jesus. Journal your conversation.

Was there any particular emotion which emerged as you listened to the scripture? Notice it. Be curious about it. Talk it over with Jesus in your prayer.

What longings rose up in your heart as you prayed with this passage?

Savor any consoling words or pictures as you quietly rest in God.

05/23/2020

Never Home Alone

While many of us remain confined to our home in this pandemic, this week’s text gives us much to ponder about how the Spirit, the Advocate, the Helper lives with us and within us, wherever we are. We are promised that the Spirit will never leave us and that Christ will come to us. We are never left home alone.

Bring your self, your real self to the text today. Notice what stirs within you. The Spirit is inviting a conversation with you.

John 14:15-21 (NLT)
“If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

For Reflection and Prayer:
Read or listen to the text being read slowly, three times. Was there a word, a phrase, or an image that stood out as you listened? Linger there awhile with Jesus

What was your inner response to what you heart? Either a felt sense you experienced in your body or an emotion that you noticed? Bring these responses into a conversation with God. You might journal the dialogue that unfolds between you and God.

Rest in any consoling words, pictures, or feelings with God as you near the end of this prayer. Allow God to simply minister to you in these consolations.

05/16/2020

A Place For You

As we are in the season of Eastertide - the other side of the Resurrection - and “sheltering in place” in our homes, let us reflect on the places where Jesus has already prepared for us to dwell with him. Here. Now. Today. Eternity. Can we imagine a place even now, where we can always be with the risen Christ?
Keep listening to the longings deep within your soul. The Holy Spirit will guide you towards a place called home.

John 14:1-4 (NLT)

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”

John 14:1-4 (MSG)

“Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”

For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word, phrase or image which caught your attention you as you listened to or slowly read the text? Quietly reflect on it in your prayer with Jesus. Journal your conversation.

Was there any particular emotion which emerged as you listened to the scripture? Talk it over with Jesus in your prayer.

Do you ever long for home? Draw or write about that longing. Be as descriptive as possible.

Savor any consoling words or pictures as you quietly rest in God.

05/09/2020

Most of us can recall the sound of our name being called as a child - by a loving or frustrated parent, a delighted grandparent, a patient or anxious teacher, an exasperated sibling or playmate, an inspiring or demanding coach. Each call out told us something about our self. Were we welcome, delightful, acceptable, worthy or capable in that moment? Did that calling compel us to respond in trust and courage to that voice?

Listening for the voice of Jesus will ask us to examine how we hear him call us by name.
Is the voice of love, hope and life calling us forward?
And does this voice allow us to come and go freely to find good pastures?

John 10:1-10 NLT
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word or phrase that stood out for you – that spoke just to you? Note it here, and then write 2-3 sentences about it.

What did you notice was your inner response as you listened? (longing, agitated, curious, confused, peaceful, joy-filled, hopeful, frustrated, anger nothing, etc.?)

Would you be willing to speak to God (Father, Son, or Holy Spirit) about these feelings? Allow God to see you as you are. Ask for what you need. Linger in God’s presence.

05/01/2020

This is our why.
We gather here each week to break open the scriptures, listen, pray and talk over what we are hearing, experiencing, noticing and feeling. And just like that, Jesus draws near. Over time, we come to recognize his voice, his presence. Yet sometimes, he utterly surprises us by showing us what we could not see or understand before. Sometimes his presence brings healing and solace to our aching hearts.
May you go gentle as you listen and pray with this text today. Perhaps share with a trusted friend or companion how you are noticing Jesus draw near to you in this time of shelter in place.

You are not alone. Jesus is always drawing near.

Luke 24:13-32 (MSG)
That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.
17-18 He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?”
He said, “What has happened?”
They said, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.”
Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.
They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.
Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?”

For Reflection and Prayer:
Listening with the “ear of your heart”, was there a word, phrase or image which caught your attention you as you listened to or slowly read the text? Gently repeat the word or phrase, giving it room to settle deeply in your heart.

Reflect on what you heard. Relish the words. Notice how the word or words affected you. You might choose to journal about what you heard.

Respond to what you heard and reflected on in your prayer with God. Is there a prayer of which rises within you?

Rest in God as you simply be and entrust yourself to God in the quiet.

04/26/2020

Desperate for hope, and likely in a grief stupor, Mary Magdalene continues to attend to Jesus. Even in his death, she follows the impulse of her heart to be near to him. In her fervor, terror, overwhelming sorrow and straining to see, she hears the sound of her name.

Mary. Mary, spoken by the voice of Love.
Called by the One who knows her intimately.

Join her in the garden. Look. Bend low. Listen.
Can you hear the living voice of Love calling for you?

John 20:1-16 (NLT)
Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— 9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home.
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 “Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word, a phrase, image, or feeling that ‘shimmered’ as you listened? Allow it to land in your heart and repeat it. Savor it.

Reflect on what you heard. What effect has it had on you? What meaning does it hold for you? What does the Holy Spirit seem to be conveying to you? Talk it over in your prayer. Perhaps you want to draw or color your prayer or journal the conversation.

As the time of prayer comes to a close, share some moments of quiet with Jesus, simply resting in his presence.

Restoration Ministries Christian Spiritual Direction and Formation

12/25/2022

05/27/2021

02/19/2021

12/01/2020

08/08/2020

08/07/2020

07/03/2020

05/23/2020

05/16/2020

05/09/2020

05/01/2020

04/26/2020

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