Listening to Sacred Stillness: More Than Just Sitting Quietly

Last updated on: October 2, 2018 at 4:38 pm By Greg Richardson

More Than Just Sitting Quietly When you see someone listening to sacred stillness they can look like they are just sitting quietly. Contemplation does not appear to be a particularly exciting or stimulating practice from the outside. Many people who practice listening to sacred stillness look like they might be asleep. They find their inner balance, close their eyes, breathe deeply, and let go of distractions. None of those actions look dramatic or even interesting from the outside. Few of... Read more

Practices From the Inside Out: Seeing Ourselves Clearly

Last updated on: September 29, 2018 at 6:30 pm By Greg Richardson

Seeing Ourselves Clearly The greatest, longest, most challenging struggle of our lives is becoming who we are. Every thought, every experience gives us clues which can help us discover our deeper selves. Each memory, each fear, each moment of joy is a key which can open another door. It is as if we have hidden who we are before we were aware. We spend our lives struggling with seeing ourselves clearly. Some of us struggle nearly every moment of our lives. Who... Read more

Practices From the Inside Out: How Do We Want to Be With God?

Last updated on: September 27, 2018 at 1:46 pm By Greg Richardson

How Do We Want to Be With God? I know people who believe they can be with God only when they are in a special building. They make regular visits to worship spaces and take trips to visit sacred sites. These people seem to divide their days between being with God and their regular, everyday lives with the rest of us. Other people seem to believe we need to act in certain ways when we decide to be with God.... Read more

Listening to Sacred Stillness: Finding Our Path Into Stillness

Last updated on: September 25, 2018 at 6:56 pm By Greg Richardson

Finding Our Path Into Stillness Some of us have a difficult time beginning a contemplative practice of listening to sacred stillness. We may be unaccustomed to stillness and uncomfortable sitting still for any period of time. Some of us feel anxious about what might be waiting in the stillness for us. Many of us have hardly any experience with stillness and do not understand how it could be sacred. It is as if stillness is a faraway place we have... Read more

Practices From the Inside Out: As Our Days Grow Darker

Last updated on: September 22, 2018 at 8:19 pm By Greg Richardson

As Our Days Grow Darker It is easy for most of us to fool ourselves into forgetting our days grow darker each year. We use electricity and machines to brighten our days with artificial light. Rarely do we take time to pause and remember, to take a breath and realize our days are changing. Today is the day this year when darkness catches up with light. Our days have been brighter and longer in our hemisphere for six months, since... Read more

Practices From the Inside Out: Stepping Into Walking Prayer

Last updated on: September 20, 2018 at 10:15 pm By Greg Richardson

Stepping Into Walking Prayer Walking is important to me. I walk whenever I can. I relate to other people differently when I walk than when I drive. We all walk at our own pace. Sometimes we amble along, sometimes we stride with purpose. Walking gives us time to reflect, to breathe well, and to pray. My praying is fairly intentional at the beginning of a walk. There may be a subject or person drawing me out to walk and pray for... Read more

Listening to Sacred Stillness: Hurrying Into Stillness

Last updated on: September 20, 2019 at 7:09 pm By Greg Richardson

Hurrying Into Stillness More and more of us are talking about the importance of mindfulness and stillness in our lives. We commit ourselves to beginning new contemplative practices. Our new practices take time and we often find ourselves hurrying into stillness. We want to spend time listening to sacred stillness regularly and say we will spend at least twenty minutes each day. On a practical level we are trying to squeeze another twenty minutes into a day which is already... Read more

Practices From the Inside Out: Leaning Into Uncertainty

Last updated on: September 15, 2018 at 6:47 pm By Greg Richardson

Leaning Into Uncertainty Life can feel like we are sailing a small raft on a vast ocean of uncertainty. Uncertainty stretches before us as far as we can see in every direction, from horizon to horizon. We search for one unambiguous, sure thing we can hold onto which will hold us firm. Uncertainty makes us feel uncomfortable and afraid. It is easy for us to feel we need to find a safe place to hide and wait for uncertainty... Read more

Listening to Sacred Stillness: Beyond Voices We Remember

Last updated on: September 11, 2018 at 8:06 pm By Greg Richardson

Beyond Voices We Remember Many of us have minds full of voices we remember, particularly on days like today. There are voices we remember with love or admiration, others we remember even though we try to forget them. We may remember voices which speak in soft, gentle whispers or urgent arguments. The voices remind us of people who have shaped our lives. Some have encouraged or inspired us while others have been examples for us to avoid following. There are... Read more

Practices From the Inside Out: Where is Spiritual Life Taking Us?

Last updated on: September 9, 2018 at 9:03 am By Greg Richardson

Where is Spiritual Life Taking Us? One of the things I love about my work is when people share their questions with me. They do not necessarily believe I have all the answers to their questions. I hope they appreciate I take their questions seriously and will not make up answers or lie to them. People often need help understanding their own questions and I help them think about questions in new ways. Many of the questions people have boil... Read more