• About The Sophia Center

The Sophia Center for Spirituality

~ Spanning the denominations in NY's Southern Tier

The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Tag Archives: meditate

Pay Attention!

13 Friday Dec 2019

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

attention, discernment, Isaiah, law of the Lord, meditate, psalm 1, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, truth, wisdom

Today it seems that we are once more being called to attend to messages that offer us clear directives for good living in a succinct and understandable way. I use the plural “messages” but in the end I see all three readings as constitutive of an overarching theme.

Isaiah (48: 17-19) proclaims God’s willingness to teach us what is for our good if we would hearken to God’s commandments. (The rewards are all nature images – beautiful and worth your time to read.) Next, Psalm 1 tells us that if we meditate on and delight in the law of the Lord, we will prosper (again – interestingly – with nature images).

What this says to me is that we’re called to a consistent and steadfast attention to discernment of what is for our good and what is not, if we are to learn wisdom. It doesn’t help to observe the practices of others and thereby judge them. Truth is the measure of what we learn in the silence of our hearts. After the advice of Isaiah and the psalmist, we hear Jesus speak in rather stark language about this. Listen to what he says.

“To what shall I compare this generation? It’s like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played for you but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

What do you make of all this?

A Dwelling Place

29 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ancient Songs Sung Anew, dwelling place, God, Holy One, invitation, meditate, Peter, prayer, psalm, temple, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

ainnertempleThe first lectionary text this morning (1PT 1:10-16) ended with a call to be holy with the simple statement “Be holy for I, the Lord, am holy.” Succinctly put, right? Then, in a commentary on today’s psalm I read a paragraph that seemed to follow and enhance the message of Peter, drawing us into a possible way of entering more deeply into relationship with this “Holy One.” See what you think.

Perhaps one of the things that we learn…is that human beings need to offer an invitation to God and interior space for God to be. Have you ever sensed that you could offer a place inside of your being as a dwelling place for the divine, or that your whole being could be God’s “temple” as it is often put in the tradition?…In a time of prayer, meditate upon this possibility and what it means for you. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p.248)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light Up the World!

11 Friday Dec 2015

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Advent, candle, Christ, Desert Fathers and Mothers, flame, hearts, light, meditate, monastics, Sophia House, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Paris,  - lighting candles in notre dame cathedral… Calgary, Alberta Canada. Photographer Carlos Amat, www.carlosamat.ca

Paris, – lighting candles in notre dame cathedral… Calgary, Alberta Canada. Photographer Carlos Amat, http://www.carlosamat.ca

Last night I attended a lovely evening of reflection with a small study group held at Sophia House, our “satellite office” in Endicott, NY. The presenter forgot her matches so I foraged around the house and in the adjacent building and found nothing that could help us light the candle that was to be the centerpiece of our prayer table. Sensing the importance of the symbol, I was grateful to meet up with the janitor who led me to his office where he had not one but three long-nosed lighters. He gifted me with one which now will stay in my office for just such events.

As we travel through this season of Advent, lighting a new candle each week in church and/or at home, praying for the light of Christ to burn in our hearts, I am often reminded of a familiar story from those first monastics, the Desert Fathers and Mothers who understood our responsibility to become that light for the world that we say we desire.

Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, “Abba, as far as I can, I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace, and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?” The old man stood up and stretched his hands toward heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, “If you will, you can become all flame!”

So as we prepare for Christmas, in the midst of all that we do, why not have as our intention to increase our desire for God so that we do, indeed, become all flame?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Babbling!

11 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

babble, Matthew, meditate, pray, prayer, praying, The Lord's Prayer, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

prayToday’s gospel from Matthew (6:7-15) is the familiar passage wherein Jesus teaches his listeners how to pray – for many of us the most familiar of our common Christian prayers, the Lord’s Prayer. My reflection this morning came from the initial instruction of Jesus that began the chosen text. The translation says, “In praying, do not babble like the pagans who think they will be heard because of their many words…” I smiled at the descriptive verb and then thought that when we say that prayer in common, babbling is sometimes exactly what it sounds like. If someone were to yell “STOP” at a certain phrase, shocking everyone into consciousness, I wonder if I would always know what comes next.

Perhaps I exaggerate but I have often suggested, as it has been suggested to me, to use the Lord’s Prayer as a personal meditation or an examination of conscience, not just rattling off the long-ago memorized phrases but spending time with each one, allowing it to seep into my heart and seeing what arises as question or reflection on what I hear. As a few examples:

“Our Father” – Whom do I include in my family as related through the parentage of God? Why are some excluded?

“Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” – How do I perceive ‘God’s reign’ and how am I contributing to that reality now? 

“Give us this day our daily bread” – Who is hungry and for what? Can I help?

Perhaps today I might do this practice differently, taking a phrase each hour and seeing what happens. I wonder how far I will get before the activities of the day take over and I forget my intention. No matter…I trust God will stay listening all day and even into my tomorrows.

Donate to The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Donate

Our other websites

  • Main website
  • Facebook page

Visitors

  • 103,369 hits

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,045 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • The “O Antiphon” Meditations
  • Memorial to be held this Sunday
  • Mark your calendars
  • A note to readers
  • “Hope Springs Eternal…”

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Archives

  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • The Sophia Center for Spirituality
    • Join 559 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Sophia Center for Spirituality
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...