Stillness and Silence part 3

 

This week, as May wraps up and June is ushered in, we are engaging in stillness and silence.  Read aloud the quote below several times.  You can say the following words in your normal speaking tone and then try to softly whisper these words, barely letting loose an audible sound.

 

In quiet and silence the faithful soul makes progress, the hidden meanings of the Scriptures become clear, and the eyes weep with devotion every night. Even as one learns to grow still, one draws closer to the Creator and farther from the hurly-burly of the World. Thomas à Kempis

What does that quote provoke and evoke for you?

Find your phone or a timer and set it to 5 minutes.

~ Breathe in a deep breath and slowly exhale.  Try to have your exhale be longer than your inhale.  This means if you inhale to the count of five, exhale to the count of seven or eight. 

~ Choose a sacred word (love, peace, shalom, sun, Son, Creator) as the symbol of your intention to be open to God’s presence and action within and around.

~ Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your openness to God’s presence and action within and around.

~ When thoughts start to compose to do lists or feeling agitation at why you are doing this or tension sits on your shoulders, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.

~ At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed with three or four more deep breaths.

What was the experience of silence like today?  I invite you specially to name and notice where you sense some discomfort or dis-ease within you.  Maybe your mind keeps spinning and stirring (what is sometimes called the “Monkey Mind”, that keeps jumping from limb to limb trying to capture your attention to get you think about what someone said or did or that you need milk at the store).  Maybe your shoulders tighten.  Or maybe you gut feels uneasy or queasy.  Or maybe you feel physically fine, but emotionally something is whirling.  It is okay to say that three days into this prayer practice you have not reached perfection or levitation.  Remember, that in baseball hitting .333 is considered Hall of Fame worthy.  That means you strike out 6 or 7 out of 10 times ~ puts a new spin on our expectations.  Remember, there is NO one right way, no right experience, no expectations other than to be in God’s presence ~ awake and aware of the Holy hovering in your life.

Prayer that you are finding new expressions of the eternal in this experiment this week.  Amen.