Stillness

We live in a society that is busy, ever moving. We develop breathing techniques while drinking our 5th extra sugar, caffeine flavor of the day. What does stillness mean to the average American? Does God call us to something greater? 

...be still and know that I am God. Psalms 46:10

“Great truths are not meant to be hurriedly absorbed or quickly downloaded. They are meant to be slowly digested. Pondered slowly, reflectively, and thereby taken way down deep into our hearts to stay.” Dane Ortland, Gentle, and Lowley We want to be a community that learns and practices the great art of contemplation… aka slow digesting. Can we learn to ponder slowly? What would happen if we began to create space in our daily lives to reflect on what God is saying? Where He is present? The small places He is moving to?

Dallas Willard once called hurry the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. He said, "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." he said simply to his mentee, John Ortberg. 

Psalms 23:1-6 from The Passion Translation

…He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. 

His tracks take me to an oasis of peace near the quiet brook of bliss. 

That’s where he restores and revives my life…

Your authority is my strength and my peace. 

The comfort of your love takes away my fear. 

I’ll never be lonely, for you are near…

So why would I fear the future? 

In stillness we find God who offers a resting place, an oasis of peace, we experience restoration and comfort. Join us to experience your faith, in stillness. 

One of these stillnesses is Lectio Divina, the direct translation from Latin being "divine reading" or better translated as "spiritual reading" is a practice of stillness in the word of God to hear his voice. This practice comes from the early church which was still steeped in Judaism. As Judaism has always been a brother religion to Christianity we have taken and applied many of their practices of reading the bible lectio divina being one of them. Unlike an analytical reading of the Bible, this practice is a subjective reading that inquires a deeper spiritual meaning.