Be Still and Know That I Am God
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Rev. Scott D. Fobare - Pastor -
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Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Psalmist tells us, "Be still and know that I am God?" (Ps 46:10). In this stillness we meet the mystery of God. When we are still, we cast our trust on God, and in that stillness God's healing power ministers to us. That stillness is an essential part of what we call contemplation.
Contemplative prayer is simply being still in the presence of God. The Spiritual Masters like Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington recommend that we spend two twenty-minute periods in this kind of prayer. How do we do this?
- Find a quiet place where there will be little to no distraction.
- Relax in body and spirit - by your breathing.
- Draw your attention to God - "Dear God, I want to be with you in faith and in love."
- Sink and rest deep in that moment where God is breathing in you. Simply rest.
- When and if you become aware of any thoughts and feelings, simply bring yourself
back to the center using a word or phrase like "Jesus", "Abba", "shalom".
- Close the twenty minute prayer time by slowly praying the Our Father.
Thomas Keating suggests one such period daily for maintenance and two for healing.
Like any commitment to something it takes discipline. Practice makes perfect. Make a commitment to pray this method for one month before making any changes. Give it a chance to work and you will see great results in your own spiritual life. I promise you that if you practice this prayer method on a daily basis that you will discover that your thinking is more clear and decisive, and that you are more peaceful as you go about your day.
The psalmist reminds us that the only way for stillness is to know God. There is no other way.
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