Silence and Stillness Part 4

 

Another quote on silence to ponder prayerfully today.  “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Or you can think about the sacred pause between words.  Or taking a deep breath before between your response/reply to another person’s comment. 

Once again, we will practice silence and stillness with the Sacred.

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.

As you reflect on the experience and encounter with the Eternal, how could this moment leave a lingering impression and imprint on your life today?  Sometimes at the top of a meeting agenda I will write, “WAIT”.  Anne Lamott says this stands for, “Why Am I Talking?!!?”  I like this reminder to let silence have a space at all meeting tables.  This reminds me to let others in the group talk rather than thinking I must be the authority on all things or have an opinion on everything!  May each of us find moments of holy waiting this day and in that stillness hear God’s original language of silence.