Peace In Silence

“Be Still and Know that I am God”

Psalm 46:10

Good evening fellow travelers along God’s path of life.

I pray you are all doing well and staying safe at home. In troubling times like these, when things are changing from day to day, there is one constant, faithful, safe and secure rock we can all stand on, Our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ. Just how do we connect with them when things seem so up in the air –prayer is the answer. The scripture in Psalm 46:10 that says “Be still and Know that I am God” is the key to connecting to him. We have to become STILL to feel his presence and know he is with us. We also need to quiet our busy minds and busy bodies to be able to hear from God.

Thomas Keating, an American Catholic Monk made a statement that I have been drawn to. He said, “God’s first language was silence.” This made me think of Genesis 1:1-2 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” To me there was complete silence as the Spirit of God was hovering over His creation. The first words spoken by God we can find in Genesis 1:3 “And God said,

“Let there be light,” and there was light.” Just because God was silent does not mean he was not working. In fact, working in silence helped him to create the beautiful heavens and earth that we have now. It seems to me that God always is working this way. He is always with us, silently guiding us down our pathways of life. Sometimes he may softly speak to us, but most of the time he simply wants us to acknowledge him, and be with him. He wants us to trust him and be still so we can know that he alone is God. How do we do this? Let me give you some suggestions:

A few years ago, we watched the movie “War Room” at church. The scripture from Matthew

6:6 came vividly into my mind – “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and

pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will

reward you.” This made me think about silence in a different light. Jesus is saying we should

withdraw from everyone and every busy thing we have been doing and go alone somewhere to pray to our Father. This is what Jesus always did every day. This might be a “War Room” that we create in our own homes; It might be our own backyard; It might be the beach, etc. To become silent before our Father, we need to create a loving, secluded place away from all the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.

Next, we need to become quiet within ourselves! We need to silence all the voices we constantly hear in our minds by centering ourselves in prayer. Centering prayer is a modern method, biblical in nature and rooted in and based on the wisdom teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:6 This is simply building a loving relationship with God by expressing your intention through your bodily presence and allowing space for God’s presence. It is a relationship with God. We simply show up and trust in the process. This true gift from God will be revealed slowly as we continue this practice.

To begin, you quiet all your senses. Breathe deeply and slowly, concentrating on your breath as you breathe in and out. Choosing a sacred word like Abba or Jesus, etc. will help you come back to the divine presence of God when you mind wanders, as it will. Once you have chosen your word, sit in a position with eyes closed where you can be comfortable and alert, making sure you do not go to sleep while keeping a relaxed posture. You could begin you time of prayer with sacred music, by lighting a candle or other means to quiet the mind and prepare for prayer.

To begin, briefly introduce (say silently) your sacred word as a symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within. In other words, let him know you have come into his presence and are eager to be with him. Allow your mind to relax and let go of your thoughts. Letting go is a central aspect of the prayer. Simply “be” in the presence of God. When thoughts occur, and they will, return to the sacred word, let go, and repeat. Engage in the process as it happens with no expectations or judgement. Remain as long as you can in this prayer. Resist no thought – Retain no thought – React emotionally to no thought!

This centering prayer practiced habitually, will open up a deeper relationship with God as you allow yourself to just be and rest with the Divine beyond words, thoughts and

emotions. Remember, this was God’s first language, silence. We can only truly be in his

presence when we are silent ourselves.

May your evening be blessed as you continue to grow with God along his pathway.

In His Service, Kay

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