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Beloved Friends,
It was a gift to spend yesterday's 23 minutes of sacred silence together in community via Zoom. CLICK HERE for the recording of our time together. The recording includes our time of silence together but not the time of sharing afterward.
I want to pause here and offer you a few words of encouragement. We are entering the fourth week of Lent and are now over half way to our goal of 40 minutes of sacred silence. This is not an easy journey - nor is it meant to be. Creating space for stillness amidst a world that is racing ahead 24/7 is no easy task. Be gentle with yourself. If you miss a day (or several!) worry not. Simply join back into the journey from wherever you are.
That being said, I encourage you - with abundant grace and compassion - to push yourself a bit to maintain the practice of lengthening silence for these final weeks. The longer periods of silence do get harder, but you can do it!
God is with you and absolutely delights in this dedicated time of your undivided attention.
Today we gently lengthen our silence to 24 minutes and I invite you to explore the practice of Visio Divina (sacred gazing) as the focus for your silent prayer.
Visio Divina is an invitation to look upon an image with the eyes of your heart enlightened (Ephesians 1:18). Breath deeply and close your eyes for a moment. When you are ready, open your eyes and gaze gently upon the image. You may want to zoom in on a particular detail that draws your attention. Or you may want to zoom out and take in the bigger picture.
Allow this image to be your companion as you pray. Converse with God about what the message of the image might be for you. Journal briefly about your reflections if you feel so moved. But most of all, keep it simple. Don't overthink - this is a spiritual practice of the heart, not the head. Simply be still and know that God is with you. Understanding comes slowly (if at all!). Be patient and trust in the slow work of God.
Here is today's Visio Divina suggestion for your 24 minutes of silence...
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