May 2018
A Contemplative Exercise
for May
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
“Listen, so that you may live” Isaiah 55.3 (NRSV)
To begin the exercise,
first spend a short while in relaxation and preparing to be still; become aware
of the sounds around you and put them aside; offer this time of prayer to God.
Say this introductory
invitation to prayer, then keep 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:
“Listen, so that you may live”
The word of God came to the people through the voice a prophet at the
time of their return out of captivity. It was perhaps the only way at the time to get
such a vast number of His people to listen.
So Isaiah spoke to the Israelites of the covenant of grace, and described the
way forward for them when, through the prophet, God declared
“Listen, so
that you may live”
The people were in need of a
direction for the spiritual way home, and needed guidance as to how to ‘turn
around’ towards the grace of God.
In our Western culture most of
us are not consciously aware of being in exile; neither are are we as inclined
to keep our ear out for prophets. This
highlights the importance for us to have a deep and continuous attitude of
listening in our daily lives. We can do this by welcoming and developing an
attitude of stillness and openness around us as we go through the day, and
outside our prayer time.
Clearly we think the ultimate
way to listen well to the deeper meaning of God’s teaching is through the
scripture; and through our contemplative prayer with the Sayings; and through
the practice of Lectio Divina.
However, these are far from
the only ways.
In our daily lives within
today’s world, God also speaks to us through circumstances, and
situations that arise; and through the people around us… “Christ in mouths of
friends and strangers”. And importantly too, through the natural world. Listen.
Listen.
The Book of Common Prayer
points us to ‘read, mark and inwardly digest.’
So let us now empty ourselves
of all thought, to receive this word in stillness into our minds.
“Listen, so that you may live”
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.
“Listen, so that you may live”
Introduction to the second silence - a preparation for listening with
the heart:
“Listen, so that you may live”
In our contemplative prayer we
are always advised to make ourselves empty and open so that the word can settle
in an uncluttered landscape within us.
Somewhere in this uncluttered
landscape lies the heart of us. That heart that was created in us at the
beginning. It has always been part of us.
The priest and poet Malcolm
Guite, speaks of ‘tasting the Word’ with the ‘palate of the heart’. And St
Benedict refers to listening to the word of God with the ‘ears of the heart’.
Both Julian of Norwich and Hildegard of Bingen talk of listening to God
‘through all things in nature’.
All this is not only for holy
scholars, saints and poets…..this is a way for us ordinary folk as well.
Jesus pointed us in this way….
‘Consider the lilies how they grow…’ Luke 12.27
It is often necessary for us
to become exposed again and again to the newness and challenge of God’s word to
us - whether it comes to us through the natural world or unexpectedly through
the voice of a stranger, or through a change of circumstances….. just a few
examples.
In paying deep attention in our daily lives we are
practising another way of listening to God, through our hearts.
“Listen, so that you may live”
A time is now kept for
silence of the heart - between 5 and 15 minutes
Conclude the silence with a
short thanksgiving and/or repeat the Saying:
Father, we thank you that your Word is alive and within us.
“Listen, so that you may live”
Introduction to the time of intercession – we use our will to reflect
God’s Word outwards.
“Listen, so that you may
live”
Now, as we come to the time
when we turn outwards towards the rest of the world, we can engage our wills to
channel our prayer of intercession so that throughout the world all may grow
too in the practice of listening.
And that we may all continue
to grow in our understanding of it, so that it may resound in the lives of all
people…… and that we may all grow in our practice of it.
Say the name of a person or a group of people, and
after a short pause, repeat the saying. For example:
‘All you leaders of the nations of the world …… “Listen, so that you may live” ’
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 CM