  Spiritual
This week: Be Quiet Edited by: SophyBells  
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Hi, I'm SophyBells ~ your editor for this edition of the Spiritual Newsletter.
The Rev. Scotty McLennan, author of the book Finding Your Religion, compares humanity's innate need for spiritual searching to climbing a mountain. In his view, we are all endeavoring to climb the same figurative mountain in our search for the divine, we just may take different ways to get there. In other words, there is one "God," but many paths. I honor whatever path or paths you have chosen to climb that mountain in your quest for the Sacred.  |
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Be Quiet
Ralph Waldo Emerson "Let us be silent that we may hear the whispers of the gods."
Scotty McLennan, Finding Your Religion
"If all the spiritual exercises in this chapter sound too daunting, or at least not irresistible, I offer this parting advice. No matter what else you do, every so often try to take time to sit under a tree, literally . . . What’s important is to simply stop every so often, be still, and thankfully appreciate our presence in the universe."
The chapter McLennan is referring to is called “Sitting” from his book, Finding Your Religion, in which he talks about the importance of prayer/meditation/stillness/silence. Citing the work of Boston cardiologist Herbert Benson, he outlines Dr. Benson’s findings on the healthy effects of meditation after he studied a group of transcendental meditation practitioners. His results showed decreases in blood pressure and heart rates for those who practiced regular meditation, as well as decreases in respiration rates, oxygen consumption, and stress levels. An increase in alpha waves, which are associated with feelings of well being, was also reported. Further studies demonstrated that there was nothing unique or special about transcendental meditation, in and of itself. Though ultimately Benson isolated four elements of what he came to call “the relaxation response.”
1. A quiet environment without external distraction.
2. A comfortable position, usually sitting, in which one can remain for twenty minutes without moving or falling asleep.
3. An object to dwell on, such as one’s breath, a sound, word, or phrase, repeated silently or out loud, or something to fix one’s gaze upon.
4. A passive attitude, whereby distracting thoughts or feelings are allowed to drift in and then back out of one’s awareness.
Benson also heralded the transformational power of silence and prayer, “no matter what the words, from a Hindu prayer to a Catholic ‘Hail Mary, full of grace,’ from Judaism to Buddhism to Islam. Finding a bodily calm that all of us can evoke has the opposite effect of the well known fight-or-flight response,” wrote Benson.
Christian and Hebrew Scripture, as well as other religious and spiritual writings, give us many examples of the value of silence in our daily lives. For instance, many of the stories about Jesus’ life depict, in the midst of the flurry of activity which characterized the last few years of his life, that very often he would withdraw from the disciples and go off to a mountain or other quiet place to be alone and pray. There was a balance to his activity – his preaching, teaching, and healing was always balanced with down time. It is what helped keep him centered and able to do what he was called to do. This is ultimately true for all of us as well. It is helpful for me that “silence” is often referred to in terms of space: the immensity inside, the cave of the heart, the oasis of quiet, the inner sanctuary, the sacred center where God dwells.
For centuries people have used this space as a rest and renewal stop on the spiritual journey of life, as it provides a way to periodically withdraw from the world. Some may go into silence as a prelude to prayer, or some may seek silence itself as the place where they are able to contact their deeper self and Spirit. But finding those silent spaces isn’t always easy. Our daily life in this noisy world contrasts sharply with our silent inner world. We are bombarded daily with the noises of living, and the clamor of the world assaults us from all directions. We live amid the seemingly relentless roar of our thoughts and obsessions, our machines, our toys, and our tools. And when we have those rare opportunities for silence, many of us turn on music or television to drown out the deafening sounds of silence, perhaps because it is so foreign to us. Or perhaps because we fear it. For whatever reason, some of us are uncomfortable with silence, and do whatever we can to fill the void.
Added to that is that most of us tend to spend a lot of time “doing” and have very little time for just “being.” With most of our time devoted to work and family and other activities, setting aside time for quiet contemplation or prayer seems almost impossible, if not somewhat selfish. So taking quiet time for ourselves tends to end up low on our list of priorities. I know that’s true for myself, anyway. Though whenever I do make the time to sit back and take a deep breath and embrace silence, I am enriched by the experience. It doesn’t have to be for long – even just a moment or two several times a day is beneficial. But no matter how it’s done, our faith tradition, along with most others, stresses the importance of quiet time, of silence. “Be still and know that I am God” is a seemingly universal directive from many spiritual traditions. Quakers typically design their weekly worship services around silence. Native Americans also treat silence with respect. They are not afraid of, nor do they grow impatient while waiting long periods of time for a message from Great Spirit.
Rabbi David Wolpe writes that, “Judaism perceives a certain stillness, an almost indescribable placidity and perfection that we can sometimes glimpse behind the turmoil of the world. It is not something we can see or hear, but it can be felt. There is a corner of Eden still tantalizingly in view.” What a great image that is ~ that “corner of Eden” in our lives where we can commune with the Divine Mystery and feel at one with the world.
In that silence we nurture our bodies and souls, and as Sue Patton Thoele puts it, “Only in the oasis of silence can we drink deeply from our inner cup of wisdom.” Or as psychotherapist Gunilla Norris writes, “Silence is something like an endangered species. The experience of silence is now so rare that we must guard it and treasure it. For when we make room for silence, we make room for ourselves.”
Personally I could use some of that calming silence right about now, as we find ourselves at the beginning of yet another vitriolic presidential campaign season in the United States, which, as if that weren’t awful enough, we have to face without Jon Stewart! Add to that whatever stressful moments we have going on in our lives at work or school or home, caring for others or ourselves. When things are the most chaotic we need to be intentional about taking literal breathers from it all – and even when things are calmer, it is a blessing in our lives. Even just a few minutes a day can be, quite literally, life saving.
How do you find the silence in the noise of your lives? Do you meditate, or find other ways to be still and embrace the healing graces of silence? Let me know in your comments. |
Below you'll find some spiritual offerings from other WDC members. Please let the folks know if you read their piece by leaving a thoughtful comment or review. I realize I post mostly poems, but that is because it is tough to find other types of spiritual writing on the site (most are poems). If you have something you would like me to highlight, please do share it with me, thanks!
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Here is a response to my last newsletter "Spiritual Newsletter (July 22, 2015)" about Who/What God is for you:
From Elfin Dragon-finally published 
Hi Sophy. You asked if we would write about how we saw God and I've often done so (mostly in the past). Anyway, I thought I'd give you two of my better poems which I've written. I hope you like them. | | | Invalid Item
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Thank you so much for sharing these with us - I like them very much! 
     
From Prosperous Snow celebrating 
I enjoyed this inspiring newsletter. Here is my answer to the question "Who is God for me?"
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for sharing your excellent poem.
From embe 
Hello Sophy,
Thank you for the informative spiritual newsletter.
Herewith my poem if you consider it for my entry.
“Love lost And Found In Faith”
by embe
Beauty is but a vain and doubtful look
like shining glass that faded suddenly,
there in sunshine these flowers droop
when once the buds a blooming rose.
Now lost broken in my lonely life
wilting away in my love for you,
parting so sweetly did she smile
then the pain she saw in my eyes.
No farewell from her Dads hand
in all our pleasures comforting us,
what thoughts her frowning now
in a world when love was young.
With pretty pictures of marriage
a priest dressed for the wedding,
trumpets heralding angels in white
the Mother with child pregnant now.
Preaching represents compromise
saluting the holiness of God today,
Christ declared new life on a cross
holiness to pierce a hardened heart.
Sunshine rays through my open door
where I remember her beautiful smile,
once more when I was blinded by love
my lonely boulevard of broken dreams.
But deep inside me I’m so confused
sharing these secrets of my lost life,
what has this done to repent again
shattered thoughts of dying alone.
When all that you have is your soul,
Baby maybe I should hold onto you,
when I sing this sweet song again
beneath the moon shining outside.
If I had not been on this road now
when stopping to listen for awhile,
how would I know that you love me
or is this just a lonely spirit weeping?
Your smile so tender for me there
as I close my eyes under blue skies,
from the rainbow through the clouds
shining bright life together forever.
Thank you so much for sharing this!
From Just an Ordinary Boo! :
What does God mean to me? Excellent question.
I often tell people I believe in God less as an entity and more as a value system, an idea, of values, of a core set of rules that guide one's life - especially ethically, morally and personally.
I do good, because I want to, not for immediate or future reward, not even for thanks or recognition. I strive to give thanks not by prayer but by paying it forward, I accept the negatives by finding the small positives that lie hidden within.
It has worked for me in difficult times and helped me find a peace and happiness that is so sustaining and fulfilling. I do not say it will work for anyone else, I just know it's perfect for me.
Like a one-person religion, with no rituals, not many rules beyond treating people as equals, helping those in need, enjoying all the little joys in life! No converts, and certainly no preaching!
Jyo
Wow, I love this - and it certainly mirrors many of my own thoughts - thank you for sharing it so beautifully. I would join your religion if you ever made it two-person. 
From ANN Counselor, Lesbian & Happy :
Creation is god; god is Creation, bringing life, movement, thinking, being whatever is created. I cannot understand 'life', hmmm, maybe to me life is god; god is life whether the life of me or a tree, without being created, thee could be no life; without life there could be nothing; so the opposite of god, life, is nothing. Life in all things of the world, universe, etc. could not be without being created first. Then, life and creation and god are the same thing without which there would be only nothing. god is not religion and religion not god for religion are the beliefs created by a man so mankind might learn various ways to live; unfortunately religion causes wars and hatred and all the socalled sins of mankind against other humankind including animals, nature, all creatures living on the earth. manmade religions create the worst there is in humankind; today I learned how ISIS as if its members do have a religion, they have nothing but fear and hatred that motivates them to kill all men not of their group, rape and murder all females while turning boys into slaves for sex or tasks.
Life is all we have; and how we, and every creature lives the life they have, therefore life is god and god is life whether physical or emotional or whatever.
Well said, thank you so much for sharing.
From katesthename
My Husband Jesus Said To me not too long ago, "I AM your Life". And, indeed He Is, and as I abandon my own carnality, He Replaces it with His Very Own Heart and that means there's becoming only One Heartbeat within me. This is Who He Is to me.
Jesus is your husband? Does that mean you are a Nun?
From shepherd46
To me, God is a spirit and was transformed into the person of Jesus Christ. God is very real to me; however, it has taken time for me to comprehend God--who He is, what He can do and how He is ever-present in my life. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, are one and just knowing that God is ever-present in my life, makes me feel that I am never alone. That, I think, is the most precious thing about God; that He is always near and that His love exceeds all other kinds of love.
Knowing that I am one of His creations, makes me want to do and be my best. It is wonderful being loved by God because it gives purpose and direction to my life.
Morningstar
Beautifully said, thank you.
Quick-Quill 
I see God as the perfect father. Loving and caring yet rules with a firm hand. We all know that an over giving parent usually means a spoiled child. One that always wants and expects favor without paying for it. I see God as an all seeing being who wanted love returned to him in a free will. All his other creations have no free will and love him because they no nothing different. He created earth and its human form to offer man the choice to love him. As it happened, one of his earlier creations, chose to thwart him and try to rule over heaven as an equal. God gave the untilmatim that he prepared Hell for him and his followers. Lucifer argued that while God made man to have a choice, what choice was it if there was no alternative. So God allowed Lucifer to have full access to Earth but his was limited to not taking a life unless the human chose to do so or acted in such a way to initiate the death. God cannot change free will. He can make opportunities for man to change his choice, but if one continues He cannot interfere. I want a God who loves me enough to chasten me and help me to be the best I can be.
Thanks for sharing your perspective - I am loving all of the variety of experiences and beliefs!
From Marge
When I think of sketching God, and representing him as a biological specimen from this earth, I think of a Redwood Tree 500 years of age. This tree is so strong and vibrant. It has tolerated floods, forest fires, avalanches, storms, and lightning strikes. It is renewing itself with every season, and adapting to every atmospheric change. The tree may loose it's leaves, but it will renew itself in the springtime. Like God, the tree is all loving and forgiving to it's off spring. Marjorie Orlinski
Beautiful image, thank you!
Please keep your comments and suggestions coming! Until next time! SophyBells |
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