Pastoral Thought--June 15

With the nursery school out of session for the summer, it has been very quiet and still in the church for a few weeks now. Initially I did not notice the absence of sound or the children from the school, but over time the office has become so still. . . so quiet. The absence of the children is now quite glaring if you want through the halls at Plains. Yet the summer has offered me something in exchange. 

This renewed stillness has provided me an opportunity to read and consider a few texts that I have recently acquired. In one of them, entitled Mindful Silence:The heart of Christian Contemplation, I found a concept that seemed to speak in contradiction to traditional faith practices that I used and read about. But upon further reflection, I find that I cannot shake what I read; the words have been a companion in the silence of the church building.  

In this book, Father Thomas Keating is credited with the following saying:

“If you stay on the spiritual journey long enough, the practices that sustain your faith will fall short. When this happens, it can be very disillusioning. But if we stay on the journey, we will find out that this is actually an invitation to go deeper with God.” 

There is a big difference between engaging in a spiritual discipline for the disciplines sake and engaging in it as part of seeking to grow in communion with God. While everyone says that they pray, or fast, or serve in response to what God is doing in their life, the temptation to lose track of God is possible. God seeks communion and union with each of us, and yes, that can be done through a discipline. But what about just being with God? What happens in our lives when we meet God without the tools or preparation a discipline affords us? 

Recently, I have sat in the chapel after my time in the office is complete. I leave my journal behind as I also leave behind my pocket-size Bible. I have deliberately tried not to pray or ‘do’ anything as I sit in the woods. I just want to be there and wait for God to break through my human ability to control and program God. And God has been faithful and sat down next to me. . . 

I wonder if Father Thomas’ words could offer you the same thing in a busy day? I wonder if you can find the invitation from God to leave behind the disciplines and sit with God? 

Blessings

Rev. Derek