I was sitting in our sanctuary in the quiet and dark. I happened to glance up and noticed sunlight streaming through upper windows and striking the Bible on our altar. I was intrigued and interested to see what passage the sunbeams might be highlighting. As I leaned over to look this is what I read, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” Matt. 5:16.

Richard Peace in his book, Noticing God says this, “We need a God of everyday life, a God who is nearer to us than our next breath, one whose love surrounds us as we go about ordinary life. In fact, this is how the Bible describes God-as one who is present in our space/time reality. The challenge of course, is to apprehend the presence of God in the midst of our busy world.”

Is it just coincidence that the sunlight hit this passage which caused me to go further with God causing me to ask myself questions about how to best use my life and calling to bring light to a dark world? For me the answer is nope. I encourage you as well to accept the “challenge” of taking the time to look, watch and wait for the Lord to help you discern where HE WANTS YOU TO SERVE WHERE he wants you to “shine!”

See you on the path!

So what was my Big Insight when sitting at the piano? I realized this…without the pause between the notes there cannot be any music. (I can almost hear you laughing and saying, “Well of course!) But you see this “pause” transfers to our spiritual life as well…our times of prayer and contemplation.

You must pause, you must spend time in silence in order to hear God. If we are constantly talking, if we are always pounding away on the keys in joy, frustration, busyness and anger we will never hear the music of our Savior, the life He wants for us. STOP, PAUSE, LISTEN!

This has made a profound difference in my spiritual walk. To sit in quiet for a few moments, to open my spiritual ears. Try it this week and let me know how it is working for you. If you seek guidance let me know and we can spend some time in silence together.

Thomas Merton notes in his book, New Seeds of Contemplation, that “…contemplation cannot be taught. It cannot even be clearly explained. It can only be hinted at, suggested, pointed to, symbolized.” My “suggestion” spend some time in solitude, in silence, take  pause between the pounding keys and you will be surprised by God.

 

A number of years ago we were visiting our friends in Iowa. In their front yard is a very old tree. The local tradition claims this tree was standing when some of the first pioneers were moving west. As I stood there I could almost hear the tree sing a hymn.

I stand here gazing at the sky.

My roots digging deep in soil, rocky and dry.

Yet I sing each morning a hymn of praise

Giving thanks to the ancient of days.

I’ve heard tell of brothers and sisters of longer years

Sequoias in the west old and with no fears.

Beginning as younglings when nature’s refrain

Was a newer melody and not yet stained.

But here I was planted as people came with hope

Looking for new lives no longer wanting merely to cope.

Traveling west to plant families in this ground

To sing pioneer hymns and rejoice in nature’s sound.

Refusing to survivie on broken dreams

They made lives on prairies and near streams.

Now years later I stand here still bold and strong

Continuing to sing my pioneer song.

Then on our return this year we discovered the tree had died. Time to sing the last refrain…

The darkness has come,

My days are finally done.

I sang at each sun rise

But now nature has closed my eyes.

Do not grieve for me

I have been set free.

Sing now your hymn of praise

Giving thanks to the ancient of days.

Amen.

I have sat with Buddhist monks in China, I have studied Kriya Yoga, taken many retreats with Benedictine and Trappist monks, but have been most impacted by the gift of silence. Father John O’Donohue writes in his book, “To Bless the Space Between Us,” “Yet in our day-to day lives we continually fail to recognize the invisible life that renders the whole visible with luminous.”

So where is this going? I started taking piano when seven years old and over all these years have found comfort in sitting, often alone, just enjoying the music as it hangs in the air. Then last month I was sitting before the piano when the above quote came to mind. I had been thinking about contemplation, spiritual direction and my personal walk with God. That’s when the invisible became somewhat obvious for me and was now visible. The idea was very simple, I’m sure others have thought of this as well but now it all made sense.

So what was my big insight? What does silence, contemplation God and the piano all have n common?

Interested in my little bit of insight? I will write more about it soon…

I was standing outside and looking at the yard when I noticed these little flowers in the middle of the drying lawn. Which made me think of Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

Our time is short, our talents, gifts and opportunities will soon pass away. So what should you be doing for our God right now this moment in time. Serving, sharing, telling another about God’s Word? This is your day. This is your time. Don’t waste it for it will soon be gone. Peace.

As you listen to the news you wonder, you just wonder if the time is drawing near. I mean wars, fires, volcanoes, rampant poverty, sex trafficking and the list goes on and on. You almost hear the prophet Joel speaking in your ear…

Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn;

wail, you who minister before the altar.

Come, spend the night in sackcloth,

you who minister before my God;

for the grain offerings and drink offerings

are withheld from the house of your God.

Declare a holy fast;

call a sacred assembly.

Summon the elders

and all who live in the land

to the house of the Lord your God,

and cry out to the Lord.

Alas for that day!

For the day of the Lord is near;

it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Joel 1:13-15

But then I looked out at the meadows at our friends house and this is what I saw…do you see It? Yes there it is a path, a Halak, a way through the valley, through the hills and darkness. No matter how rough our God walks with us. More than that provides us companions to walk with us. Today pray for our world lift up your hands in praise that there is a way. ‘For the day of the Lord is near…”