Creating Opportunities for Stillness I know people who say they would like their lives to be more contemplative but they do not have time. Contemplative practices are not easy. They require us to invest time and effort in taking the first steps on the path toward contemplative life. It can be a challenge for us to appreciate whether the benefits sacred stillness offers us are worth what it takes. We live in a world which does not particularly value stillness… Read more

Comfort in the Stillness of Familiar Things I practice a form of listening to sacred stillness known as centering prayer. One of the four guidelines of centering prayer tells practitioners to begin by sitting comfortably. As my contemplative practice has grown and deepened through the years I have considered the value of comfort. Some of us try to remind people it is important not to get too comfortable. The practice begins with sitting comfortably, not lying down or falling asleep…. Read more

We Hear Our Stories in the Stillness Some of us try to follow an intentional, planned contemplative practice of listening to sacred stillness. It can be a challenge for us to discern and remember what we are listening to hear. Why are we listening to sacred stillness? What do we hope to hear as we sit quietly listening to stillness? We may listen to hear all the distractions of each day fade away into calm stillness. Some of us listen… Read more

Stillness in the Hospital When I go to the hospital to pray it is often for someone else. People ask me to pray for them and together we listen to the sacred stillness in the hospital. This week I spent some time listening to the stillness in the hospital as a patient. It was not a surprise or an emergency. I had plenty of time to plan and prepare, for all those preliminary appointments. There was blood work and a… Read more