Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am

Be still and know

Be still

Be

To just be is a challenging discipline for me. Every day, I get up.  I drink coffee. I go. I do without being fully present to life in front of me or to people around me.  My morning Centering Prayer practice gives me pause.  I consent to God’s presence and action within.  I sit with my sacred word.  I consent. The thoughts come.  I let them go over and over and over again.  Sometimes there is a sweet and serene space.  Other times not.  That 30 minutes of committed time is my offering of my most precious gift, time, to the Giver who gives me every moment, every breath and every heartbeat.  The practice fertilizes my day.  Fruits of the spirit grow almost in spite of my self- absorption and rushing about.  There are the precious times when I am present to the Presence in people, events, conversations.  When seemingly out of nowhere the comforting words or actions will come.  I will have a new awareness that breaks through stale thoughts and patterns. My neural paths shift.  It is pure gift and a fruit of Centering prayer.

I make time for the second sit.  Sometimes I am tired and fall asleep.  I realize it is usually for just a couple of minutes and continue with my prayer sit.  Letting go. Letting go.  Releasing the day to God.  Releasing my judgment.  Letting go.  Being still.  Consenting to God’s presence and action within.

Amen

Marie Rock

I think almost everyone must be aware of the political chaos that seems to be a constant presence in our lives. I don’t know if our times are unique in this respect, but I “feel” as if they are. I have always been drawn to centering prayer and Tai Chi practices because of their promise of inner peace and strengthening of the resistance to stress. This promise has been largely fulfilled. However, I’m finding even greater urgency to deepen my practice of centering prayer as I face these current turmoils.

Recently I happened upon an audio recording of a retreat led by Eckhart Tolle. The title is, “Realizing the Power of Now.” I read “The Power of Now” some years ago and found it to be a great complement to my centering practices. This recording was, however, the first time I heard Eckhart Tolle’s voice and had a chance to absorb his words aurally.

One evening at my centering prayer group a member was sharing her frustration with the current situation with immigration around the world and likened it to her ancestors who were brought to Jamaica in chains. She was lamenting the similar immigration of Africans today. Although not arriving in other countries in chains, the chains of poverty and misery seemed to her to be as powerful and destructive of their humanity. The negative attitude of many countries, including our own, to the immigrants arriving at our door grieved her.

I had just been listening to Tolle’s words on the drive to the church. I shared with her one of the central teachings of his work. That is, the transformation of consciousness, a spiritual awakening that he sees as the next step in human evolution. An essential aspect of this awakening consists in transcending our ego-based state of consciousness. This is a prerequisite not only for personal happiness but also for the ending of violent conflict endemic on our planet.

The final part of that summary seemed key in addressing one of the reasons I keep coming back to centering prayer. Our practice, although much more explicitly based in Christian teaching and tradition than Tolle’s work, addresses the same essential need for spiritual awakening.

I recommend the work of Eckhart Tolle as a supplement to your prayer practice. He incorporates mystical Christian principles into his writing and speaking. But, more emphatically, I recommend the continued deepening of each of your prayer practices as an essential capacity for dealing with the chaos of our times. We release a force that can redeem all creation – the force of our God working through creation.

If you somehow found your way to this blog and do not engage in centering prayer or some other contemplative practice, I encourage you to explore the links on this website. The works of Mr. Tolle are easily found at your local library or favorite online book source. Next week I will discuss the work of another of my inspirations, Richard Rohr.