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May 04, 2008

Be Still and Ponder God

Be Still and Ponder God
Week Five in Sermon Series: PRAYER IS…
1 Kings 19:9-15, Luke 10:38-42

We are in week five of our Sermon Series entitled, PRAYER IS… As you can see by our pallet over there, prayer is turning out to be quite extensive--the building blocks of our spiritual life; the songs we sing; the cries of our heart in difficult times; recognition and celebration of our connection with nature.

Today we explore what it means to meditate. Our opening songs were done in the Taize method—singing a short tune with easy words over and over again so that the singing becomes the mantra (or background noise) while the singers open themselves to the Spirit of God. In a traditional Taize forum, the singing goes on until everyone stops singing…it lingers, growing quieter and quieter until all voices are silent. So the singing is lead by the Spirit through the singers.

Our scripture lessons this morning reflect the importance of being still and listening for God. In a well-known text, Elijah the prophet stands in the cave listening for God. Not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire, but in the stillness after the fire, the sheer quiet, Elijah steps to the entrance of the cave to hear God speak to him.

The Gospel lesson of the two sisters, Martha and Mary is not to separate our contemplative life from a life of service. As disciples of Jesus, both are necessary. Jesus’ words to Martha are instructive for us in our 24/7 lives. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing…”

Hear Jesus’ words as if coming from God—“(insert name), my beloved, focus on me. Do not let the things of this world distract you. Do not worry about the things of this world. Seek me first, listen to me. When you do this, your life and the work of your life will be evident, and flow naturally from the Spirit.”

In our Christian tradition there are many persons whom we think of when we think of quieting ourselves and listening to God. One such person is St. Teresa of Avila born in Spain, in 1515 during the Middle Ages. She was a Carmelite nun, monastic reformer, and mystic. When she was still a young woman, she became a professed nun. Shortly after this, Teresa became very ill. She was in a coma for four years, and after regaining consciousness, was still unable to walk for three years. After fully recovering, she struggled with her prayer life, until she was given a vision from God at age 39.

After her life-changing encounter with God, her desire was to spend as much time in quiet and solitude as possible. This was counter to the monastic times and so many questioned her authenticity and whether it was God who was leading her. At a later point in her life she opened up her own convent.

Theresa is best known for two books, “Way to Perfection” and “Interior Castle.” Teresa discovered what it was to experience the Spirit of God at the center of her soul. She desired to share her experiences with others. Teresa encouraged a person seeking God to quiet the rational activity of the mind and body with the goal of achieving complete stillness.

We call this stillness—this type of prayer—meditation. Teresa believed this type of prayer offered the following for one’s spiritual health: 1) meditation helps one move from mundane noisiness to a depth within oneself; 2) meditation gives greater emphasis on being rather than doing; 3) meditation solidifies union with God which is reflected in one’s ability to love; 4) meditation is not an exit from life but provides confidence to meet what life brings. (1)

And now, Corey Houchins-Witt is going to come up and share some of his knowledge and experience of the practice of meditation and lead us in a 3 minute meditation.

Footnotes:
(1) Adapted from Concerning Prayer by Mary Kathryn Pearce. © 2003 The Women’s Division of the UMC. I replaced the word “prayer” with “meditation.”

Posted by vickie at 10:00 AM