I have a nagging hunch that the gospel’s power in our own time is about to be manifested in a manner as repugnant to the sensibilities of the society at large, and all of us who have accommodated ourselves to it, as the early Christian message was to Roman paganism. Our society is possessed, Christians as much as anyone. We are possessed by violence, possessed by sex, possessed by money, possessed by drugs. We need to recover forms of collective exorcism as effective as was the early Christian baptism’s renunciation of “the devil and all his works.”

-Walter Wink
Engaging the Powers

• Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
• Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying attention to the deep breath.
• Consider what is possessing you.
• How is this thing possessing you?
• How is this thing keeping you from Christ?
• As you pay attention to your breath, scan your body to locate that which is keeping you from Christ.
• Once you have located this, examine it for a crack.
• Once you have found the crack, allow the unconditional love of Christ into the crack.
• Let go of control.
• Allow Christ to widen the crack, allowing more love to flow into this place.
• Let Christ take control.  Focus on Christ.
• You may wish to continue this exercise, allowing Christ to heal this place in you.  One day Christ will cast out the demon if you will give up control.
• Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have gained.
• Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, January 29, 2012, the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B 
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm 111:1-10
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Mark 1:21-28

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings The Rev. Lil Smith, M.Div., DASD