July 2021

A Contemplative Exercise for July 2021

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 too. 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

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete” John 15:11 (NRSV).  In your time of contemplation, you may like to shorten this to “My joy in you…your joy complete”

To begin the exercise, first spend a short while in relaxation and preparing to be still; you might enlist your body to help with this by adopting a receptive pose and systematically relaxing your way through your muscles or you may find it helpful to become aware of the sounds around you and then 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:

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete” As we take this saying into our Mind and let it speak to us, we might perhaps consider what Jesus has said to his disciples when he is talking about ‘these things’. Here, in John 15, we are in the final discourse as Jesus speaks with his disciples. Many things may be going on? There’s a practical demonstration of servant leadership, much preparation and insight into future betrayals and also a message of comfort. This reassurance includes the promise of the presence of the Holy Spirit to forestall any feeling of being left helpless or abandoned and now, in chapter 15, Jesus uses a vivid illustration to picture how their (and our) lives will continue in close relationship with him.

In John 15 then we find Jesus as the living vine (verses 1- 11 may be helpful as context). We might imagine this illustration vividly with Jesus as the sprouting vine and us as his branches. Perhaps though we will amend our visualisation of this when we take to mind Wiersbe’s helpful anecdote that the vines he saw in the Holy Land were not the fragile wine vines we may have pictured. Rather these Holy Land vines were large and strong. Breaking off a mature branch is very difficult and next to impossible to do so without injuring the vine itself.

This is an intimate union and relationship. We might consider it to be a living union, brought to life by the Holy Spirit, who flows through us and produces fruit in our lives. Furthermore, it is a lasting union; we are not bereft. Whilst Jesus may not be here in person, we are grafted into him, in a powerfully lasting life union, through living in life- union with him and allowing his words to live powerfully within us. How encouraging this is as we spend time pondering and contemplating his words.

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete”

We may note also that this union is a loving union. We are loved with the same love that is between the Father and Jesus. There seems to be a natural connection between the love of the Father for the Son, the love of the Son for believers and the love of believers for each other. In this loving relationship Jesus longs for us to experience the same joy that he does (in his union with the Father). He desires that this same joy will fill our hearts with overflowing gladness. His purpose in preparing his disciples and assuring them of his continuing ‘vinely’ role seems to be that he transfers his joy to them and into them, and that this joy may be wholly mature.

This is a joy whose real foundation is God.  It is very different from the joy from earthly things, the small pleasures in a job well done, or a triumph in rivalry or competition. Perhaps this is the joy enfolded in a loving union that Mother Teresa seems to be describing when she said,

” Joy is prayer – Joy is strength – Joy is love … A joyful heart is the normal response of a heart burning with love.”

Obedience, remaining in the vine, being grafted onto and enfolded in the love of Christ may be the only route such lasting, mature and complete joy.

We take this saying into our minds, allow the saying to speak to us:

 “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete” . 

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.

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete”.

Introduction to the second silence - a preparation for listening with the heart:

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete”

Now we take this word into our hearts, as we allow Jesus’ words to speak in us, to let it touch our emotions and let it work more deeply upon our lives.

As we allow this saying to dwell more deeply in us, we might ponder the word ‘abide’. It occurs eleven times in verses 1 to 11 of John 15. We are encouraged to abide, to remain in life-union with Christ as he remains in life-union with us (verse 4).

When Teresa of Avila considers what spiritual marriage does to the soul, she describes such close intimacy with God that consolations or gifts are no longer needed or longed for, “with Christ dwelling at the centre of the soul – the soul has a peace and joy it has never experienced before, our soul’s capacity to forget itself.”

Might we do anything to be sure that we are abiding and staying in close life-union with our true vine, so that his joy flows in and through us? This is a natural relationship between vine and branch though some cultivation may prepare the ground for steady life-union. Focusing on our Vine is likely to prompt worship, a desire to dwell on and contemplate his word, to pray outwards and may lead to practical service and sacrifice. Sharing in Christ’s joy does seem to arise from a daily walk with him, a daily rendezvous with God and rejoicing in him.

It might be that as we abide more deeply, enfolded in Christ’s love, we find a deepening love for Jesus and for other believers. As in our saying, this abiding causes an experience of joy. Opening up to the Holy Spirit, stepping into life-union with Christ, often seems to produce much fruit of the outworking of divine love. One of the expressions of this is the joy that overflows. A joy that is dynamic and not static, gifted by the Holy Spirit and deriving from God’s love.

We rest in Christ, our vine, and allow him to touch our hearts and share his joy as we contemplate the saying:

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete” . 

A time is now kept for silence of the heart - between 5 and 15 minutes

Conclude the silence with a short thanksgiving and/or by repeating the Saying:

 Father, we thank you that your Word is alive and within us.

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete”. 

Introduction to the time of intercession – we use our will to reflect God’s word outwards.

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete”

With this word in mind we can now bring the meaning alive not only for ourselves, but also most importantly for the lives of others, in our intercessions.

Say the name of a person or a group of people, and after a short pause, repeat the saying. For example:

‘Alison and your family       ……       “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete” or  “My joy in you…your joy complete” (if you are shortening the saying).

As we allow the word to speak through us we might direct Jesus’ word towards those people and situations where there is suffering, hurt and an absence of joy and where abiding in Christ would bring comfort, such as:

-         Families struggling with debt problems

-         Areas facing natural disasters

-         Politicians and governments to bring more justice

-         An outworking of abiding to be see in our care for our planet

-         Christians being persecuted

-         Individuals going through tough times

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 DK