Be still and know that I am God. Psalms 46:10.
For years, Psalms 46:10 has comforted me, stilled me, wrapped me in a warm, comforting blanket. Sitting still and waiting on the Lord calms as nothing else can.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, we all need times of quiet in the midst of our busy, noisy, hectic world. The Internet, books, magazines are full of stories on how to achieve that necessary stillness in one’s life. In reading, we find new terms and some old ones with new twists - flaneuring, mindfulness, guided imagery, aromatherapy, meditation, stress management, being in the moment - all of which can be helpful.
Many worldwide have turned to meditation as a way to deal with a fast moving world. Some embrace old traditions; others seek mindfulness, a mental training practice that slows down racing thoughts, pays attention to breathing in and out, lets go of negativity and calms both mind and body.
Each time I hear of a new variation on meditation, I notice similarities with prayer time. Yet skeptics abound.
Writing for The Upper Room, J. Dana Trent, author of One Breath at a Time: A Skeptic’s Guide to Christian Meditation, finds such stillness troubling. She writes, “I’m not skeptical about the entirety of spiritual practices—just the ones in which I’m supposed to sit completely still with my phone beside me to calm my traumatized mind and listen for God. I can pray and journal until the end times—my brain spinning plates like an overachieving carnival worker. But I’ve always doubted my ability to sustain a sitting-still, ears-open meditation practice, which is different from writing and praying. How do people use these apps without launching into a silent monologue in which a very bored God is the sole audience member? How do I sit and actually listen, instead of hopping from topic to topic and prattling away in my mind?”
But for many, prayer opens pathways.
In writing for Paraclete Press, Fr. Jeremiah Shryock, author of Amid Passing Things: Life, Prayer and Relationship with God, says, “The greatest experience I have of God is in silence…when we sit in silence, we are not looking for consolations, insights, answers to difficult questions or anything else…Silence before God is not only our greatest need; it is also our greatest teacher…a fruit from praying in silence is the discovery of the nearness of God…”
In the 17th century, Brother Lawrence was practicing these concepts daily. In his little book, The Practice of the Presence of God, he writes, “One need not cry out very loudly. He is nearer to us than we think.”
All of the experts promoting this practice of silence say if one seeks silence, start slowly - maybe no more than two minutes at a time. Gradually increase one’s quiet time to five, ten, fifteen minutes. Over time, we may surprise ourselves that an hour has passed without being aware of any external sound. Pete Scazzero, in his “Emotionally Healthy Discipleships” courses and books, give beginners some hints on commencing a discipline of silence.
He writes, “Give yourself lots of grace as you enter into this very new spiritual practice. Find a place where you can sit still and uninterrupted. Sit straight. Breathe slowly, deeply, and naturally. Offer yourself to God; let go of your cares and worries. Close your eyes or lower them to the ground. When you find yourself distracted, gently return to the Lord…I love to pray the Lord’s Prayer each day...It also reminds me of my purpose in the stillness — I quiet myself to connect with Him.”
Jesus himself withdrew frequently to quiet places of prayer to commune with the Heavenly Father. He taught us the Lord’s Prayer. He set the example.
Last week’s column explored the art of flaneuring, meandering without purpose, as a means to find peace and answers to questions. This week’s column explores some old and new ideas about the value of being still and waiting. Probably somewhere between the two positions - walking and sitting, we can find the path that leads to our own personal peace.
2022
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