![]()
Posted by: "Michael A. S. Guth" mike@... mikeguth2002
"But I was hoping to explore with you the last two paragraphs of your
message. What is the point of listening through contemplative prayer
to God who does not speak but is listening as well? The person is
making time available for God to speak to him or her through his or
her mind. But suppose a person sits for 30 minutes with nothing in
mind, just sits, empty mind, meditating, maybe gazing at a religious
picture, but nothing going on in his mind. Is that religion? Does
that give glory to God?"
Dean: I am just thinking out loud and what I say probably doesn't answer your question. I attended a silent Quaker service this summer and was sure I would not enjoy it. Amazingly, I did. I thought I would be restless and tired of sitting silently for 45 minutes., It didn't happen and I enjoyed the experience. A reading took place before the silence and that gave us a centre to meditate on. After the silence, we exchanged ideas for fifteen minutes, also enjoyable.
Talked to a hospice/palliative care worker today who will make a presentation at church on " Spiritual perspectives at the end of life." When one is sitting by the bedside of the dying, one, for the most part listens and spiritual questions are often circled back to the patient. What do you think?
Perhaps what Jesus was trying to say to us is that we are all god, one
with God, part of God just as he was. Are we separate from God and one another or are we one? The hymn says, " We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord; and they'll know we are Christians by our love." And I would add, " They'll know we are pagans, Jews, atheists, Pentecostals, Bahais, whatever by our love."
Is god a personal god :self-awareness, awareness of the environment, a guidance system, a stabalizing force, the soul of man--nothing supernatural. For the above reason, we pray to God, really just talking to ourselves, in times of despair, hunger; loneliness, seeking further truth, etc.
Michael: You could do this type of contemplation sitting in a
car in a parking lot. Is that less aesthetically pleasing than
contemplating by a brook and listening to the calming effect of the
water passing in the brook?
If I sit in my bedroom and just listen -- there is silence. Should I
do that 3 hours per day? If it is pleasing to God, then presumably,
the more time I make for God and this type of cleared-mind, untroubled
contemplation, the better.
Dean: Perhaps the more time you're making for God is really just making more time for yourself and this could be of great value in a bustling world.
Mike:P.S. Does it seem ironic that everyone would say it is bad to sit in
the kitchen staring at the phone, waiting for it to ring --- but
essentially, we are doing that same thing sitting in contemplation
perhaps with no expectation of receiving any message, or waiting in
case some message does arrive in our minds.
Dean: If one's contemplation is sitting, waiting for God to call on the telephone, then it probably is a waste of time. Or maybe not. Perhaps the experience causes us to think more deeply as to what contemplation is all about. If God called us on the telephone, would it be long distance or a local call?
:-)
|
THIS SITE:
(1) DISCUSSION BOARD HOME
(2) HENRI NOUWEN SOCIETY MEDITATIONS
(3) POST A COMMENT by e-mail
|
