quieting, day 4

Come to Stillness:
Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer:

Uncrowd my heart, O God,

until silence speaks

in your still small voice;

turn me from the hearing of words,

and the making of words,

and the confusion of much speaking,

to listening,

waiting,

stillness,

silence.

                               ~Thomas Merton

Psalm for the Week: Psalm 23

Scripture for the Day: Psalm 131:1-3

Reading for Reflection:

To be calm and quiet all by yourself is hardly the same as sleeping, but means being fully awake and following with close attention every move going on inside you.  Silence requires the discipline to recognize the urge to get up and go again as a temptation to look elsewhere for what is close at hand.  It offers the freedom to stroll in your own inner yard, and to rake the leaves there and clear the paths so you can easily find the way to your heart.  Perhaps there will be much fear and uncertainty when you first come upon this “unfamiliar terrain,” but slowly you will discover an order and a familiarity which deepens your longing to stay home. (With Open Hands by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Settle yourself in solitude and you will come upon  Him in yourself.                                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                  ~Teresa of Avila

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Song for the Week: Be Still My Soul

             Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.

             Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
             Leave to thy God to order and provide;
             In every change, He faithful will remain.
             Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
             Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

             Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
             To guide the future, as He has the past.
             Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
             All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
             Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
             His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Closing Prayer:

O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and

rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be

our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee,

to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou

art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(The Book of Common Prayer)