JM 2014 August
Article
David Self
Lechlade Julian Meeting Quiet Day – part 2
David Self led the Lechlade JM day. This is his reflection to introduce the afternoon session.
This afternoon I turn to psalm 103, verse 1: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name.”
What does the word blessing mean to you? The Bible speaks of God blessing people with life-giving gifts for their nurture and protection. But here we are invited to bless God. In fact, the invitation to “bless‟ appears no less than 7 times. It is the word of praise…warm with gratitude, coming from the soul, from the very core of our being. It comes with all the powers of heart and mind, thanking a God who makes himself known to us and gives himself in power and grace. (cf Eaton: Psalms p.358) The psalmist wrote it and we know it through the gift of Jesus. We are well blest with the gift of the gospel but the psalmist goes on immediately to say “do not forget all his benefits‟, do not take them for granted. But we do.
The Spirit of God continues to move creatively through the universe. We may wonder at the stars for a moment and then turn our eyes back to daily concerns. The flowers and fruits of the field surround us, the labour of farmers to harvest grain, rice and vegetables continues to feed us each day, but we just say, “I’ve run out of something, I’ll just go to the shop and complain about the price‟. We go astray when we depend on our own strength and forget that we are but dust. We are tempted to take the gospel itself for granted. But the days come when faith is tested and any sense of the presence of Christ seems weak. Dark clouds overshadow our souls: times of frailty, serious illness, loss, death of a loved one, our own sinfulness or the effects of the sinfulness of others. Such times shake any sense of well-being. We lose sight of blessing and doubt grows.
The faith of Thomas
Let us turn to the only disciple with a Christian denomination named after him – Thomas. There was never any doubt about his loyalty – “let us go with him to Jerusalem and die with him” – but he is far more clear-eyed and sceptical about this world. He is what the modern person would call a realist. (Funny how the word “realist‟ is always applied by those giving bad news to others.) So when his friends tell Thomas “We have seen the Lord‟ he could not dare to believe the good news. Such vigorous disbelief often covers a strong urge to believe, held down by “realistic‟ common sense and a dread of disillusionment. Jesus had touched his soul and called out his loyalty. Thomas had taken the risk and allowed hope to grow. But then came the crucifixion. Jesus’s death must have confirmed all his temptations to see the world framed in black.
Gift and response
When Jesus rose from the dead he appeared to his friends to restore relationships and draw them out of the pit of grief. We are only given glimpses, but where necessary he worked with each one as sensitively and appropriately as he did when he walked the earth. So he came to Thomas, loyal Thomas, and gave him what he needed. The evidence of faith is not an experience of the moment, nor a matter of feeling cheerful and strong about following Christ: it is a loyalty, the sort that made Thomas ready to share Jesus’s journey to the cross. Even after his friends began bubbling about this ridiculous story of a resurrection Thomas did not stomp off. It is hard to stay with a close group when all the rest are laughing and you cannot join them. But Thomas stayed, and their love and longing for him to share their joy held him. And Jesus, at the right time, granted him a sign of his resurrection not given to others. Put your finger here, put out your hand…Jesus knew Thomas, knew the dread that people have when hope has been destroyed once too often. Jesus gently gave him what he needed to release his faith into wholly new dimensions.
Doubt and loyalty
Doubt has an important part to play within faith because doubt can lead to deeper insight and a deeper faith in difficult times. And faith which holds in difficult times has an authority and encouragement which others need. Thomas remained honest in his loyalty. He neither pretended to beliefs he did not hold nor stomped off in the rage of his grief. And so he remained open and accessible to the love of God. The love of God is not a sentimental warm feeling, it is an almighty saving act.
ALL that we are
But there is more. The risen Jesus could have healed his own limbs so perfectly that no trace of wounds appeared in them, but he kept the scars in his body in order to heal the wound of doubt in our hearts. (Augustine: Exposition of the Psalms, vol.4 p.293) What about us? We are dusty, fragile creatures who carry many wounds inflicted in the course of our lives. We carry the scars that come from our experiences in life, we carry the scars of our own sinfulness, blindness and confusion as we do things we did not want to do, and fail to do what we wanted to do. All of these can be offered to God in honesty to receive forgiveness, healing and grace.
Psalm 103 begins with “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name.” All. Everything. Not just the bits of ourselves and our lives that we are comfortable with, but the rest too – the scars, the wounds, the sins, those parts of which we are ashamed. Offer them to God as well for healing and blessing. They too become part of the treasure and unique glory that God gives us at the resurrection. “For he knows of what we are made; he remembers that we are but dust .. the Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness” (Ps 103).
“In the thankful praise of the soul lies the capacity to love God as he is and the world as it will be. The thankfulness centre in the experience of forgiveness: it is the knowledge of God as the awesome One who upholds all that is just and good, and yet is full of pity and mercy, patient, and wonderful in his tenacious and abundant love. His forgiveness delivers us from the dark abyss, and gives new life as redeemed souls rise on the breath of his Spirit…Belief will grow that, blessing God, the soul in its turn is blessed with a place in the heart of God that will never be lost.‟ (Eaton pg 359)
Think on these things
You may have spent some time this morning thinking of the positive things in your life and giving thanks to God for those blessings. Well, perhaps you could spend some time this afternoon thinking of the times in your life which were dark times of testing, or sin, or suffering, or loss, and thank God for his blessings then. If we can do that, then we are growing towards accepting them, thereby allowing God to lay in us the foundations for a truly lasting peace in the heart and we become more of a blessing to others.
Bless the Lord O my soul.
Prayer
Jim Cotter
Praying in Christ
Eternal Spirit
Life-giver, Pain-bearer, Love-maker
source of all that is and shall be,
Father and Mother to us all,
loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe.
The way of your justice
be followed by the peoples of the world.
Your heavenly will
be done by all created beings.
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today,
feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another,
forgive us.
In times of temptation and test,
strengthen us.
From trials too severe to endure,
spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil,
free us.
For you reign in the glory
of the power that is love,
now and for ever. Amen.
Article
[unstated]
Extract from Worship by Louis Weil
On several recent occasions I have attended the principal celebration of the Eucharist at the Church of St Gervais in Paris, which is a centre for the Community of Jerusalem. The first time I attended, I had been advised to be at the church a full hour before the liturgy would begin at 11.00am. I arrived early to find the church in semi-darkness and utter silence. From the moment I arrived, I realised that there was a profound sense of contemplation among the people who had already gathered, some seated, some kneeling and some prostrate. The silence was palpable, and it continued even as other people came in, took a place and entered into the corporate prayer which they found already under way.
The silence was broken only at 11.00am, when a bell sounded and the congregation stood as the sacred ministers entered the sanctuary. As we began to sing the music for the entrance, I realised that, as our corporate prayer had now become verbal, it rested, as it were, on a cushion of silent prayer. I have never felt more ready to enter the liturgical action than I was that day.
Taken from Chapter 1: WORSHIP by Louis Weil in The Study of Liturgy and Worship: an Alcuin guide.
SPCK, 2013, £25
This book’s contributors, from the USA, UK & Ireland and a variety of denominations, offer insights into topics neglected by traditional approaches. Its themed sections are influenced by the social sciences, anthropology, philosophy and linguistics.
Article
[unstated]
Contemplative Quiet and Children
This story captures the questions children have about God, and indicates how important silence and quiet are in answering their questions:
Alex Renton of The Times sent a letter from his 6 year old daughter, Lulu, to the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.
+ Rowan replied:
Dear Lulu,
Your dad has sent your letter and asked if I have any answers. It’s a difficult one! But I think God might reply a bit like this –
‘Dear Lulu –
Nobody invented me – but lots of people discovered me and were quite surprised. They discovered me when they looked at the world and thought it was really beautiful or really mysterious and wondered where it came from. They discovered me when they were very very quiet on their own and felt a sort of peace and love they hadn’t expected.
Then they invented ideas about me – some of them sensible and some not very sensible. From time to time I sent them some hints – specially in the life of Jesus – to help them get closer to what I’m really like.
But there was nothing and nobody around before me to invent me.
Rather like somebody who writes a story in a book, I started making up the story of the world and eventually invented human beings like you who could ask me awkward questions!’
And then he’d send you lots of love and sign off. I know he doesn’t usually write letters, so I have to do the best I can on his behalf.
Lots of love from me too. +Archbishop Rowan
The following quote is from ‘The Warmth of Your Heart prevents your body from Rusting’ by Marie de Hennezel.
Nobody teaches us how to be alone, and that is the case from childhood upwards. The aim of all our education, whether it is dispensed by the family or school, is never to leave the child in silence, alone with him or herself…If a child isolates him or herself, people get worried, for exploring one’s inner garden is not well received. So it is hardly a surprise that the adult individual is so dependent on others, that he or she has never learned self-reliance, self-knowledge, or how to trust him or herself.
Children and quiet prayer
Marie writes of the importance of learning to be quiet and alone during childhood, and how little help, encouragement or guidance children receive in this area of life.
Some schools have ‟circle time‟, when children gather in a circle for a time of quiet reflection, and to pray if they wish.
Some secondary schools have times of retreat, or sometimes have a “prayer tent‟ set up on the premises.
One mother, wanting her own “Quiet Time‟ said her children might join her round the candle, but they had to be quiet. It worked well, and had a positive impact on family dynamics.
Boy, aged nearly seven, on the differences between boys and girls said, “Girls talk all the time, they are too noisy. I like to have quiet time.‟
Have you any experiences to share? The Julian Meetings have neglected bringing contemplative silence and prayer to both children and young people. It is something we would like to encourage, but first it would be very helpful to know if any of our members already do this, in any way. If you know of people / places using quiet reflection or contemplative prayer with young people under 25 we’d be interested to hear about it. We’d also be very interested to know if you‟ve been involved in any such venture. If you’ve any suggestions as to how we might increase our input in this area of spiritual development we’d love to hear about them.
If you are interested in this topic we list below some books, websites etc. you might find worth a look.
TEACHING MEDITATION TO CHILDREN: the practical Guide to the use and benefits of meditation techniques. Ingrid Sack and David Fontana Watkins Publishing 2007 This book is reflective in nature, with chapters on mindfulness, meditation for concentration, for creativity, for imagination, for moral and spiritual growth, and much more.
BORN CONTEMPLATIVE by Madeleine Simon DLT 1993
PRAYING WITH POSTURE by Gina Hall Reviewed April 2014
QUIET THE MIND by Matthew Johnstone Reviewed April 2014
TUNE IN, CHILL OUT: using contemplative prayer in youth work (includes CD-rom with music, meditations, visual and written material) editors: Jenny Baker & Moya Ratnayake ISBN 1-904024-60-2 Christian Education 2003
www.teachchildrenmeditation.com (includes details of the book Calm Kids by Lorraine Murray)
If you search Google for Children & Meditation a number of books, CDs and Apps come up. None appear to be Christian, but some could probably be used with Christian content or a Christian focus.
Article
Deidre Morris
Letter about Mindfulness
Dear Deidre,
I’ve been a ‘Julian’ for some years and I am a bit alarmed by the space given to Mindfulness Meditation in the magazine. Julian Meetings exist to foster the teaching and practice of contemplative prayer within the Christian tradition, which surely means there are a number of ways that have been helpful in this tradition and not just one. I do not want to detract from much that is helpful in Mindfulness teaching, but other teaching within our own Christian tradition is being overwhelmed by the emphasis that is being placed on it. I cannot believe that I am on my own in feeling this. The reflection by David Self was most helpful in
the April Magazine. He really does write so well.
The above e-mail from Terry Henderson may reflect how some other readers have been feeling. I did debate holding over one of the April items, but as they complemented each other I included them all. There is, deliberately, nothing on Mindfulness in this edition, and it will not dominate any future ones. Since Mindfulness has been, and is, very much in the media at present it seemed right to include the experiences of fellow Julians, and give their perspective on something that may be Christ-centred, though often is not.
Quotation
Hilda of Whitby
Keep within me a stillness, deeper and sweeter than a forest in the midst of winter.
Article
[unstated]
A JM Health Check?
We have produced a new JM booklet called The Healthy Julian Meeting. We hope most of our Julian Meetings are in good heart. But however flourishing a Meeting is, it can be good to take stock once in a while. And if a Meeting is having problems of any kind, it can be useful to have some options to consider which might help. Which is why we’ve produced the booklet.
A short health-check for you and your Meeting
The [form below] is an edited version of part of the new booklet… Ideally, each member of your Meeting could have a copy to work through on their own. Your members could then meet up to consider their responses as a group. It is not a case of being “right‟ or “wrong‟ but of looking at ourselves to assess what we actually do now, and if we need to make any changes. It could be a useful exercise to do this autumn, before the re-newal of your Meeting’s registration for 2015 in December.
Taking Stock of a Julian Meeting
Julian Meetings foster the teaching and the practice of Christian contemplative prayer, both at local meetings and in daily life.
Birth – growth – maturity – fruition – decline – rest or death form a natural cycle for all living things. A Julian Meeting can go through any or all of these stages at some point in its existence. Each life stage can present new challenges, to which we may respond.
Why take stock?
It can be a good idea, every few years, to review or take stock of your Julian Meeting. Any person or group can get into a rut without even realising it. Small groups can become inward-looking, and may seem unwelcoming to new comers or resistant to any (possibly life-giving) changes. It could be healthy to look at how your Julian Meeting is functioning now. Don’t wait for a problem to arise before doing a health check.
We suggest that this short health-check is suitable for annual or biennial use. You might undertake a longer / in-depth approach every few years. The JM Booklet ‘The Thriving Julian Meeting’ has a fuller description, and more questions, with suggestions for new ways of looking at things, different ideas and possible resources.
GETTING STARTED You might take time after the silence at one meeting; meet at a different time; make it part of a quiet day. Here are some things you might discuss, with spaces to ü or x or add in your thoughts:
TIME, PLACE AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
● How suitable is the time when we meet? Might it exclude some people eg workers …… carers of children …… those afraid to come out after dark …… others …………………………………………
● How suitable is the day we meet? Does this exclude possible members with commitments, perhaps at church, that day?
NEXT STEPS: ……………………………………………………………………….. Where do we meet? House / church or chapel / other ………………
• Is it easy to find? …… Is it easy to get to, for drivers ……. or non-drivers? ……. Has it enough parking? ………. Is it accessible to the less mobile? ………. Are there problems with heating …. space …. noise …. facilities …. seating …. etc ……………………………………..?
• If meeting in a home, do other members feel like ‘visitors’? …….. Is the door open ready ………. or must they knock? …………..
• How would a newcomer find the house? ………………………………… How might they feel about coming to a strange house? ……………
• What happens when the host is ill or on holiday? …………………… What will we do when the host steps down from this role? ……..
NEXT STEPS …………………………………………………………………………
● How do we behave as we arrive? Chat …. Hug ….. Sit quietly ….. How do the ‘dynamics’ of this feel? Be honest! ………………………….. How do we behave towards new people? ………………………………….. How welcoming, or not, might they feel we are? …………………………
NEXT STEPS …………………………………………………………………………..
• Do we socialize, before ……. or after……our silence? How does this feel? Do we like the status quo ….. or wish to change ……
• Do we meet each other elsewhere …. or only at our Meeting …… How does this affect the dynamics of the meeting? …………………
• If we have a ‘cuppa’, do we take turns ….. or let the host do it?
NEXT STEPS …………………………………………………………………………..
MEMBERSHIP
● How many people, in recent years, have joined us ………………… left us ………………. come just once or twice ……………………………
● Do we know why people left ………….. or didn’t join? ………… If Yes, can we take account of their reasons? ………………………… If No, should we have asked them? ……………………………………….
• Are we a mix of denominations? …… Which ones? ……………….
If not, should we consider why, and actively seek to change this?
NEXT STEPS …………………………………………………………………………
People can only come to something if they know it exists.
• Do we advertise our Meeting on noticeboards in local churches …… chapels …… library …….. health centre …….. etc……………..?
• Are our Meeting’s details on weekly news sheets ……. in Church magazines …….. on Circuit lists……. Churches Together info……..
• Should we advertise more …… and if so how? ….………………….. Do we use the free JM publicity posters / leaflet? …………………… Could we use the JM website / bulletin board? ………………………..
NEXT STEPS ………………………………………………………………………..
CONDUCTING OUR MEETING
● Do we all take our turn to lead in and out of the silence? ………. If not, are some people reluctant to allow others to lead? …………. How can we help those who find this a daunting prospect? Do we have copies of ‘Your Turn to Lead’ for members to borrow?
NEXT STEPS ………………………………………………………………………….
● Do we always have the same type of lead-in and lead-out ……… Have we tried using music …… holding objects ……..visuals ……… different sorts of prayers …… the collect …… other ways ……………
● If the lead-in is a reading is it suitable to lead into silent prayer?Is it Christ-centred? ……. Brief? ……. Does it encourage us to contemplate (rather than think) ….. and to focus on God …….
NEXT STEPS ………………………………………………………………………….
● How do we use our sharing time? Spiritual matters ….. general chat …… JM news …… other ……………………………………………………
Do any of us want more spiritual content?……… or less? ………… Do we listen to each other? ……… Do we break into cliques? ……. Do we take care to include newcomers in our conversation? ………
NEXT STEPS ………………………………………………………………………….
• Do we do anything that anyone finds uncomfortable, or difficult, or unhelpful for any reason? …….. How would we know? …………
• How do we handle people who may be, in some way, difficult?
● Is there anything we don’t do that someone would like us to?
NEXT STEPS ………………………………………………………………………….
• Do we all see the JM Magazine, either by sharing the group’s copy…… (sent to the contact) or by individual subscription? .…..
• Does our Meeting have all the current JM publications available for members to read or borrow or buy? ………
NEXT STEPS ………………………………………………………………………….
ENCOURAGING SPIRITUAL GROWTH
• How do we encourage spiritual sharing and growth? ……………..
• Is there any sense in which our choice of readings might indicate that we are growing spiritually?………………………………….
• Do we have other spiritual resources at Meetings for members to share or borrow? eg a book box …. audio or video tapes …… details of events / courses / retreats etc ………………………………..
• Do we share with others details of books, programmes, talks etc that we have found helpful? …… If so when? ……………………
• Do we – individually or as a group – go to Quiet Days …………….. Retreats ………………. Relevant events ……………………………… Might we do so? …………….. Might we organise a Quiet Day, perhaps with other meditation groups? ……………
NEXT STEPS ………………………………………………………………………….
Article
[unstated]
Our Pilgrim Journey
Having celebrated our 40th anniversary, the JM Core Group and Council, plus some extra Julian members, spent much of their time together considering the way forward for the Julian Meetings. No living organism can stay static. It must grow and develop, or decline and die. We pray that God will enable us to grow and develop in ways directed by the Spirit. The health check may be one way for individual Meetings to look to their future.
During one shared time of silence in the chapel at Ivy House, we had a “visual‟ focus in front of the altar. It had the staff and sandals of a traditional pilgrim; a Bible (small enough to go in a large pocket) as our Pilgrim guide book; bus and train tickets, and car keys, showing how we had travelled to the meeting, and would be returning home. The lead-in, from Thomas Merton, began: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end …‟ and ended, “I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone‟.
Article
Christine Williams
Promoting Contemplative Prayer
When I joined the Julian Meeting in the Lanarkshire town of Wishaw, in November 2011, I lived a 40 minute drive away in East Kilbride, but the Wishaw Meeting was the only one in the west of Scotland. I received such a warm welcome that it was no trouble to go monthly to join in prayer with people much more experienced at contemplative prayer than I was.
I really wanted to spread the word about contemplative prayer, and the Julian movement, and perhaps start a JM near home. I approached my pastor at East Mains Baptist Church, and he advised that I started a group in our church first, to gauge interest and form a core for expansion. He also suggested that I give a few ‘workshop’ sessions, to introduce people to the practice of contemplative prayer.
So I led two workshops at my church, where I gave some background to contemplative prayer and tried out some simple exercises with people. One was sitting absolutely still for 3 minutes, which was a challenge for some participants!
Another exercise I devised was for people to read a Bible verse silently and very slowly, whilst eating a piece of chocolate! This was to introduce the idea of lectio divina as an aid to prayer. Using chocolate came from a sermon by our pastor, who said that many Christians read the Bible as if they were taking medicine, with the attitude “I have to do this, so lets get it over with!”. Instead they should read the Bible as if slowly sucking a piece of chocolate. So I gave each person a piece of chocolate to suck as they read the chosen verse, and it proved very popular! We finished the workshop with 10 minutes of contemplative prayer, plus feedback on how easy or difficult it was for people.
I was asked to set up a contemplative prayer session for an Advent service where people could draw apart to a quiet space in church. I used quiet background music and lit the room with candles. I gave a very short explanation of what the aim of the session was and said a short prayer aloud to end a silence of twenty minutes.
I then set up two contemplative prayer groups in my home. One group met in the afternoon and the other, for those busy during the day, met in the evening. The groups met monthly. We started with only members of our church, but soon people brought interested friends from other churches in the area.
I suggested both groups joined the Julian network, but just when I’d have been registering our meetings, life changed. My husband and I, now both retired, had planned to move to the seaside in N Ireland, where I come from. Our move was in God’s plan too, because as soon as friends knew we were intending to move a young couple at church wanted to buy our house! Theirs was already sold – so they needed to be in ours within six weeks! Not long to house-hunt in N Ireland, but God had it in hand. We found our ideal house quickly and it was already vacant! In six weeks, we were planting new roots in Ballycastle on the beautiful N Antrim coast.
My two prayer groups are not meeting now, but at least more people in East Kilbride know about JM and have found the joy of contemplative prayer for themselves. Before our move I led two workshops on contemplation at a Glasgow Christian Women’s conference, with over 50 people in total joining in.
Now I am in Ballycastle, my nearest Meeting is in Castlerock, quite a distance away, so it may be time to open a Ballycastle Julian Meeting. The town is predominantly Roman Catholic but the three main church groups of N Ireland (RC, Church of Ireland and Presbyterian) work well together. The warmth and mutual respect between these denominations is inspirational, with N Ireland‟s history of religious division. I hope there will eventually be a Julian Meeting in Ballycastle, and I already sense interest. I pray God will guide how He might use me and provide the opportunities. I may run more workshops to introduce people to contemplative prayer. I am no expert, but a learner willing to share her mistakes! I worked in Further and Higher Education so pray God will use my skills for the furtherance of His kingdom, contemplative prayer and JM.
Article
Kathy Druce
Our Winter Julian Day
The 11 members of Lechlade Julian Meeting met on 18 February in Sheila‟s warm home, to focus on Contemplation and Mindfulness. We began with refreshments and conversation. Then Lis gave a brief introduction on contemplation from the mystics, focusing on Teresa of Avila. Janet shared insights on Christian-based Mindfulness – fruits of her recent research – and recommended two books: “Mindfulness: A Practical Guide” by Tessa Watt and Wanda Nash’s “People Need Stillness”, with its more Christian orientation.
We were encouraged to look (REALLY LOOK) at various shells, in order to examine their individuality – and ours. We then had an exercise where we were encouraged us to feel ourselves supported by our chairs, listen to the sounds in our silence and to become aware of our breathing. This exercise to “centre” and “recollect” our minds was a helpful prelude to the Julian contemplation which followed.
Reluctantly we eventually left our silence and (less reluctantly) enjoyed a delicious shared meal. After it, we relaxed listening to Denver as she opened five windows into the spirit of peace and “otherness” through poetry and music. She read poems by John Donne, RS Thomas, Robert Frost, RL Stephenson, and Harry Clifton and each poem was followed by music to complement and continue its theme. The music was varied: classical; vocal; monastic; instrumental. “Spiegel im Spiegel”, composed by Arvo Part, was a mystical and haunting work which left me relaxed but very alert, mindful of each tiny sound in the room.
After these hours of being mindful of each other and of the presence of Holy Spirit our meeting closed with a simple Celtic communion, which was a very special experience. I, at least, enjoyed a feeling of completeness – of oneness with the other Julians and with our Father. A delightful day whose effects will stay with us all, I hope, and enrich our contemplation.
Book review
Deidre Morris
David Cole • The Inner Journey: Prayers & Practices for Christ-Centred Meditation
Anamchara Books, 2014, £7.99
This small format book of 114 pages offers a great deal, particularly to people who are new to meditation or are very much “going it alone‟. The introduction gives a lot of practical suggestions about preparing for meditation. The remaining five chapters offer material to use, and suggestions for how to use it. They cover meditating with scripture, nature, words, Celtic style prayers & meditations, and mindfulness exercises.
This is a book for meditation – active engagement with the material being used – rather than for contemplative prayer where the focus is just on being open to God and allowing God to take the initiative. But for meditation it offers a wide range of material, and advice, and is small enough to carry with you at need. Some material could be used as a lead in or out for contemplative prayer.
I found some of the language unhelpful, particularly the many references to the Divine… (presence, light, hand, mercy, shepherd, feminine). God and Jesus are referred to far less often, despite “Christ-centred‟ in the book title. Perhaps this, and some of the material on offer, is to widen the appeal of the book beyond just those who are Christians. But these are personal quibbles, and do not detract from an attractively presented book that packs a lot into a small space.
Book review
[unstated]
Rowan Williams • A Silent Action: Engagements with Thomas Merton
SPCK, 2013
These five essays, with some extra material, were gathered by Rowan Williams from his “engagements” (lectures and articles) with Thomas Merton over forty years and revised for republication. Since Merton‟s writings are voluminous, they offer something of a way into his works.
Dr Williams explains how Merton fought to make his language clear and transparent, to re-instate meaning and truth, tried to be honest before God. He points out that Merton’s greatness is that one becomes not more interested in him, the man, but more interested in God because of him. He also discusses how Merton gave almost equal weight to Christian and to Buddhist traditions.
The essays are not an easy read. They require deep attention but there are many words – written by Merton himself, or by theologians he quotes or comments by Dr Williams – that offer food for reflection. “Seeds are sown for long thoughts and prayers.”
For example: “Can we take contemplation and sacraments seriously without concerning ourselves with global questions like war and poverty seriously?”
“[God’s] glory in me will be to receive from me something that he can never receive from anyone else.”
Merton quotes and agrees with Karl Barth that “Everyone who has to contend with disbelief should be advised that he ought not to take his unbelief too seriously. Only faith has to be taken seriously and if we have faith as a grain of mustard seed, that suffices for the devil to have lost his game.”
These “seeds” for further thought and reflection are a small part of these scholarly essays. Perhaps above all they remind me that “in myself I may be a “patchwork‟, an “incoherence‟, a “nothing‟, yet “I am because of the love of God””.
Book review
Gail Ballinger
Kenneth Stevens and Ian Sarjeant • Iona: the other island
Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, 2014, £14.99
Summer is a good time for pilgrimage and Iona is a popular destination. This book introduces the reader to the island, its terrain and heritage, taking the reader to the little known corners. Reading it would be good preparation for a visit. It could also be used for an “armchair pilgrimage‟, by those who cannot make the journey. “It is saying that small really is beautiful and exciting, that spending time slowing down and leaving the mad rush of this world‟s frenetic pace reaps rich rewards.‟
The photographs are breathtaking, the writing – poems and prose – evocative. A beautiful book that many people will enjoy.
Book review
Anne Stamper
Eva McIntyre • A Quiet Mind – uniting body mind and emotions in Christian spirituality
John Hunt Publishing, 2011
This book’s cover describes Eva McIntyre as a “storyteller, actor, songwriter and priest” as well as a writer. From that description one would imagine a very self-confident person. But this book comes out of her own personal experience when she was haunted by low self-esteem and shame, re-inforced by some of the negative aspects of the church teaching she had received in the past.
Eva looks at ways of overcoming such negative patterns of thinking and embarking on a journey of “daring to move closer to God and to find acceptance at the most profound levels of our being”. She has found contemplative prayer to be central to this journey.
One whole chapter of the book is devoted to “Stilling the Monkey Mind”, something with which most readers of this magazine will empathise! Other chapters cover the body in prayer, pain and contemplation, dreams visions and voices and finding “thin‟ places.
From her experience as a priest she has met many people who suffer from the same anxiety as herself and yet think they are alone. By writing this book, and sharing her story with others, they can be encouraged to know they are not alone, and be helped to seek the “Quiet Mind‟ of which she writes.
Book review
Jennifer Tann
Martin Lonnebo, Carolina Welin, Carolina Johnasson • Pearls of Life: for the personal spiritual journey
Wild Goose Publications, 2013, £10.50 +£15 for bracelet
This is both a book of meditations – and a bracelet. It began when Martin Lonnebo, a retired Swedish Lutheran Bishop, took shelter from a storm on a small Greek island. While there he started developing the idea that became this book.
Bishop Martin describes the pearls (in reality they are beads) as a life buoy which can help to keep us afloat in some of life‟s most demanding times. The book is a friend to accompany us on the journey. Bishop Martin suggests that when we feel overwhelmed, or find it difficult to pray, we can be encouraged to sit down, light a candle, grasp the pearls physically in our hands and slowly wind them through our fingers.
Each pearl “shares a message and bears an invitation from the creator – from God.‟ This is where I began to get worried. The beads may, indeed, be a helpful prompt, a solace in times of trouble, something to focus our thoughts and prayers. A metaphor, perhaps. But at times I began to think we were being encouraged to regard them as something more. Each pearl is :ascribed its own unique personality‟ (p.8); there is a God Pearl, a Resurrection pearl and ones representing the night, mystery, love, serenity, the desert, baptism and the self, each separated by silence pearls. “In the God pearl you find the strength of one who holds all in his hand and the power of one who blesses you with all good things.‟ (p.21)
Having said this I used the idea in a Lent Group session. Each person was invited to use different coloured beads (from the large pile on offer) to make their own bracelet, working at the same pace, bead by bead. We used the bracelet as a prompt and prayed our way round it together, saying the prayer at the end of each bead section in the book. The participants liked the approach, while being clear about the difference between prompt/solace and representation; one member, in particular, suggested that this had come at just the right time for her. This could be a useful resource for a group that needs reviving – or even, perhaps, challenging, or as a way of achieving closure with a tangible reminder of a journey taken together.
www.ionabooks.com/pearls-of-life.html
Book review
Anne Stamper
David Cole • The Mystic Path of Meditation – Beginning a Christ-Centred journey
Anamchara Books, 2013, £8.99
Writing in the foreword Ray Simpson, Founding Guardian of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, refers to David Cole as “an evangelical mystic who is restoring meditation to its rightful place”.
In the first part of the book David Cole explains why we need a “mystic path‟ and sets out the Biblical basis for meditation. He refers to Jesus withdrawing to a quiet place to spend time with God (Luke 5:6) and explains that the Greek word for “withdrew‟ is eimi-hypochoreo; eimi means “to be‟ and
hypochoreo means “to retreat‟, so – to retreat from life to simply be. He describes this as something we all need to do as a way of letting our souls catch up!
In the second part of the book he presents a range of practical ways in which to follow “the mystic path‟, which he summarises in the following ways: Meditate momentarily; Divert daily; Withdraw weekly; Make a date monthly; Abdicate annually.
By “divert daily‟ he describes setting a time aside each day for contemplative prayer. For the weekly withdrawal he suggests a longer time, perhaps a walk in a forest or park. For the monthly date he suggests a day at a local retreat house. When abdicating annually this should be for an overnight stay (perhaps this pattern is not so easy for many of us, but something to aim for?).
This is a good introductory book for someone who is wanting to explore “the mystic path‟ and find out more about the wide range of ways of using contemplation and meditation to do this. The chapters in the book include a wide variety of methods from Lectio divina to meditations on birds; from breathing prayers to meditation exercises for children. At the end of most chapters there are practical exercises on the various suggested techniques. There is something here for everyone.