The Immanuel Principle

I’ve been away from blogging for a week, mainly due to being either too busy or too tired to get around to making an entry. Last weekend I helped staff a men’s retreat and then on Monday I worked from 8-5 and then did practicum from 5-10. I meet with clients at 5, 6, and 7 and then go to group supervision from 8 to 9:30. After that I filled out reports and did session notes. So after Monday I spent the rest of the week just trying to get rested up again, with the exception of Thursday night when I led the discussion for our home group.

Yesterday, we had my spiritual formation group from Denver Seminary here for a four-hour spiritual formation meeting. Phyllis taught on centering prayer, Chris Simpson taught about Lectio Divina, and then we all had dinner together. I noticed Chris read from a Bible I hadn’t seen before: "The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible." It’s the joint work of Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Walter Brueggemann, and Eugene Peterson. In it they include a number of essays and commentary designed to help one to enjoy a more contemplative experience with the Bible. Chris was kind enough to loan me a copy. Here’s a snippet from the General Introduction:

"The Bible is all about human life "with God." It is about how God has made this "with-God" life possible and will bring it to pass. In fact, the name Immanuel, meaning in Hebrew "God is with us," is the title given to the one and only Redeemer, because it refers to God’s everlasting intent for human life—namely, that we should be in every aspect a dwelling place of God. Indeed, the unity of the Bible is discovered in the development of life "with God" as a reality on earth, centered in the person of Jesus. We might call this the Immanuel Principle of life."

As I continue to get older, it is my hope that I will become more and more aware of this "Immanuel Principle" at work in every aspect of my life. I know I have far to go in terms of experiencing his presence with me throughout the day, every day.