“As we listen, floating up through all of the jangling echoes of our turbulence, there is a sound of another kind— A deeper note which only the stillness of the heart makes clear.”
Psalm 131
1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.[a]
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
James 1:19-25
“You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. 21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.”
Reflection:
Once the soil is healthy, built up in nutrients and given the proper amount of water, a gardener’s greatest challenge is weeds; these sometimes small and other times gnarly greens that tangle with stems and roots and steal away resources from the plant the gardener intended to grow. The same is true of invasive species along the roadside or in a backyard or vacant lot, plants like honeysuckle, kudzu, English ivy.
But listen, Thurman says: float up through the chaos. Calm and quiet the soul, urges the Psalmist. James writes, rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness. In short: weed the garden.
In her latest memoir, Glennon Doyle tells the story of finding her “knowing,” her still, small, God-given voice that had been buried by cultural memos and norms. These invasive messages tangle with all our stems and roots and smother what James calls “the implanted word that has the power to save your soul.” Center down. Listen. Pull out the invasive. Find your knowing, that deeper note which only the stillness of the heart makes clear.
- Reflection by Beth Bojarski
Beth Bojarski spent her youth exploring the Adirondack mountains of New York. Beth’s background and study of environmental theology has led her journey to sense God in the natural world. She's been a lay leader and camp director in the Episcopal Church for over a decade. Beth, her husband Mitch, and their sons Eliot and James currently call Cincinnati home.
The Way of Beauty:
Being still. Enjoy the beautiful melody of this singing bowl. Many people enjoy prayer with meditative music, and this instrument can help center your thoughts, removing distractions, by letting your mind focus all your hearing energy directed only at the start and final stop of the reverberate sounds.
Once the video stops, pray the Deep Peace prayer:
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
Deep peace. Deep peace. Deep peace.
The Contemplative Mystical Way:
Intentionally practice silence for the day or a few hours. This includes social media posting and electronic communications. When you feel the urge to speak remember the acronym W.A.I.T. (Why am I talking). Notice your internal dialogue, attempt to silence this as much as you can. Walk through the day without any agenda. Be open to what the spirit reveals to you.
The Way of Practical Action:
Relax with a hot bath or shower. Settle into the flow or stillness of the water as you listen to the patter of the droplets, or perhaps your own heartbeat. Allow yourself to give your brain a break and just be present with the sensations, and with anything that arises in your heart.
Prayer:
Lord who dwells in our hearts, inspire us on this day to action. Calm the raging tempest of our hearts if we start to become angry or frustrated. Inspire us to live like the Samaritan, a doer of the word, as we pass by those in need whose suffering is multiplied during this time of pandemic. For we know what you command of us and we strive to live by the example of your Word.
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