I nodded and pretended to be fully listening as my husband shared a story with me. The truth was I was listening to the noise inside of me – “Oh, I forgot to tell him that….I need to get that done before bedtime….I wonder how much longer is on the timer before supper is done….”Not really listening, was I? And I am trained as a spiritual director, one who listens intently to another’s spiritual walk. HA! I am failing at basic listening skills lately. I would wager many of you don’t fully hear another person either. We get too busy planning what we will say next or thinking about our to-do lists. And adding to the internal commotion, all the external noise that interferes with effective communication – blaring sounds from the television, chirping as emails arrive, and the boom-booming from the CD player.To be a good listening, I need to be silent. An anagram rearranges or unscrambles the letters of one word to create a new word. Use the word silent as an anagram and the result is: SILENT … [Read more...]
Ten Ways to Sharpen the Spiritual Saw
Steven Covey wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His seventh habit is called “Sharpen the Saw.” Covey uses the common analogy of a woodcutter who is sawing for several days straight and is becoming less and less productive. The process of cutting dulls the blade. So the solution is to periodically sharpen the saw. He tells the story of two lumber jacks in the woods sawing down trees. One of them is working feverishly at the task, rarely stopping to take a break. The other is working at a slower but steady pace and takes breaks frequently. At the end of the day, the lumberjack working at the slower pace has cut down twice as many trees as the one working feverishly. When questioned by the worn out, tired lumberjack as to how he accomplished twice as much in the same amount of time, and working at a slower pace, his answer is quiet simple: “I took time out to sharpen my saw.” He writes, “Sharpening the saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have – … [Read more...]
Powerful Pauses for Prayer Resources
This last edition of the series of pausing for prayer will feature some resources to help you explore more about this holy habit.What I LearnedI have learned a great deal in this experiment. I pay attention more to my surroundings and how God is touching my every moment. I consciously take deep breaths throughout the day, allowing a cloak of relaxation to gently cover my soul. And I hear God and my true self more clearly, not all the chatty voices of the world.ResourcesWant to learn more about what is called Praying the Hours, the Divine Office/Hours, or the Liturgy of the Hours?The book I used through this journey was:Seven Sacred Pauses by Macrina Wiederkehr.Other books that you may find useful are:Robert Benson’s Venite – a Book of Daly PrayerThe Divine Hours – Phyllis TickleThe Rhythm of God’s Grace - Arthur Paul BoersThe Internet offers many … [Read more...]
The Night Shift
The temperature in our camper by 4 AM dropped to 33 degrees. BRRR. Our stay at Yellowstone exceeded our expectations in its beauty, diversity of scenery and awe at God’s creation. Yet when our tent camper’s small furnace refused to stay on more than ten minutes, the nights on this trip dragged on in never-ending numbness.So I spent my nippy nighttime wakefulness in prayer – arctic adoration and icy interchange with our God.The seventh and last pause I am learning more about is Matins or Vigils.Pause and Listen to the Lesson of the HourIn monastic traditions, the middle of the night prayers are often called vigils. Those who keep vigil are the watchers or sentinels of the night. In many communities, this practice has moved to early morning hours while it is still dark – almost a predawn prayer time.Themes for this hour are vigilance, deep listening, mystery, surrender and trust.Vigils – waiting, watching for the first signs of dawn, knowing God is present and anticipating His next move … [Read more...]
Bedtime Hour – “Seven times a day I praise you…” Psalm 119:164
Do you have a ritual before going to sleep? Sometimes I follow one similar to the sacred pauses of this hour. But other times I either fall asleep in the recliner watching some mindless television show or decide to check the email and Twitter one more time as my eyes get heavier and heavier.Pausing before God and reflecting on the past day nourishes gratitude and compassion within my heart. I know this is one pause I want to practice more consistently.The sixth pause of the day is Night.Pause and Listen to the Lesson of the Hour Themes for this hour are silence, rest, sleep, darkness, trust and repentance. I snuggle under my comforter and drift asleep in God’s arms. I offer up this past day like incense back to the Lord. Compline is the special word describing this nighttime practice. The word compline comes from the Latin root word meaning complete. How have we completed the day? The day is done and gone. It is a time to look within as a personal prayer to reconcile any discords with … [Read more...]
Midafternoon – “Seven times a day I praise you…” Psalm 119:164
The Midafternoon pause scares me. I am afraid if I pause I will nap, then struggle to get anything else done. Midafternoon for me represents lethargy, sluggishness and panic over what I haven’t accomplished.So this pause will be difficult for me, yet one I really need to ponder and digest.The fourth pause of the day is Midafternoon.Pause and Listen to the Lesson of the HourThe theme of this hour according to Macrina Wiederkehr is steadfastness, surrender, forgiveness and wisdom. She notes that the “day is aging. Shadows lengthen as the light stretches toward evening…There is a yearning for completion. It is longing to put my house in order before the day ends.” This is the time of day the truth hits you:Have you lived today?Have you paused and been present to the Lord?This day will not last much longer, no matter how good, productive, or terrible the day was, how have our spent the gift of this day?Wiederkehr also notes that one of the themes of Midafternoon is impermanence. That may … [Read more...]
High Noon – – “Seven times a day I praise you…” Psalm 119:164
How do you spend your noon hour?Most of us break for quick bite of lunch and rush though some errands that urgently snap up our time. Some may walk at a fast pace, working on their fitness while others put their feet up listening to the news. My hubby's favorite noon time is watching Price is Right with Drew and the "Come on Down" challenge.But how many of us pause, be present to God and pray? "Come on Down" may be God's challenge to us to slow down and listen for Him over this midday stop.The third time to pause is Noon.Pause and Listen to the Lesson of the HourLight is the theme for the noon hour. The sun is at its peak with the day half gone. You know the old adage, is the cup half full or half empty? The same can be applied to the noon pause.This pause gives us time to review the morning and recharge for the rest of the day.Stretch and GrowWiederkehr offers us questions to ponder at noon time: “Do we find ourselves focusing on the fact that the day is half gone or feeling delighted … [Read more...]
Pausing for Morning Prayer– “Seven times a day I praise you…” Psalm 119:164
Seven Sacred Pauses by Macrina Wiederkehr entered my heart and soul with its message. See the July 21 post. The next several entries will feature thoughts about the daily rhythm of pausing for prayer throughout the day and even in the night. People have prayed at fixed hours for centuries. These moments can be called sacred pauses, the daily office, or the divine hours. The number of times each day varies from three to four to seven. Honoring God by honoring the hours connect us to the divine and increases our awareness to the movement of the spirit in our lives. I invite your comments as we honor the movement of the rhythm of each day as we pause and learn the lesson of that hour (background and specific themes for the featured hour) and stretch and grow (questions to ponder and practices to try)Morning people drive people nuts. How do I know? I confess that I am one. We find it easy and natural to begin each day in prayer. We awaken with God, a form of resurrection. Morning brings a … [Read more...]