JM 2009 April
Article
Wanda Nash
Shared silence as meeting place – part 1
‘The truth of a person is not in their work, nor in their possessions: it lies in the quality of their welcome. ‘
— Christopher Hill, Bishop of Guildford
Introduction
I offer this address in the hope that one day people of all world faiths will, together, approach God in the place of Stillness, using no words. Words can unintentionally hurt those, from another culture or language, who hear them. Worship together in shared silence can happen; has happened, and I believe it is crucial that it should happen. Do not underestimate the congruence of the ‘meeting-place’ that may ensue.
At a recent promenade concert, Messiaen’s ‘Exspecto Resurrectionem’ included times of total silence, each lasting a full 4 minutes. The power of those silences! Absolute Stillness. As each Silence closed the audience was wrapt in an awe – a new receptivity that touched people of different nationalities, belief systems and temperaments. No one had any inclination to combat, confrontation or competitiveness they were totally given to receiving the music, and also each other.
The first priority of Silent Prayer is to worship God: to abide without question, without petition, without demand, in God’s Presence. To RECEIVE, rather than to ASK.
The second priority is about the something extra that happens when people go into Stillness together; there grows, within that group, a bond, a trust, a mutuality, a courtesy and kindliness toward each other that would otherwise take weeks to develop. This is what the world, with its varying images of God, is crying out for.
What Stillness means
Since early childhood, when I was often thousands of miles from my parents, the mainmast of my ship of life has been – STILLNESS. I’ve found that however much the ship rocks or the sails flap, the mainmast returns, eventually, to the upright. Below water, the mainmast connects to the keel which keeps the ship stable, and also to the rudder and to the propeller which keep the ship travelling in the desired direction at the right speed.
The word ‘STILLNESS’ is, for me, a compendium for words like contemplation, meditation, imagination, visualisation, relaxation, mysticism, and mindfulness. For the last six years this question has absorbed me: every major Faith in our world has a school of silent prayer. Given the effects of such practice, why don’t we practise it together?
Why don’t we let God in, to do things in God’s way, instead of getting at God to do things in our way?
Why do we resist coming to the place of no words? The place of being Still, and Stiller, and able to Distil; the place to let go of encumbrances –‘oughts’, ‘shoulds’, ‘have to’s’ and ‘musts’ – that fret me and prevent me being who I really am and doing what God the Creator put me here for.
Try it out
Any group could choose to spend a few minutes in that DEEP STILL PLACE where:
- we don’t have to DO;
- we don’t have to SAY;
- we don’t have to ASK:
but simply BE with God, and let God into God’s world.
As in a Julian Meeting a leader might say –
‘Make yourselves as comfortable as you can, physically; and gently let go of the energy stored in your body;
Now, let go the activity and energy in your mind – all those targets, questions and expectations.
Let go of your emotions – hopes, doubts, fears and elations. Now – simply be empty, open to the Presence of God, however that God is named by you.
Allow that Presence into the very centre of your being, and bask in it.
You may use the anchor of a few repeated prayer words; or do without words altogether.
For a few minutes, manage without Doing, and simply focus on Being; basking in the Presence.
Job said: ‘Only be Silent, and let Silence be your wisdom…
The Psalmist wrote: ‘Be Still, and KNOW, that I Am God…’
Hold this silence for a specified time, between 5 and 30 minutes depending on the context. The leader could end the silence with ‘Thanks be to God’ and then ‘come gently back into this group here, today, on these chairs, at this moment’.
Experience and research have shown that participants return from the silence re-invigorated: grounded, centred and prepared for full performance. Psychological work has shown that those familiar with this Still Place:
- are more resistant to infection, less liable to accidents;
- are less self-defensive, with less need to justify themselves;
- have relationships that are easier and last longer;
- are more open to accept the ideas and values of others (possibly because they are less concerned with being constantly ‘in the right’);
- are more creative, constructive, positive and focused;
- are more prone to delight, and play, and laughter.
“Stillness” common to all world faiths
Each major world Faith has some type of School for Silent Prayer: a place of dumbed silence before God: the place of astonishment, awe and mystery.
- Christianity teaches contemplation and, for some, mysticism
- Judaism has the Hasids, and their Devekut, with the ancient teaching of the Kabbalah
- Islam, with its inner journey of Dhikr, led to the ‘intoxication by the Divine’ known as Sufism
- Hinduism, and the practice of Bhakti and various types of Yoga, grew the religion of the Sikhs
- In Buddhism and Jainism meditation is paramount
- Rastafarians meditate with Silence
- and now the New Age has caught on.
Stillness is also claimed by secularism
I led a series of Stillness sessions in prison. One day only three men arrived, all new to me and to each other. So I asked them what the word ‘meditation’ meant to them.
‘Oh yes’ said the first, a large, extrovert, burly man, in for grievous bodily harm: ‘I know all about meditation. I’m a 1st class boxer, and each time I go into the ring I pause to collect myself. That’s meditation.’
The next man spoke up ‘O yes; I practise martial arts. Each time the group meets we mentally focus before we get going. That’s meditation.’
And the third man interjected ‘I go in for White Magic; I’m not a Christian, I worship Wicca. At each of our times of worship we sit in silence with no words said – that’s meditation.’
If this experience is a common occurrence – as David Hay’s findings seem to support – then why don’t we actually meet together for inter-faith sharing of this stillness? And why don’t we do it more often?
An ancient Egyptian inscription says this about God:
“God is hidden, no man knows his form, no man has searched out his similitude. He is hidden to gods and men. No man knows a name by which to call him. His names are many; His name is a secret to all his children.”
— [On the dedication page of ‘God of a Thousand Names’, Victor Gollancz]
The names of God may be many, but under each name there is a practice of Stillness. Down the ages sages and seers have beckoned us into this Silence with God. The delight of our own souls may be some people’s first priority, but today there are others. And this is the third – and perhaps the most urgent priority: it is to do it TOGETHER, with the company of other faiths, for the swelling of ‘beneficence’ between each other, and the shrivelling of suspicion and distrust. A Christian Ph.D. student in South India wrote that he had indeed attended silent prayer with members of other religions; he wrote that one of the few – and perhaps the ONLY way – to pray together is in Silence.
This is the prime way to unleash our common longing, our loyalty to, and DESIRE for God; that hunger that lies beneath and beyond all words.
Meditation
Myrtle Hall
Consider Him
Consider him.
He moved about so easily
was never hustied or bustled
even when the crowds thronged him and there was scarcely room to breathe.
He was continually refreshed
because he had a pool of quiet stillness within him.
Consider him:
a man for others
and yet always remaining himself
that never-ending stream of love
never ceased to flow.
Consider him,
your Lord and your God,
and rest in him.
This is a meditation by Myrtle Hall from her book ‘Overflowing’, which has 45 of her meditations and prayers on a range of topics. The book, price £6, can be obtained from: Penhurst Retreat Centre, Tel:01424 892088
info@penhurst.org.uk https://www.penhurst.org.uk
Article
Ruth Heale and Denise Parkin
The Chester Julian Meeting
Ruth Heale writes:
I was born in Norwich so, although we moved away when I was a baby, anything about Norwich caught my eye. So I’d heard of Julian of Norwich, but knew so little that I thought ‘she’ was a ‘he’!
When I came to live in Chester many years later, Mother Julian became a special part of my life. I went to my first service at St Mary’s Church, Handbridge, on the outskirts of the city. There I met Jill Hasted, the contact for the local Julian Meeting, a thriving ecumenical group. She invited me to the next meeting and I’m still a member over seventeen years on.
Jill didn’t start the Meeting but when I joined she was the leader and deeply involved. The Meeting meant a lot to her and she put so much into it. As well as the meetings, she organised Quiet Days, gave talks to local churches, guided potential new Meetings and even went into a local school to talk to a religious studies class.
On the second Sunday of each month organisations attached to St.Mary’s were invited to lead the evening worship. When it was turn of the Julian Meeting Jill put much time and effort into creating a meaningful service of meditation and prayer.
Sadly, three years ago, Jill died of cancer and is deeply missed by us all. However, her boundless commitment to the Julian Meetings network has made us all the more determined to sustain our local Chester Meeting as a tribute to Jill’s memory, as well as a much valued part of our own Christian journey together.
Today, ten active members regularly attend our monthly meetings. They are usually held in the homes of our coordinators, Pat, Denise and myself. All members are invited to “take a turn” to lead a session (if they wish), and these times of stillness and quiet contemplation are greatly valued by everyone. We haven’t yet had a Quiet Day, or given talks, but we have led two more evening acts of worship in Church.
And, then there is the Mailing.
Denise Parkin takes up the story
Since its early days our Chester Meeting has been part of the Julian Meetings network and some of us subscribe, as individuals, to the JM Magazine and Newsletter. So when, in 2006, we read that a new mailing group was needed for the Magazine distribution we decided to “go for it” and offer our services to the Advisory Group. We have now completed eight mailings. In July 2008 we sent over 1000 magazines and newsletters to individual addresses in the UK.
There have been a few unfortunate, but not insurmountable “blips” (did you notice?). But we are still going strong and have decided that we now know, more or less, what we are supposed to be doing!
On the fateful day, while doing the April 2008 mailing, when we realised that a vital extra sheet had been left out of 500 envelopes, willing extra hands came forward spontaneously to make good the omission…a truly caring response and response to prayer!
Our folding, stuffing, labelling and packing efforts have been made so much more manageable with the support of Deidre and the Advisory Group. Special thanks go to Anne, whose lovely sheets of clearly marked address labels always arrive promptly. Tied in their red wool the various bundles are quite an art form!
Above all, our Meeting enjoys doing the Mailing! Everyone has a part to play, and we all agree that this co-operative exercise has strengthened our fellowship together and is of great benefit to us all. There is a real sense of goodwill and caring responsibility to one another as we all “do our bit”. Interest is even expressed at Chester Royal Mail Sorting Office as we descend on them every few months with eight filled mail sacks!
Whilst we work happily together in this way, exercising “our little grey cells”, we also feel that our Chester Julian Meeting is now contributing actively to the Julian Meetings organisation ‘at large’. That we are offering something back to this network which is so helpful and relevant in our own lives. This is an opportunity for greater involvement: sharing ideas and making new Christian contacts… “time to care, to share and to value the contribution made by all for all.”
Prayer
[unstated]
Not working. Not moving
Not working.
Not moving.
Not producing.
Cjust being there.
Lord, I marvel
that your glory shone most brightly,
not through days of great activity,
with mighty words and mighty deeds,
but through your cross,
that day of seeming inactivity and weakness.
Then was our salvation won.
Article
Chris Tew
Taping Our Meeting’s Silence
On page 17 of the December Magazine was a piece on ‘Taking the Lead’ at a Julian Meeting. Our Medstead JM members shared the view that keeping an eye on the time distracted from the experience. So we followed the advice on pages 6 & 7 of ‘It’s your turn to lead into the silence’. We prepared a number of tapes which recorded 5 minutes lead-in music, followed by 20 minutes of silence and then by 5 minutes of lead-out music. Thus whoever leads can ‘let go’, as the music automatically brings them out of the silence.
Poem
A Carthusian
Man must learn to live in the Silence of God
Man must learn to live in the Silence of God
Love in its ultimate form
is Silence
Gaze of ecstatic contemplation
the lover lost in joy at giving all
the Loved One lost in gratitude
Life received in full
Divine Oscillation
fruitful in peace
And man is made to share
the Silence of God
Man warned from sense
the Silence of God envelops
It breathes an eternal atmosphere
beyond the stimulation of sense
beyond ephemeral satisfactions
it creates a void in the human heart
as vast as the universe
no sense
no multitude can fill
Desire dawns in the cruel void
for the Silence of God
Man shaped by yearning
the Silence of God permeates
Sense and time speak of God
whose hands fashion the world and man who guides man to the full stature
of Christ
God creating now
redeeming now
sanctifies the soul
in the Spirit of Love
Enflames the aching heart
for the Silence of God.
Quotation
[unstated]
For a word
to be spoken
there must he silence,
both before
and after.
Article
[unstated]
The Drip Stand Came Too…
We meet once a month in the chapel of our local NHS hospital. They hold a service every Friday morning at 11.30am, and once a month it takes the form of a Julian Meeting.
Recently, just before we were due to start, one of the chaplains arrived, pushing a patient in a wheelchair. He, in turn, was pushing his drip stand. We moved some chairs aside to accommodate both wheelchair and stand, and the silence began.
The drip was driven by a pump. Far from being intrusive, as some feared it might, it was almost like the ‘breath’ of the whole meeting and became part of the silence. Just before the silence was due to close
the alarm on the drip sounded (it had been unplugged for too long) and the chaplain rapidly wheeled our visitor out.
As we emerged a few minutes later the patient was most apologetic about the noise – but we all re-assured him that it had been no problem, and we were glad he had been able to come.
Touching his head, he said how wonderful it had been to have a time of such peace and quiet, it was something he needed so much.
Hospitals are inevitably noisy places. We were thankful that he had been able to join us to find that space, quiet and peace that was so important for him.
Article
The Fursey Pilgrims
The Fursey Lorica
The arms of God be around mid shoulders,
the touch of the Holy Spirit upon my head,
the sign of Christ’s cross upon my forehead,
the sound of the Holy Spirit in my ears,
the fragrance of the Hoy Spirit in my nostrils,
the vision of heaven’s companld in mid eldes,
the conversation of heaven’s company on my lips,
the work of God’s church in my hands,
the service of God and the neighbour in my feet,
a home for God in my heart,
and to God, the Father of all, my entire being.
— John Ó Riordáin
The Music of What Happens, Dublin 1996, pp.46–7.
This lovely prayer or Lorica, attributed to St Fursey, is in the same tradition as the well known ‘Breastplate of St Patrick’. As a ‘prayer of protection’ (or perhaps a spiritual “comfort blanket”) it is ideal for times when our own words to God may seem unnecessary or inadequate. It is also good for entering or leaving a time of contemplation.
Fursey (or the Irish Fursa) was the first recorded Irish missionary to England. He is mentioned by Bede in his ‘Ecclesiastical History of the English People’.
Fursey brought Christianity to Norfolk. He founded his monastery (Cnobheresburg) at what is now Burgh Castle, inland from Great Yarmouth on Breydon Water, in 633AD.
Fursey later travelled to France. He continued his missionary work in Picardy, where many churches are dedicated to him.
The ‘Fursey Pilgrims’ are an ecumenical group who study the lives and legacy, not just of Fursey, but all who brought-Celtic spirituality to this country. We do this through lectures, publications and two annual services, including a pilgrimage to Burgh Castle each October.
For further details visit the website www.furseypilgrims.co.uk.
Book review
Christine Rapsey
Christopher Jamison • Finding happiness: monastic steps for a fulfilling life
Weidenfield & Nicolson, 2008, £12.99
With wisdom and insight, Christopher Jamison (formerly a Headteacher and now Abbot of Worth) looks at society today and its longing for fulfilment and happiness. In a world where many have lost their way he returns to the discipline of monastic traditions, based on the experience and teaching of the desert Fathers, John Cassian (4th century monk) and St Benedict.
The book is mainly reflections on the eight deadly sins or ‘thoughts’ as he refers to them. It is good to be reminded of how subtlely these sins beguile us: how we are all too apt to dismiss or belittle their effects. Their influence is great and to reverse it we are shown their opposite side – ‘virtues’ – which become stepping stones in our process of discernment, and enable us to find the road which leads to real happiness. Parts of the book I found quite prophetic, and the chapter on ‘greed’ was very relevant to the present global financial crisis. This book is more for personal use, than one to be shared at a Julian Meeting, but as a companion on our spiritual journey it is an excellent guide. Its Benedictine teaching helps us to see where true happiness really lies.
Book review
Gail Ballinger
Joan Wilson with Alf McCreary • All shall be well: a bereavement anthology and companion
Canterbury Press 2001, paperback ed. 2008 £7.99
In this book Joan Wilson describes her experience of the death of her 20 year old daughter Marie in the Enniskillen bomb in 1987, of her son Peter in 1994 and her husband Gordon six months after that. Gordon was buried alive with Marie during the bombing and became famous afterwards for his generous attitude towards the bombers and for his tireless work for peace.
I read this book when it was first published. The review copy of the new paperback edition arrived shortly before my stepfather died. I found it had lost none of its appeal or relevance; in fact we read a passage from it at his thanksgiving service. Joan’s very open sharing of her experience of loss and of the prayers and poems that supported her are a real source of strength. Some of these prayers and poems were written specially for her and sent to her as a token of support by both friends and strangers.
Book review
Janet Robinson
Bernard Bangley • By way of the desert: daily readings
Continuum 2008 £13.99
This is a refreshing and unusual book of daily readings for a year. The readings are taken from the pithy sayings and writings of the early desert fathers and mothers and from a few other contemplatives of that period. The page for each day consists of three sections: a short story from the wisdom of the desert, a relevant biblical passage and finally a short sentence taken from one or other of the passages which could be well used as a lead in to prayer. Some of the sayings seem quite strange at first but repay ‘chewing over’. For those who like a daily devotional guide this would repay quiet contemplative thought.
Book review
Simon Small
Jennifer Kavanagh • The world is our cloister
O Books, 2007, £11.99
For some people the spiritual path is not just one strand of their life, but its beating heart. Formerly such people would have joined a religious order: a path leading to robes and vows; community and obedience; worship and silence.
What of such people today, living in and shaped by a Western culture ill at-ease with the traditional religious life? As we witness a surge of interest in “spirituality” (rather than “religion”), with its emphasis on individuality, how is this expressed in our modern world?
This question, addressed by Jennifer Kavanagh’s fascinating book, is vital for understanding what is going on. around us and, more importantly perhaps, within ourseIves… Not a dry academic study, it is woven around personal stories and reflections. Some are the author’s own; most are drawn from interviews with a wide selection of people trying to live such a life.
The book uses these stories and reflections to consider a range of issues, including:
- the role of community and new forms that are emerging;
- the role of individual spiritual direction;
- the role of spiritual practice;
- new understandings of traditional concepts such as obedience, poverty and chastity;
- the relationship between stillness and action in the world;
- inter-faith perspectives.
The two short sections at the end of the book suggest “taxing tasks” (simple spiritual practices) and follow-up questions to aid continuing reflection.
An important book about an important subject, its greatest gift is to remind us that real people, living real lives, are following this path right now, all around us. It is a deeply human story.
Book review
Yvonne Walker
Calvin Miller • The path of Celtic prayer: an ancient way to contemporary joy
BRF £6.99 2008
Calvin Miller, Professor of Divinity in Alabama, explores how the practices of the past, in particular the way the Celtic people related to God, may breathe new life into our experience as Christians today. He presents six principles of prayer, including Trinity prayer, Scripture prayer, praying with the natural world, journeying prayer and asking God for protection.
His hope is that Celtic spirituality may breathe a “right now” life into the reader’s discipleship. At the end of each chapter are practical exercises to help the reader experience these ways of praying. He makes clear in his introduction that this book is not about the history or culture of the Celts, but about the practice of prayer.
Whilst this book does not plumb the depths of David Adam, it is a refreshing trans-Atlantic view of Celtic prayer. “Our hunger for God keeps us talking to God till our separation is swallowed up in our unending togetherness with him… those who seek him for the joy of being in his presence have been motivated by a passion for his presence.”
A helpful book for those seeking ways of praying in the Celtic manner, but not much for leading into silence.
Book review
Yvonne Walker
Joyce Rupp • Open the Door: a Journey to the True Self
Sorin Books, Notre Dame, IN. USA, 2008 £9.99
This book grew out of a retreat on the theme of the door. This rich image allows us to make connections with the symbolism of an ordinary everyday object which we use daily without noticing: in and out, opening and shutting, moving between, keys and locks, shut or open doors, thresholds and many more.
The book is designed for daily reflection over six weeks. Each chapter has a daily reflection, a meditation, a prayer and a brief Scripture passage to carry in the heart throughout the day.
Joyce Rupp invites us to reflect on our own sacred door.
“I open the door of my heart to God… I open myself to grow and change in ways I may never dream likely. I approach the door in order to move beyond where I am now”.
Her invitation, in this daily process of reflection, is to spiritual growth: “When I open the door of my heart, the wonder and richness of divine presence amaze me. With each threshold crossing I gain greater freedom to be my most authentic self.”
A good book for group study, there is a useful appendix of music resources and liturgies for this purpose. The book is flexible and could be tackled in weekly chunks for personal devotion. Many of the reflections and meditations could be used as lead-ins to silence. Some symbols and images could be used as themes for a quiet day. This is a book which opens our eyes to everyday images and our souls to their deeper significance.
Book review
Helen Lems
Lynn Chambers • Creative ideas for quiet corners: 14 visual prayer ideas for quiet moments with children
BRF 2008 £6.99
A very helpful and useful book for those with little experience of setting up Quiet Corners for prayer. The instructions are clear, with practical suggestions. I liked the comprehensive background information covering topics such as ‘What is a quiet corner?’, as well as the necessary health and safety information.
There are fourteen examples of themed prayer corners which, from my previous job as a teacher, I would suggest could easily be used with children aged seven and upwards. Each example provides all the necessary information and suggestions you need for each focus.
I liked the coloured illustrations of how each quiet corner might look, but these would have been better if placed with each example. The separation was probably to reduce printing costs.
Book review
Monica Mallard
David Foster • Deep calls to deep: going further in prayer
Continuum 2007 £9.99
I did not find this an easy book to get into. There seemed to be too many negative statements in the introduction. However, there were some positive ones:
- All change is disorientating.
- God is taking prayer out of our hands. It is God who is in control – and letting go of control is a bit scary
- Prayer is a gift, rather than something we do.
In the Routes to Prayer, my interest was captured as we were given good directions / signposts and assured God is there caring for our needs. Foster describes routes that we might follow in learning to pray, such as the value of using words that have been written by others. He uses rich vocabulary –
‘As these prayers enter our spiritual bloodstream they nourish our minds and hearts’ – and presents different ways of using them, or simply enjoying them. He describes Jesus providing a framework but does not mention the pattern Jesus left us in the Lord’s Prayer.
This is a deep book: not one to be hurried through. Because prayer works at the level of the spirit it inevitably leads to a fundamental shift to a deeper level of existence.
This is not an easy read but well worth recommending in helping us understand that prayer is inseparable from our being in Christ.
Book review
Janet Robinson
Elizabeth Ruth Obbard • The Cloud of Unknowing for everyone
New City 2008 £5.95
You may have valued for many years the wisdom of the unknown fourteenth century author who wrote
‘The Cloud of Unknowing’ or you may have never opened its pages – either way you will find, as I have, much of value in this book.
You may know the work of Elizabeth Obbard through the pages of this magazine: her take on Julian of Norwich and her delightfully simple but profound line drawings. This simplified version of the ‘Cloud’ – a book which can, in some translations, be difficult – is so accessible and yet it retains the profundity of the original classic book of instruction on contemplative prayer.
I used it over several weeks for my morning prayer and silence. Comfortably divided into short sections, every one can be mulled over and can bring one to (at least moments of!) quiet contemplation. I know it will repay further study.