Thursday, November 8, 2018

Soul care for spiritual leaders. —from The Upper Room

Soul care for spiritual leaders. —from The Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Thursday, 8 November 2018

NOVEMBER 2018

For Leaders in These Troubled Times:
• Becoming a Compassionate Neighbor to Myself by Trevor Hudson
• 7 Suggestions for Healing and Renewal in the Midst of Stress and Anxietyby Flora S. Wuellner
• Hospitality as a Spiritual Practice, podcast featuring Amy Oden
• How to Have a Courageous Conversation

The Prayer of the Heart • Making Friends with Silence and Solitude

Henri Nouwen reminds us that we all “need quiet time in the presence of God. Although we want to make all our time, time for God, we will never succeed if we do not reserve a minute, an hour, a morning, a day, a week, a month or whatever period of time for God.”

He suggests that, “This asks for much discipline and risk taking because we always seem to have something more urgent to do and ‘just sitting there’ and ‘doing nothing’ often disturbs us more than it helps. But there is no way around this. Being useless and silent in the presence of our God belongs to the core of all prayer. In the beginning we often hear our own unruly noises more loudly than God’s voice.”

And Nouwen encourages us saying that we can “discover that the silent time makes us quiet and deepens our awareness of ourselves and God.”

Finding the Prayer of Your Heart

In last month’s newsletter, we reflected on Henri Nouwen’s insight that anyone seeking to answer “What is my way to pray? What is the prayer of my heart?” first engages in a contemplative reading of the word of God.

This month, we explore the second practice Nouwen recommends -- “a silent listening to the voice of God.”

What a challenge to find time for silence and solitude in our current environment of 24/7 news, social media, and technology overload! Nouwen suggests that the practice of contemplative scripture reading and making time to be quiet in the presence of God go hand in hand. “The word of God penetrates through the thick of human verbosity to the silent center of our heart; silence opens in us the space where the word can be heard.”

Spiritual Exercise • Solitude and Silence by Daniel Wolpert

Begin the practice by noting your intention to spend more time in solitude and silence.

Begin to notice times when you are already in solitude and/or silence—when you take a walk, when you are in the car alone, when you are at home by yourself, when you go to the gym to work out.

During these times, consciously bring to mind your intention to pray. Ask God to help you notice the presence of Jesus in your life. Address God with any specific questions or concerns you might have about your spiritual life.

Listen for the reply from God. Don't be concerned if nothing happens. Continue to bring your mind back to God in the silence.

Over time, pay attention to your desires regarding your prayer life. Perhaps you find yourself wanting to pray more. Perhaps you find your life changing in various ways. If you find yourself desiring more silence and solitude, respond to these desires. Go on a retreat, take up some of the other practices in the book, spend more time alone with God.

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More Practices to Cultivate Solitude and Silence:
Soaking Prayer

Soaking Prayer

A Soaking Prayer is a way to simply rest in God’s love. When using Soaking Prayer, it is not a time for intensive intercessory prayer or Bible study. Lay aside all of that for another day. Find a place to rest and relax—a comfortable chair, a hammock, a bed, or on the ground. Playing peaceful worship music may help you to quiet your soul and to bring your heart closer to God.

Try Soaking Prayer

Be aware of the warmth of God’s love surrounding you. Imagine yourself in a refreshing pool of water or lying on the beach with ocean waves washing over you. Or visualize a tree gently swaying in the breeze. Allow yourself to slowly rock from side to side, as if you were being cradled.

Or lie still and let God’s light seep gently into every part of your body, as water soaks into a sponge. Recognize that it is God’s presence that fills your entire being. Experiencing God's presence helps us to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, and soul.

Soaking prayer can last as long as you need, from fifteen minutes to an hour or more. If you are feeling exhausted or ill, let this be your only form of prayer for a while.

Walking Prayer

Walking Prayer

Walking prayer, or walking meditation, provides a number of benefits. It can help us concentrate on our prayers. When we are tired or sluggish, walking can be invigorating. Walking prayer can be especially helpful after a meal, early in the morning or late at night, or after a long period of sitting. When we are distressed, walking meditation may be more relaxing than sitting.

Set a length of time for the prayer—fifteen minutes or more is optimum. Begin by asking God to guide your steps and direct your prayers. Remember that God’s heart is filled with a deep love and an intimate knowledge of each person or circumstance you will pray for.

Start walking slowly, listening for God with your whole being as you move. Pay attention to your breath, your body, your heart and mind. Whenever a person or situation comes to mind, hold that person or situation in your heart for a moment before releasing them to God’s loving care. At the end of the prayer, give thanks to God.

Walking a Labyrinth

Another form of walking meditation is walking a labyrinth. Many churches and retreat centers have labyrinths available for those who wish to pray. There is no right or wrong way to walk the labyrinth. It can be used for prayer, discernment, and healing. As you begin, it may be helpful to ask God what you need to hear, and then listen for an answer as you walk.

On the way in: Pray for yourself. You may also pray the Lord’s Prayer or recite a familiar scripture. Release to God all that weighs you down or distracts you from the Divine path. The way in is a time of letting go.

In the center: Sit, stand, or lie down. Rest and receive God’s loving presence. Reflect on your relationship with God. Give thanks and praise for all God is doing in your life. Take as much time as you need.

On the way out: Return by the same path by which you came. This is a time of integrating whatever you received or learned, and returning to the world. Pray for others, that God’s will is accomplished in their lives. As you complete the labyrinth, walk back into ordinary life, knowing that God goes with you.

Befriending Silence by Beth A. Richardson

Early in my days at The Upper Room, someone told me that I should “do a silent retreat.” Being the rule-follower that I was, I scheduled a two-day silent retreat at Knobs Haven, a retreat house on the grounds of the Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse in Kentucky.

When I arrived, I was met by Elaine Prevallet, the sister in charge of Knobs Haven. She showed me my room, the place to eat my meals, and offered to meet with me once a day while I was there. As soon as I was alone, my mind and spirit were busy with creating strategies to keep myself from experiencing the silence. The few times that I did find courage to engage a bit of silence I found myself falling into pits of unresolved grief and anxiety.

When I met with Elaine each day, she listened to my struggle and discomfort and led me through my first experience of lectio divina, contemplative reading of scripture. That first experience of silence was not enough to convince me of Nouwen’s wisdom that we need quiet time in the presence of God; I left the two-day retreat thinking that silent retreats weren’t for me.

Now I look back on that experience with amusement. I didn’t know what I didn’t know -- that there is a process for befriending silence and solitude. That we learn, slowly, and over our lifetimes, how to be silent in God’s presence. I didn’t have the tools that would help me navigate sitting alone with God. And I’m still learning about how to be in that place. These days, I have begun to yearn for the connection to the Holy One that I feel in silence. The tools I currently use to cultivate my relationship with silence/solitude are centering prayer and mindfulness meditation. I invite you to join me in cultivating your relationship with silence and solitude. What are the tools, the practices, that help you befriend silence and solitude?

Book and eCourse available now.

Who came up with the idea of using nativity scenes to celebrate Christmas? Many might be surprised to learn that Francis of Assisi, the well-known thirteenth-century saint, is credited with creating the first nativity scene. The Living Nativity introduces readers to Saint Francis and his joyous reenactment of the birth of Jesus, complete with a manger and animals.

The Living Nativity explores how nativity sets, Advent wreaths, candles, carols, Christmas cards, and other traditions help prepare our hearts for the God “who bends low to enter our world and our lives.” Prayer poems for each day of the season lead readers to deepen their spiritual journey, and the book provides a guided pattern for individuals and small groups to share reflections and experience activities that open their hearts to the Christ child.

The Living Nativity provides a prayer, meditation, and reflection questions for each day of Advent. The Leader’s Guide includes suggestions for worship, discussion questions focused on the readings, and guidance for a mini-retreat on a theme of the week. An eCourse format is available for those interested in online learning opportunities for groups and individuals.

Learn more about the eCourse and book.

Email urelearning@upperroom.org to ask about a private online classroom for your small group or congregation.