September 2017
A Contemplative Exercise for September 2017
The following
is a possible framework for the Witnessing of the Word. It can be personalised,
or altered: its purpose is to serve as an example of how this Saying might be
used primarily in the context of a Prayer Group, but it may be used by
individuals if so wished. It is not intended to be definitive.
In the
context of a group: the periods of silence should be appropriate for your group
- probably not less than 5 minutes, or more than 15 minutes.
Saying for the month
"My people …… I AM understanding” (Isaiah 40-55, Proverbs 8.14 from AV)
To begin the
exercise, first spend a short while in relaxation and preparing to be still,
becoming aware of the sounds around and offering this time of prayer and our
self to God.
Say this
introductory invitation to prayer, keeping a further minute or two of silence:
" Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you
rest" Matthew 11.28
Introduction to the first silence - a preparation
for listening with the mind:
September's
saying is a composite taken from an underlying theme in the second section of
the book of Isaiah, also known as Second Isaiah (ch 40-55), and a verse from
Proverbs (8.14).
From Isaiah, we
hear God's message of encouragement to His people. After some years living through
the dark days of exile in Babylon the people have been released to return home.
The years of exile have at times been desolate, but eventually they established
a life for themselves. Now to be released and return home they are anxious. What
should kind of future would await them? What should they expect?
As we heard in
the saying for last month, throughout 2nd Isaiah God reminds the people not to
keep looking back with nostalgia to the traditions of their pre-exilic past, or,
whatever its shortcomings, to the stability they have grown used to in more
recent years in Babylon. Isaiah’s message is twofold. The people are reminded
of God's righteousness judgement but above all, of His love and faithfulness. We
hear that God longs to give them forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration, and
promises that they are “precious in God’s sight” . They are repeatedly called “MY
people”……. and assured that their “names are written on the palms of God’s
hands”.
In this month’s
saying, the encouragement we hear in Isaiah reminding the people that they are
God’s (MY) people and calling them home, is then deepened using the words from
Proverbs “I AM understanding” (8.14)
Much of the text
of Proverbs is devoted to the importance of attaining Wisdom, an attribute of
God. Some of the text is homely in the form of familiar, pithy couplets such as
‘Look before you leap”, “he who hesitates is lost” etc but other sections draw
on a much older, deeper body of writing which is known as the Wisdom
Literature. From Proverbs we understand this to be an aspect of Divine Wisdom –
it is from God. In Proverbs Divine Wisdom is often personified as a woman who
both seeks Wisdom and realises its supreme importance, and is
Wisdom ie is the very essence of the divine, God-self.
In the words
from Pr 8.14, we are reminded that as our creator, God totally and completely “understands”
human kind. Nothing of our nature is unknown to God. We are (as Isaiah puts it)
precious in God’s sight and deeply loved and valued. Not only that, but looking
at it from a slightly different perspective, God also faithfully “stands under
us” to protect us from falling, and to keep us from harm.
We are truly
God’s people, deeply loved, completely understood and faithfully held in God’s
love.
"My people …… I AM understanding”
A time is now
kept for silence of the mind - between 5 and 15 minutes
The silence concludes
with a short thanksgiving, and/or repeat the Saying:
Father, we
thank you for the gift of your Word.
“My people….. I AM Understanding”.
Introduction to the second silence - a preparation for listening with the
heart:
Often we hear in the news that many people live lives of lonely and
quiet desperation. Even surrounded with people who may even be family or
friends, they feel empty and alone. So many people in this country and across
the world are vulnerable and imprisoned by fear, poverty, physical or mental
illness or feelings of emotional inadequacy. Far too frequently, life is a desperate
and joyless existence, an exile with little or no hope of release.
Yet, even into the desperation of these places of darkness, God speaks,
saying, “MY people….. I AM understanding”. Even when the world turns away and
closes its heart and mind, God “understands and stands under” tenderly holding
and protecting the vulnerable and broken.
In the second period of silence we rest in the knowledge that all are God’s people, loved and valued
“MY People…. I AM understanding”
A time is now
kept for silence of the mind - between 5 and 15 minutes
Conclude the
silence with a short thanksgiving and by repeating the Saying:
Father, we thank you that your Word is alive
and within us.
“MY People…. I AM understanding”
Introduction to the time of intercession – we use our will to reflect God’s word
outwards.
What will these
words mean for our troubled world- for friends who feel lost or confused or situations
in the world for whom these words seem very apt?
Speak aloud the
name or situation for whom the prayer is offered; after a moment of silence,
repeat the saying - let the words flow through you, and the members of the
group, to the person/people for whom you pray.
Conclude the
time of intercession with words of thanksgiving:
Father, we thank you that your Word has gone out through us
to those for whom we pray.
Use the
Fellowship Prayer or another closing prayer to conclude your time of contemplative
prayer.
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for all your unsearchable riches
which pour forth from you as light from the sun, in boundless profusion and
generosity, whether received, ignored or rejected. And now we offer to you, in
so far as we are able, as an emptiness to be filled with your divine fullness,
ourselves, our souls and bodies; all that we are, all that we have and all that
we do. Amen
You may
wish to say the Grace together before departing.
This month's exercise was contributed by JCH