In reading ancient texts, we need to understand the background history. At this point, the Israelites had been in Egypt a long time since immigrating there during a famine. They were welcomed and sustained under the leadership of one of their own, Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his brothers but rose to power through God’s providence. Time moved along until Joseph became a distant memory and sentiment toward the Israelites eroded.

The growth of the Israelite colony evolved to be viewed as a potential threat to Egypt, as they could potentially side with enemies at the border where Goshen lay and bring about a collapse of the Egyptian Empire. So, the new Pharoah Sethos I sought to control their population growth by genocide and by forced labor.

God thwarted their efforts first by the bold defiance of Hebrew midwives and birth mothers who did all they could to protect their babies. Sethos I was succeeded by Rameses II who doubled down on the repression and oppression of the Hebrew people. But God is the unseen mover behind the world scene and He is quietly at work, a reminder to us not to give up—but know, believe, and trust that God is at work.

Unobtrusively, the work of God began at Moses’ birth. Isn’t it interesting that the birth of Jesus also came quietly when people least expected anything life-changing to be happening? Moses’ name reflects his dual ancestry: mase’ (Egyptian for “child”) and masa’—the Hebrew form means “to draw out,” which is exactly what the Pharoah’s daughter did. The active form of the word means “one who draws out,” which reflects that she literally drew him out of the waters.

Clearly, it is prophetic that God was at work to draw him out first from the River, from his own people to learn the way of Egypt, then from Egypt to the land of Midian to learn the ways of God while shepherding flocks, then from Midian to Egypt to be a prophet for God, and finally from Egypt to the wilderness to shape a nation—and ultimately to the entrance of the Promised Land that God had promised Abraham and the succession of Israelite leaders.

By the time he was a young man, Moses identified himself with the oppressed rather than his adopted royal family of oppressors. In opposing a taskmaster that he saw beating an enslaved Hebrew, he renounced his royal heritage in Egypt and fled for his life to Midian, where God awaited him at a well. Here we see reflections from the life of Jesus, who welcomed a woman at a well.

In this story, Moses defended the daughters of Jethro (Reuel) from the oppressive acts of male shepherds, earning him respect and a place in the family of the priest of Midian, where he learned lessons of humility, faith and obedience to God through years in the humble task of shepherding. It took forty years. And we wonder why it seems we never quit learning and growing, sometimes failing, sometimes rising.

What does Moses learn from the encounter with God in the story?

• God is not destructive—even the bush is not burned by His presence.
• God is holy in pure righteousness that requires humble reverence before Him.
• God is all-powerful and aware of the sufferings of people and attuned to their cries for deliverance. We learn, too, that we are not just crying into the wilderness or the sky, not just hollering with a fist raised, but crying to God who hears.
• Moses and the Israelites had the faith background to see God as the one true God who had power to deliver them. They were schooled in the stories from their ancestors: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and others.
• Moses learned that his life has been on God’s radar all along; and now, after years of wondering, he gets to glimpse that God does indeed have a plan—one that scares him, but one that fits like no other plan could—a plan that would ultimately fulfill his heart’s desire to free his people. This time, though, it would not be on his own as a renegade but as a servant leader called and equipped by God over forty years, and still in process.
• When Moses had been sufficiently humbled in spirit, he was reassured of God’s call and was willing to follow with the resources God provided.

How do we see God in the story from the vantage point of the New Testament? We see Him much as we have come to know Him through Jesus.

• Saving, rescuing, protecting.
• God hears His people’s cries.
• God is compassionate toward their suffering—not as a distant spectator, but as a God who responds.
• God is a God of deliverance. He began to prepare for their deliverance in spite of worldly powers and human frailties.
• He is a self-revealing God, who centuries later would reveal Himself ultimately in the Christ, Jesus our Lord.
• He is a self-covenanting God, who has bound Himself to His plan of salvation so fully that He comes in human form to take on our sinful nature, participate fully in our sin death, and set us free for eternal salvation.
• God is worthy of praise, worship, and obedience.

How do you connect with the story?

• When/how have you been delivered, or have witnessed someone set free?
• When/how have you prayed for long years for a deep need or concern?
• When/how have you come to grips with an unexpected and unexplainable encounter with God’s compassion and purpose?
• When/how have you had to step out on faith to do something for God in defense of others and for His glory, or have witnessed someone do so?
• When/how have you been assured of God’s purpose and power in your life?
• When/how have you been humbled to see God in a new light?

I encourage fellow pilgrims of faith to reflect on this story in a contemplative fashion, using the creative gift of imagination to enter into the narrative personally. Stand before the burning bush, shoes removed from your feet, and hear God call your name. inviting you  to “Come and I will send you to help my people who are calling to me day and night.” Maybe it is your next-door neighbor, a family member, or a stranger you will meet. Go with courage! He is calling your name—most likely, to answer your very own prayers!

The post Hearing God’s Call appeared first on Savor the Sacred.

You can actually trace it back to dysfunctional families like Abraham’s! Yes, the patriarch of our faith muddled his way at times; and ill will fermented in Hagar, his concubine, and Ishmael, their son, when Sarah finally conceived Isaac and jealously mistreated Hagar and Ishmael. Sin is systemic in families and spreads to clans, tribes, and nations.

Hatred sprang up between Jacob and Esau, due to the favoritism of Isaac and Rebecca; and eventually Jacob’s family was embroiled in jealousies between the sons of two wives, resulting in Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt. This isn’t just ancient Israelite history, but the Middle Eastern animosities are fueled by those systemic failures in their most revered patriarchal families. It is repeated in other people groups the world over. Our poor familial relationships morph into societal upheaval as the centuries roll along. And it gets into our social and political systems.

So, to pray for Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and all the Middle East, we must look closer to home and first begin to pray for human hearts to change—even our own. That is a tall order, but it is the only way to peace. One of the great promises regarding prayer is in the Old Testament, II Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

God offers a wonderful promise, but prefaces it with that big little word: IF. “If my people. . .” The offer begins with God’s people—those who are called by His name, or those who call on His name—those who are known as believers in God as Creator and Deliverer, and who trust Him enough to pray.

IF God’s people will humble themselves—step back, quit shouting, cease demanding, murmuring, bickering, threatening, retaliating—and do what? PRAY! He even tells us how to pray—simply “seek God’s Face.” In other words, it’s not about creating eloquent words and phrases from the mind or great prayer conferences. It’s about praying out of the heart longings in the soul, face to face with God, getting down deep and honest in real fervent prayer. Mean it. Get personal with Almighty God.

And what does He say to do next? “Turn from their wicked ways.” What? The enemy is the one with wicked ways, right? Surely, not God’s people who are called by His name and who call upon His name, and seek to live by His righteous will. Not us! The violent offenders, they have wicked ways. We church-going, law-abiding citizens don’t have wicked ways. Do we? But, then the prophet Isaiah rises up to remind us of his prayer in his day, confessing, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.” Ouch. That same indictment is sounded in the New Testament, in Romans 3:10–11: “There is no one who is righteous, not even one; there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God.” And we know there is truth in that assessment.

To turn from our wicked ways is to first of all agree with God that in His sight our ways are sometimes wicked and we are without the understanding He wants us to embrace. The Psalmist prayed the prayer we need to pray: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23–24).” So, first we must examine our own hearts to see if there are barriers within our own lives to the answers to prayer that we seek.

Consider the ways we may perpetuate ill will in the world by our own judgments and requirements expected or demanded of others. Notice the ways we fail to do the simple things God requires—like “to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). For those of us who believe in Jesus as the Messiah, our Savior and Lord, we also have His command to love God supremely and to love one another selflessly.

The offer for finding peace in the world is clear—to humble ourselves, seek God’s Face, turn from our wicked ways. THEN God says, “I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” If we really want our land healed so that all people can live safe, free and at peace—with clean water, good food, meaningful livelihood, and harmonious relationships—this is the path we must take. Sounds like a good deal to me. We surely aren’t making progress toward peace any other way. So, let’s pray:

Father All Glorious, and over all victorious, we turn to you confessing that we have failed to love as you call us to love, and we have failed to live as you want us to live. Our world is writhing in pain, and we are helpless to make much change. So, we come willing to change ourselves first, from the inside out. But, we are not even capable of that. Just as the leopard cannot change his spots, we cannot rid ourselves of all unrighteous thoughts, words and actions. Sin has been imbedded into our very nature, enmeshed even in our unconscious thoughts and comes to us in myriads of ways from our culture.

But, we are assured through your Word that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Through His work of Grace by His Spirit, we can be transformed to live and care for others and walk obediently with You. Through His work of redemption in us, we can walk in the way of truth that leads to the life we most want and need. One person at a time, the world can be changed. Lord, let it begin with me. Here I am to humble myself, pray, seek Your face and turn from my wicked ways. As the Psalmist prayed long ago, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). Help me see what I have ignored and renew a right way of being in my life, through Your Amazing Grace in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition.
Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The post Praying for Israel and the Middle East Begins at Home appeared first on Savor the Sacred.

We also need hearing assistance for listening to the voice of the Lord and keeping our faith stimulated and our hopes renewed. Many people, perhaps all people, wish they could hear a voice from the Lord and have their prayers answered. When it doesn’t come as we imagine it will, we get discouraged and sometimes quit praying. After a while, we get so out of touch that we wouldn’t recognize the voice if it came. I hope to share a good word with you that will help you listen for the voice you haven’t known or no longer recognize, the voice of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. I hope to give you some new hearing aids—some tips on what to listen for.

I understand how easy it is not to recognize the voice. The Psalmist said, “I hear a voice I had not known” (Psalm 81:5, NRSV).  It was a voice saying, “I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket. In distress you called, and I rescued you” (Psalm 81:6-7, NRSV). Often, we don’t expect to hear a word of comfort or rescue or support from God. We half suspect that the voice is going to judge us, condemn us, or at least chide us for our shortcomings, failures, or our outright sinfulness.

Many people don’t really seek to hear God because of fear. They don’t expect to hear a good word from the Lord, even though they may have heard the gospel referred to as “good news” all their lives. Our culture often shapes us to feel unworthy, dismisses us as unimportant, or outright mistreats us; and the effect is to make us feel that God would treat us that way, too. Some voices in our culture reflect a voice of judgment that they claim is from God. Some even deny the validity of hearing a word from the Lord in our lives at all.

I had been on the Christian path a long time when I realized that I had often not heard Jesus correctly. I had read hundreds of times, if not more, Jesus’ call to “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. . . and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30, NRSV ). I had heard this invitation to take on His yoke as yet another burden to bear. My inner voice protested, “What, Lord?!? Now I have to take your yoke upon me, too? It’s too much!” I was already carrying the burdens of feeling unworthy, excluded, opposed and dismissed. I wanted relief, not another burden.

By His Grace, my soul’s hearing was tuned over time to hear His voice differently—as a voice I had not known. Instead of a voice that I heard as demanding rightness, requiring perfection and judging my failures, I heard a voice of support, saying, “Let me help you carry your burdens. Here, take my yoke and I will carry your burdens with you. When you have no strength, I will carry it all.”

Now that is a voice I had not known, but the voice I most needed to hear. The voice of Jesus is a voice of kindness; a voice that comforts—not a demanding voice requiring a perfection I could never attain, and which was wearing me out trying. I heard the voice Jesus was speaking of when He said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27, NRSV). Do you know that voice of Jesus? Can you recognize it above the voice that the culture has erroneously given Him?

The Good Shepherd’s voice is the voice that allows for what some might call imperfection. Remember, He is the one who neither kept schedules nor always followed the rules. He was criticized for not enforcing strict ceremonial hand washing for His disciples and for plucking grain for a snack as He and his followers walked along by a grain field on the Sabbath—probably also walking farther than the Law said they could on a Sabbath.

No, the voice of Jesus is not a Pharisaical tone of restriction, criticism and judgment. It is a voice that sets us free. He is not calling us to rigid rightness, but to trust in His Love and live a simple life uncomplicated by unrealistic expectations. The life He led was of gracious kindness and goodness, welcome and hospitality, compassion and service. When we begin to listen to that voice, His kindness and goodness begin to seep into all the empty places in our inner being and to be expressed more and more through us.

My outward personality was trained through life experience to strive to be right—as a desperate effort to not be judged and to belong. It arises out of a longing to be approved and welcomed, often as a result of not receiving affirmation enough in childhood or adulthood. I spent a good bit of my adulthood trying to fulfill that longing through righteousness which tends to engender inner anger because nothing is ever perfect. That morphs into judgmental evaluation of oneself, everyone and everything; and it ends up marring the very relationships you most want to sustain and the good you hoped to do. It is a vicious cycle—until you hear the voice of Jesus rightly.

Think of what Jesus said about Living Water, the Bread of Life, Eternal Life, New Birth, Abundant Life—all concepts that are so inviting, life-giving and nurturing. Think of what He said in the Beatitudes, about where true happiness is found—not in being top dog, but in being content to live simply and kindly. Think of the kindness and goodness in His words and actions. Yes, He spoke harsh words too in some contexts, but notice to whom they are spoken—to people who deny the right of others to experience life with goodness and kindness at its center or people who oppose God and those who believe in God.

Yet, many Christians I know are not feeling that they hear His voice to them personally and are wondering why. I remember being confused about it, too. I knew that I was not experiencing what I thought Jesus had promised as abundant life, though I had run all the Christian bases I knew to run. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. I believed deeply that He was not promising empty promises. I trusted Him to mean what He said. But something was missing. I was missing the true voice of the True Shepherd. I was listening but not hearing. I was listening through the wrong filters.

I invite you to tune your heart to the true voice of Jesus. His is the voice of love. What He came to give us is not more burdens to be right, but an invitation to let Him carry that burden for us to the cross, and now to walk with Him through life, knowing we do not walk alone. We walk with the One who was perfect in God’s eyes but criticized for not being perfect in the eyes of those who made themselves in the end to be enemies of God.

Now, how can we be sure? How can we sort through our thoughts and the world’s observations and hear the voice of truth? How do we know Jesus’ voice is the voice of truth? Well, because the One who welcomes us to walk with Him without fear of judgment is the One whose words came true. The scriptures tell us that a true prophet speaks words that come true, all the time. Jesus’ words came true. If he called for healing, healing came. If he called for the dead to be raised, they were raised. If he called for the storm on the sea to be still, it quieted down. If he declared water to become wine, it became the best wine. He predicted His own resurrection. At the empty tomb, the angel said to the women, “He has risen as he said.” AS HE SAID.

His voice speaks truth—the truth that God longs for us to trust in His love and become satisfied with simple goodness and kindness in life. We should ignore any other voice that pumps us up with ideas of being rigidly right or pompously inflated with striving for success to the point that we miss the joy of living. We are under a New Covenant, so read the Old Testament Laws in that light. Know that those ancient rigid requirements served their purpose in that time, but Jesus fulfilled them for us and brought in a new way of knowing God and pleasing God. Pay attention to His voice now—the voice of steadfast love that forgives, welcomes and saves—and the voice that invites us into communion with Him in our soul.

The prophets had been protesting for centuries against the rigidity of religious law-keeping. Jesus came saying the same things and fulfilling the hope that runs through the Old into the New Testaments—that God would dwell with us and invite us to dwell with Him, not based on our perfection but on His Love.

So, put on new hearing aids—new ways of filtering the sound of God’s voice. Know that it sounds just like Jesus’ voice and know that it is the voice of the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep and carries their burdens, rather than placing heavier and heavier burdens upon them. He had scathing rebukes for Pharisees who did that to people, so that is NOT His voice. His voice is the voice that affirms you, encourages you, comforts you. Listen to it. Speak it to yourself until you can recognize it in Jesus’ voice.

At Jesus’ baptism, God’s voice was heard saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved. LISTEN to Him” (Mark 9:7, NRSV). So, I invite you to get really still right now, take deep breaths and listen. Don’t move. Move inward to your inner soul. Filter out all the condemning voices and pay attention to the tender quiet voice of forgiveness, calling you to slip your weary burdens under His yoke. Try it. It is a blessing He wants to share with you.

He is saying to you that He sees you dragging your burdens and wants you to hear, “Let me help you carry it. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. I am not a punitive taskmaster. Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

We can trust that true voice.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The post Ears to Hear appeared first on Savor the Sacred.

We are all the products of our culture, nature and nurture. For us, the effects of the Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution have held sway over our world view for centuries and are only slowly giving way to a broader view of reality. Over time, the world’s view of God became more distant—almost disconnected from everyday life, very authoritative, and even condemning. Most people see God as the Almighty Judge that they are too unworthy to approach. We soak up these views from our culture. It is embedded in us until we are blessed with our own personal “reformation.”

We can actually thank quantum physics for a shift in our understanding of the universe. The less rigid view of life is enabling us to release some of our strict boundaries around our concepts about God, too. We read scripture through the lens we have been handed in our educational and ecclesiastical traditions, so we read from a dualistic viewpoint—somewhat static concepts and a patriarchal model for human relationships.

Masculine energy has dominated the world for centuries and is only slowly allowing feminine energy to be included in partnership and leadership. All of this affects the way we view God—whether as a sovereign judge or a perfect father who loves us like a mother. Jesus depicted God in the latter view in the parable of the prodigal son.

We tend to make God in our image rather than the other way around. Because the creation story sets forth the truth that we are created in the Divine image, we assume God must be like us in form. Many people still tend to function from an anthropomorphic vision of God. There is a prevailing thought about God seated on a far, distant throne, looking very much like an oversized ethereal human—grandfatherly or stern, maybe wispy and snowy white, aloof and unapproachable. In my early childhood view, He was a beautiful bluish-white.

We are like people who need to see an optometrist and get new glasses to improve their view of the world—and of God. I think the truth about God is hidden in plain sight, but we are pre-conditioned to overlook it as we read scripture. Paul wrote in the first century, “The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. . . For in him we live and move and have our being. . .” (Acts 17:24-28, NRSV).

In Him we live and move and have our being. So, let us ditch the anthropomorphic view. If God is shaped like a human, how can all of us throughout the world live and move and have our being in such a limited form? Jesus said that God is Spirit. Put the ideas of Jesus and Paul together, and you can see that God is invisible and expansive in being, able to embrace all of life in His life-giving presence. Since He gives to all mortals their life and breath, then He must be very near in order to be our source of life.  In the passage cited above, Paul also taught that God’s purpose is that all people would search for Him and find Him, adding “indeed he is not far from each one of us” (verse 27). I would say, closer than our nearest breath.

That close? Then why do we labor in our lives as if we must bring Him down to us by some extraordinary faith measures and attempts at righteousness? Why do we pray as if He is far away and we must make exaggerated efforts to reach Him and pound on the doors of heaven to be heard and plead for Him to pay attention to our needs—even get a cacophony of voices praying for us?

Or, maybe the thought of such nearness makes us uncomfortable and causes us to want to think of Him in the faraway images. Perhaps it seems eerie or weird that God sees and knows all—literally all we think and do. Perhaps our awareness of our sinfulness would lead us to prefer for God to be extremely far away and not aware of every thought, word and action.

I think His nearness is what Jesus was conveying in the Beatitudes and throughout His teachings. God is so near to the brokenhearted that they are already welcome in His Kingdom. Jesus took it further and said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you” (Luke 17:21, NIV). Since the Kingdom of Heaven is where God dwells and reigns, then God is present within every soul who longs for God to be near and to help them live according to His plan and purpose in Creation. No need to worry about our sinfulness. He has taken care of that, too.

Even in the Old Testament, in the 30th chapter of the ancient book of Deuteronomy, God and His Word were depicted as very near, meaning that there is no need for us to have to try to reach heaven in order to find Him. God is not beyond the sea or the galaxy. He is not hiding from us, playing hard-to-get. The author says, “No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe” (Deut. 30:14, NRSV). This means the Word of God that spoke Creation into being and the Word of Righteousness to inspire us is not obsolete or antiquated, and certainly not distant. If His Word is near and relevant, then He is near and relevant.

All the history of the Bible was moving toward the great redemptive revelation of God in Christ, so that we could know that God loves us. Through Christ, we are assured that we can draw near and not be afraid. We can welcome His near Presence moment by moment. We can rejoice that he knows all, because that means he is intimately aware of our deepest needs. Besides, Paul declared, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, NRSV). No condemnation. None. Nada. Zero. Zilch. There is only welcome in the presence of God to all who believe.

In His Presence, there is light, love, truth, hope, wisdom and promise. Let Him draw near to you this day. Let yourself draw near to Him. You do not even have to move. Just close your eyes to break the distractions of what you see, and sink gently within yourself and call Him by His favorite name: Jesus. Why? Because Jesus said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:11, NRSV). He wants us to share that same nearness and oneness with Him.

Try it. You’ll like having Him that near. The loving embrace of His Spirit will reassure you and His Spirit will guide you into the truth you need for your life, just as Jesus promised. Trust Him.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The post Is Your God Too Far Away? appeared first on Savor the Sacred.

Let me make you aware of an ancient custom that you may want to try as well. Since at least the 4th century, walking a prayer Labyrinth has been a special blessing for many Christians who were fortunate to know the location of one. I recently installed one in our back yard and feel quite blessed to be able to walk it every day.

So, in case you are wondering, let me answer the question—what is a Labyrinth? From its earliest origins, it has been a circular design outlined on the floor or ground, to be walked as a spiritual prayer meditation activity. The most common Christian design was made famous in the cathedral of Chartres, France, and dates from the 13th century.

It is an ancient custom utilized in many faith traditions. Its Christian heritage dates back as early as 324 C.E. in Algiers, North Africa, though the custom as we know it dates from the 11th and 12th centuries when it was used to symbolize a spiritual pilgrimage. In that era, devout Christians longed to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land; but during the Crusades of the Middle Ages, such a pilgrimage was extremely dangerous. So, a labyrinth became a tool that Christians found helpful in meditating on their personal journey of life and faith. 

Its value as a path for prayer meditation has continued to enrich the lives of those who are fortunate to engage in it for communion with the Lord. There is nothing mysterious or inherently beneficial about the Labyrinth in and of itself. It is the prayerful reflection of the heart, soul, and mind during the walking orientation of the body that leads participants inward for renewal and outward with fresh insight and renewed hope. It is not a maze in which one gets lost, but it can become a prayer discipline by which one gains a sense of being “found.”

The winding pathway is symbolic of the twists and turns in our journey of life and faith. The walker begins at the outside of the circle and follows a path that will wind slowly in toward the center, which symbolizes our desire to connect with God. As you walk, you engage in reflection and prayer about current goals and challenges of your life, or recall the experiences of your faith journey. In the center, you commune with God in silent, listening contemplation and prayer for as long as you desire, and then retreat slowly as you review the insights you received and consider ways to live more centered in the Lord.

Tips for walking a Labyrinth:

We should engage in this spiritual prayer time in silence. Remember the word of God quoted by the Psalmist: “Be still and know that I am God.” So, in walking a Labyrinth, while it is not necessary to be alone, the participants do not communicate with anyone else, in order to focus one’s heart on the Lord and avoid distracting anyone in their prayer focus.

Take a few moments to prepare your heart for the “journey.” Read or recall meaningful scripture passages and reflect upon how you want to approach the walk. The possible approaches are too numerous to outline fully, as they may cover all areas of human life—loss, celebration, career, family, spiritual growth, service for the Lord, and beyond. Ponder the longings of your heart and consider what you seek in regard to your faith relationship with the Lord, in personal relationships or life goals.

• Perhaps you want to reflect on how you have known God throughout your faith journey, where you are now in your relationship with Him, and where you hope you are headed. 

• Perhaps there is a struggle that you want to pray about as you walk, seeking insight and wisdom for a future response.

• There may be goals you are seeking to reach, and you will utilize this time with the Lord to draw upon His Spirit for direction and guidance.

• You could take this time to remember Jesus’ journey to the cross, reflecting on the milestones along the way and consider how you connect with His story. This can be especially meaningful during the seasons of Advent and Lent.

Stand at the entrance before beginning and praise God for His presence in all the times that you pray and in all the experiences of your life. Turn your attention to thoughts of His love for you, revealed in Jesus Christ. If there is a cross near the Labyrinth, focus on that to begin and return your gaze there frequently. Commit yourself to be attentive to the nudges of the Holy Spirit as you walk and pray.

Begin walking slowly, reflecting, and praying as desired, pausing or proceeding as it fits your thought processes. If you need to pass someone or be passed, pay attention to the path you are in, step aside and return to your place. Allow the in and out, back and forth movements to punctuate your reflections. Perhaps a turn in the path will remind you of a turn you have made or need to make in your life with God.

Slow or hasten your progress as needed to reach the center when you feel you are ready to engage your relationship with God in a specific way related to your purpose. You may sit, stand, or kneel. Use this as opportunity for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, or supplication as needed. 

Once you have attained a sense of completion in your prayer journey, return by the same path you entered, exiting as slowly or quickly as needed. As you return, reflect on how you will continue your journey of life—perhaps with renewed purpose, trust for the unanswered questions, assurance of God’s love for you in Jesus Christ, and a fresh sense of forgiveness or any other gift of the Spirit that you received.

At the exit/entrance, pause to turn and face the Labyrinth again, reflecting on what you received in the experience and give thanks to the Lord. Go in peace, knowing that God is with you.

Each experience of walking a Labyrinth path is new. As we move along in our lives from day to day, there are new perspectives, new questions, new struggles, new points in the journey to be celebrated or explored.  So, we may approach each opportunity with joyful anticipation of how we will meet with God in the current time.

These are simply some tips for walking the Labyrinth, though you are free to walk and reflect in whatever way is most meaningful to you. There are no wrong or right ways, though there are approaches that will contribute more readily to a positive experience.

May the Lord bless you with fresh orientation for your soul as you walk a Labyrinth! Click here to find a Labyrinth in your area.

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Living through a pandemic feels like “turtle time,” but not nearly so enjoyable. Life has slowed to a crawl. Ordinary errands require heroic effort to accomplish—with distancing, mask, gloves, sanitizing wipes, etc. While turtle time is relaxing, pandemic time is stressful. But, it has provided time for reflection about time expectations in our culture.

When I was in the third grade, I was introduced to the Western view of time. It became my taskmaster for most of my life. Our beloved teacher, with all good intentions, instilled into us—or at least into me—the value of each moment, day, week, month, year. She convinced me that time was precious and should be used wisely. I would still agree that it is true.

Productivity was the goal, and that was a good goal. I clearly understood that a moment misused was a moment wasted that could never be retrieved or made up. Now, mind you, I did not grasp all that in the third grade. That was the beginning of the molding messages I would hear at school, home, and church. We were all fully engulfed in the western, “protestant” work ethic, which has served us well. We have built a great society due to our industriousness.

It is possible, however, to lose our own soul in the pursuit of productivity. I know that is a strong statement, but Jesus spoke of gaining the whole world and losing your soul (Matthew 16:24-26). You see, He was pointing to another way to use the time we have been given on earth—a way that best honors the Image of God in our being and frees us to grow in communion with Him. It is the way of the Spirit that moves in ways and directions you would least expect. In God’s way, you freely “waste” time to be in a relationship with Him for the purpose of growing into persons who fulfill His purpose in the world in His time and ways. The Psalmist knew this way, for he posited God saying, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Meeting God in Silence and Solitude

Some hungry souls discovered, or re-discovered, this practice in the third century; but it got lost from everyday practice for most believers in the centuries of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Enlightenment, even until now. Between the third and sixth centuries, though, devout followers of Christ left the cities to dig deeper into the promises of the Gospel. In church history, we know those hungry souls as the Desert Fathers and Mothers—believers who longed to follow Christ without worldly interference. So, they went into the deserts and wilderness areas—literally—and lived there where they could pursue their soul’s desire for God in Silence and Solitude.

They chose to live on “desert time.” They were longing to be fully transformed in Christ as the Gospel promises. They gave up on the world’s ways that the imperial church had embraced and chose to follow the example of great men of old who found communion with God in lonely places—from Abraham to Moses, to Elijah, to John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus. The result in the lives of the Desert Fathers and Mothers was not lack of productivity, but some of the richest spiritual insights that Christianity has ever known. We are indebted to the writings they left behind for those who would come behind them.

Small bands of believers down through the centuries have known the value of wasting time with God, while the vast wave of Christianized westerners and their proselytes around the world have followed the path that unfolded from analytical, rational, and scientific world views. While our intellectual expansion has built a fantastic world, hungry souls became alienated from the way of the Spirit and became caught up in a hectic drive for success, power, authority, prosperity and notoriety. Pardon my pointing out the obvious that we wish to ignore, but we have not gained widespread happiness promised by living in tune with the world at large. However, there is hope!

Fruitful Practices of Faith

There is a way of growing in Christ that has come to light again in the most recent decades. A quiet spiritual renaissance is taking place as great writings out of earlier times, from deeply spiritual men and women, have been translated and published around the world. This movement has revealed that our spiritual forefathers lived their daily lives by some fruitful practices of faith, worship and service—known today as Spiritual Disciplines. Practices, fine-tuned by the “desert entrepreneurs,” are once again being worked into the lives of average Christians who share that same hunger for God and that same longing to grow in Christ in all the ways that it is possible to do so.

Practices such as Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer, when correctly incorporated into one’s life, create a space of Grace in our souls where the promised new birth of the Spirit in us can be actualized in the fullness and abundance of the promises in the New Testament. These disciplines will not be productive when engaged in a perfunctory approach. There is no magic in them; but when reverently engaged in deep faith, they become a doorway for the Lord Jesus to bring about in us what He prayed for us during His last prayer with his disciples. It is the path to find that for which we most deeply long.

Jesus Prays for All Believers (John 17:20-26, NIV)

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Finding Our Deepest Longings Through Quiet Time with God

Through Christ’s prayer for us, we gain assurance that God longs for union and communion with us. So, I encourage you to step off the merry-go-round of cultural, social and professional expectations, and carve out some time in your month, week, or ideally in each day, to “waste time” with God. Use our current “pandemic time” as a gift for your soul. Begin your day with prayer and sacred study of scripture by the Lectio Divina method. Create a breath prayer to carry in your heart throughout the day. Pause at lunch for intercessory prayer—focused on prayer for the world. Take a 20-minute break in the afternoon for Centering Prayer and close the day with an Examen. For more information about these practices, read my article on Spiritual Formation Fundamentals.

If you will “waste” some time growing closer to the Lord, you will find the pace of your spiritual growth quickened and deepened; and the promises of the New Testament will begin to be alive in you in a new way. I hope you will soon give glory to God for the growth experienced in the Spirit during “pandemic time.”

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Luke 24:13-32 (NRSV)

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?”

They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”

He asked them, “What things?”

They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.”

Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

Now, look at the painting through the eyes of your soul, slowly taking it in. Let your imagination take you into the scene. Enjoy the warmth of the sunshine and gentle breeze. See the long road ahead of you and wonder how long it will take to get there. Feel the anguish in your soul over all that is taking place. Notice your gentle surprise when you realize someone has joined the two of you—that you had been so engrossed in the sorrow of your current situation that you had not even noticed this “stranger” with you. Listen to Jesus as He throws light on your situation and helps things make sense to you. Can you imagine that this is your story too?—that Jesus is always close at hand in the Holy Spirit and that He has the answers for the way your path needs to go into the future?

Many people are saying that the future will be different even when the pandemic is past and life re-opens. We can already see that is true as we are faced with the first steps toward re-opening. That doesn’t have to be a grim declaration. Jesus never promised us a grim future. The ancient scriptures of the Israelites never promised a sad future in God’s plan. Even in the worst prophesied experiences, God was always saying to His people as He did through the prophet Jeremiah during a time of exile: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).

The choice is ours. We can stay on the merry-go-round of sorrow, with the anger, denial, bargaining, depression and fateful acceptance. Or, as God said to His people long ago: “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess” (Deut. 30:15-16, NIV).

We don’t have to accept a new future that is full of death. We can accept a future full of life. Jesus promised, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10, NIV). It all begins with these simple steps: Love the Lord your God. Walk in His ways. Obey His prescription for a good life. The outcome is life, productivity, blessings. That is a small price to pay for a better life. And, a better life naturally unfolds when people individually and collectively choose to walk with God.

I hope you will walk with Jesus on your own “road to Emmaus.” Believe that the Lord your God really means what He has promised. Hear His love and compassion for you in Isaiah 43:1-3 (MSG):

When You’re Between a Rock and a Hard Place

  But now, (hear) God’s Message,
    the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
    the One who got you started, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
    I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
    When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
    it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
    The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
    all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
    That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
    trade the creation just for you.

You see, we all are given opportunities to walk the path of life fully in faith that God means what He says—and what He says is that He loves us and wants us to enjoy the life He has given us. The book of Revelation concludes with God saying, “I am making everything new!” Despite all the ominous images in that book, the end result that God revealed is—He is working toward something new and good! Something better than had been! Something wonderful!

The promise of scripture is that God is always working through goodness, toward good ends. The Apostle Paul assured us that God works for good with us, through all the circumstances of life (Romans 8:28). That doesn’t mean we won’t face hard times, but it is a promise that God is not the cause of the hardship but instead is on our side to help us through it. Over and over, the images in scripture’s promises are of God helping us through the fires, floods, pestilences and disasters that we earth-bound humans are prone to encounter.

I am keeping my heart open to notice all the goodness in this experience and can hardly wait to see what the new world will be like! I hope it is closer to what God wants—peace and harmony for the planet, the creatures, the plants and the people. I hope we all learn to stay off the worldly merry-go-round and choose to walk our life path in the company of Jesus.

Click here to read the companion meditation.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved.
Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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So, the words “don’t panic” seem misplaced—like telling a fire not to burn. It would probably be abnormal not to be alarmed. However, the faith that we take up in following Christ is just that abnormal! It is rooted in the Judeo-Christian perspective—to place your faith in God and not worry.

Over and over, the New Testament writers reported instances when Jesus counseled people not to be anxious. On a boat in danger of sinking in a violent storm, he asked the disciples with wonder, “Why are you afraid?” And the disciples wondered that he asked such a question! Who wouldn’t be afraid? But, Jesus was not. He had been asleep in the stern of the boat until they aroused him in wild hysteria! He slept in complete confidence in God (Matthew 8:25-27).

Time after time, he told people “do not fear” and “do not be anxious.”  In the appearances of angels recorded in scripture, they spoke those same words: “Do not be afraid.” The Psalms also call forth strong confidence in God as our Deliverer, Protector and Guide through all of life’s challenges. Instead of worrying, the Psalmist took a stand in faith like Jesus. Psalm 91 offers us a great place to begin in praying for strength and courage for the living of these days:

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you . . . If you make the Most High your dwelling, even the Lord, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent . . .

‘Because he loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble.’”

Much of the Psalms were written in poetic language, utilizing metaphor, so it is important to receive the blessing of scripture without getting caught up in literal interpretations. This does not mean that people of faith hold a “get out of jail free card.” But, it does mean that people of faith know in their hearts that God is a loving, merciful God of Omnipotent and Sovereign Power—He is in touch with our sufferings and attuned to our prayers.

In Jesus’ teachings, the parable of the talents gives us an important lesson. In the story, a landowner or proprietor went on a journey and left his servants in charge of his property, with varying degrees of responsibility. When he returned, they gave an account of their stewardship and were rewarded according to their faithfulness and success. One who was not rewarded admitted that he was afraid and thought the Master was “a hard man”—so he was fearful of losing what had been entrusted to him and hid it until the master returned (Matthew 25:14–27).

The two lessons here are: 1) fear can get in the way of reasonable action, and 2) our view of God can get in the way of faith that leads us to act in faithful ways. If we have little faith in God or view Him as a menacing, judgmental figure, we will not expect good things from Him. We will have nothing to keep us from being fearful. Jesus told people who were seeking healing, “It will be done unto you according to what you have believed” (Matthew 8:13, 9:22 NIV). Faith is a requirement in our seeking of God’s Goodness. As the author of Hebrews said, we must “ believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. ” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).

The moral of this story is to believe God is Good, earnestly seek Him, ask for His help and guidance, and trust that He will answer. That is a much more positive way to approach the current global crises—and one that can yield great benefits in wise decisions for wellbeing throughout our lives. Trust God and don’t panic. It will be well with your soul. God gave you your life and holds you in His care forever, no matter what happens on this earth.

Click here to join us in a Prayer for the World during these extraordinary times.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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I was once in a study course on forgiveness as a part of the Spiritual Formation Certification program at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. We were blessed and enriched spiritually to have Marjorie Thompson as the facilitator. In one session, we focused on the story of the prodigal son recorded in Luke 16:11-32; and an interesting question arose in observing the stance of the older brother toward his father. With the father representing God our Heavenly Father in the parable, we see the oldest son expressing deep anger and resentment toward the father. So, let’s be honest. Do we need to forgive God the Father? When the question was posed, it took my breath! But, it was an intriguing question. Are we holding resentment toward God? Does this great parable show us that we may need to rethink our understanding of God—and the way we engage our relationship with God? What are our expectations and are they valid?

In this story, the father does not hold the youngest son accountable for his sins. At least that is the way the dutiful older brother sees it when he hears the sounds of the party and hears that the degraded son was wearing a family robe, slippers and ring. The older brother sees a display of favoritism and a breach of equity, which gives him a sense of being taken for granted. He becomes highly offended. In the reflection on the older brother’s anger toward his father and brother, is Jesus helping us to see that we have a similar problem toward God and our “brothers”? Are we disappointed in the way God rules with regard to what we see as failures in others? Are we holding out for judgment rather than forgiveness?

This story truly reveals that the reign of the Kingdom of God is a reality beyond anything we can imagine. As William Countryman expresses it, we get to share in “God’s extraordinary, forgiving generosity.”[1] To understand it requires “metanoia”—a transformation of mind beyond our typical cultural mindset, past wrongs and coveted beliefs—in order to grasp the blessings of repentance and forgiveness. Our problem is that, more often than not, we don’t want to move past the wrong. We want to stay there and nurse it and empower it—and judge and condemn it. So, we stand outside the Father’s love like the older son and demand to have things our way—essentially, for the other person who is wrong to be judged and condemned. In doing so, we miss the full benefit of God’s love ourselves. We keep ourselves on the outside looking in like the elder brother in the back yard while the party was going on. We miss the party.

In this remarkable parable, Jesus beckons us to look at our issues and ask, “What exactly is wrong?”—even if it hurts to recognize our part in failing relationships and communities. Who is farther from the father? The one guilty of moral sin or the one guilty of not loving and forgiving? The other question to ask is, “What exactly is right?” The answer is always forgiveness. There is no law against forgiveness. The father responded with love. There is nothing wrong with God loving each person lavishly and equally. If we are going to follow Him in the way of Christ, we will do the same.

[1] Countryman, L. William. Forgiven and Forgiving, Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 1998.

Forgiveness Is Rooted in Belovedness

Forgiveness is not easy, but let me let you in on a little secret—no, a big secret. The key to forgiveness resides in our need to recognize our belovedness and that of others. In Isaiah 43:1, there is a truth that is echoed in other passages of scripture: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” The reverse is true as well—God also says to us, “I am yours. I, the Mighty God, even I am your Good Shepherd, your Counselor, your Friend, your Beloved, your Loving Father.”

He is the God who opens his arms to us like the father of the prodigal son and like a hen sheltering her chicks. That God is mine and that God says “I am yours” even to my enemies. Rather than being threatened or offended by their inclusion, let’s embrace the truth that the overwhelming love of God, who welcomes me with all my failures, would not be as valid if it did not also include others in their failures—even my enemies. Forgiveness would have less power if it were only mine or the people who love me. Because I can extend it to others, it is the “pearl of great price” (Matt. 13:46) worth giving up our selfishly rooted attitudes in order to experience it and share it with others. It is really the only direction we can turn that imbues life with meaning.

When we surrender any right or desire to blame ourselves, one another or God, we are on our way in the journey of forgiveness. Perhaps that is the essence of repentance. We stop the “name, blame and shame” game and just face the truth of ourselves and of others for what it is and not for what it should be. That is the beginning. It opens the opportunity for change. The ending is when that happens on both sides and a little pool of light is set ablaze in one dark spot on earth. And that is no ending. It is a new beginning.

Forgiveness Is a Path of Light

The beauty of forgiveness is that it is not an end, nor a means to an end. It is the center of life—the essence of love, the crux of the matter—the pathway of light. To all of us, God speaks as to Jesus, “You are my beloved child; with you I am well pleased,” though our actions may belie our state of blessedness. Grace says to all, “You are my beloved child; with you I am at work. My goodness, mercy and love will follow you all the days of your life. I am yours.”

We cannot ultimately withhold forgiveness from another because it is rooted in their belovedness before God. It belongs to them. And we deprive ourselves of the richest of life’s blessings when we refuse forgiveness for ourselves or others. We miss carrying the cross with Jesus when we deny forgiveness. We miss the opportunity to set out a pool of light in a dark world. Jesus said, “Let your light shine.” Don’t hide it under a bushel of shame and blame. Let it glow with all the gracious love of God. Let us light up our world with the light of forgiveness. Amen and Amen.

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Retreats are times apart in a quiet place to ponder our lives in the company of our God. It used to be that only priests and nuns and people whose profession was the spiritual life went on retreat. But now lay women and men are realizing the value of “down” time, to help restore balance and connection. We need a place where we can go, surrendering calendar and cell phone at the door, to spend time simply being in the presence of God and our true selves. Sounds marvelous? Well….. yes and no.

I remember the first time I found myself on a retreat—three days of silence with one hour a day of spiritual direction. For introverts this may be bliss, but for an extrovert like me it felt like Purgatory. Also, I was uneasy about what might come up when I slowed down. But I trusted the place (Green Bough Retreat Center in Adrian GA) and the guides—that’s crucial. And it was time.

Sure enough, the experience was challenging but also rich in lasting ways. It convinced me to follow the example of my spiritual mentors, by scheduling three or four retreats per year, to keep the engine running and the wheels aligned.

People choose to go on retreat for different reasons. They may be facing an important decision. They may be looking for new direction. They may come to plumb the meaning of a dark time. They may come in gratitude, or for the sheer pleasure of being in God’s company. Teresa of Avila speaks of a wonderful revelation about the nature of God that was given to her on retreat. “What a burden I thought I was to carry, a crucifix as did He.” During her time apart, Love invites Teresa to put down her cross and simply “Enjoy Me.” It changed her life.

Lest we need more permission, Jesus was a person of deep prayer. Silence and solitude were part of the fabric of his life. He knew that time apart was crucial to maintaining His connection and fulfilling his ministry. And if Jesus needed time apart to stay true, how much more so do we?

Retreat centers come in many varieties. Some provide structured programs; others leave you mostly on your own. Whatever tradition they may be rooted in—Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist.etc—all the retreat centers I’ve known are eagerly ecumenical, welcoming people of all faiths and people with no faith at all.

If you’d like to do a retreat but can’t leave town, consider an At Home version. Those who live alone can simply alert their friends and take the phone off the hook. Those who live with others may need to ask for the gift of some extended privacy. Here are some guidelines—adjust them to fit your needs and preferences.

1. Prepare yourself with prayer beforehand. Ask God for the grace to enter into this time with “open mind, open heart.”
2. Set up a sacred space, preferably near a window. Gather objects that speak to you. A cloth, a candle, a vase of flowers, an icon or photograph, Scripture, a book of prayers, a symbol (e.g. a bud if you are seeking ways to blossom; a stone if you seek healing for a hardened heart); assorted CDs of sacred music.
3. Devise a simple structure for your day. I like to begin by reading the Psalms for the day from the Liturgy of the Hours. Then spend 20-30 minutes in silence, just breathing and being. Then you might journal, sorting out what’s going on inside. You might paint or draw or dance or sing or do yoga.
4. Next, perhaps take a walk. Find a park and sit on a swing. Look into the face of a flower. Watch the squirrels or listen to the cooing of the doves. Let yourself be guided. Notice what draws you.
5. Have a light lunch, then take a rest or do some spiritual reading. Later in the day, you might want to do some gardening. Becoming holy involves chopping wood and carrying water too—I learned that from the Benedictines.
6. After supper, do whatever you like—Tai Chi in the twilight; make tea and finish that bedside novel; think about whether you believe in guardian angels; come to know the one who’s by your side.
7. End the evening early so you can rise with the dawn. Read Evening Prayers, share with God a time of silence. Then do a brief “Examen”—go back over the day and ask: What gave me life today/what drained me? Where did I feel connected/disconnected from myself and my God?
8. Know that the time will bless you, no matter what does or doesn’t happen. Sometimes there are revelations; other times quiet comforts; sometimes we are left with more to do; sometimes it feels like nothing’s changed. Whatever the outcome, our job is not to evaluate the experience but to have faith in God’s faithfulness. We simply show up. Do what we can to stay present and attentive. Treat ourselves with kindness. And trust that God’s work is being done in us, moving us toward healing and new life.

About the Author

Lalor Cadley is the founder and director of Chrysalis Center, an ecumenical spirituality center grounded in the Christian tradition. Opened in 1995, the Center offers spiritual direction, discernment circles, book studies and retreats designed to promote attentiveness to the stirrings of the Holy within and among us. 

She has had the privilege of walking with people on their spiritual journeys for over twenty years.

Lalor received her certification in spiritual direction from the Spiritual Direction Institute in Houston. She holds a Master’s degree from Regis University in Adult Spiritual Formation.

Her columns on the spiritual life have appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She is the author of Tiny Trumpets: Reflections on Life and Grace. She is also an Associate of Green Bough House of Prayer in Adrian, Georgia. Lalor has two grown sons and lives in Atlanta.

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