So let's begin with a couple of breaths and just noticing how easily the breath is moving,
Noticing how deeply the breath goes,
How easily say the belt buckle if you're wearing a belt or the band of your clothing,
How easily that moves away from the spine with the inhale and back toward the spine with the exhale.
Not seeking to change anything per se but just noticing how that is.
Our bodies tell us a lot about our own mental,
Emotional,
Spiritual states so we take a few moments to notice what our bodies are saying,
Not necessarily trying to decipher but just paying attention.
And we take stock of the events that have transpired in our day thus far,
What has brought us joy,
Meaning and purpose,
Happiness perhaps,
And what events have been depressing or challenging or distracting.
Imagine all of that,
The joys and the sorrows,
Written on a piece of paper.
Then with your mind's eye picture that piece of paper being folded up,
Put into an envelope,
The envelope sealed,
And that envelope being far away from you,
Maybe outside the room or outside your home,
Maybe it's in the mail,
And if necessary that envelope might come back.
But for this time that envelope is far from you,
The events of the day thus far are far from you.
In Centering Prayer there is typically a single word that each practitioner chooses and think of that word as home.
As the attention wanders that word,
Like a mantra,
Serves to bring us back home.
I typically use the word God but you might have a different word altogether.
Take a few moments to choose your word.
You might,
If you haven't already,
Practice saying that word silently or aloud if that's helpful and if that works where you are,
That's your return to home word.
You can practice it.
God dwells deep within all of us and God is so great,
So vast,
As to be unknowable,
At least in any sense of complete knowability.
God's love always flows out to us.
Nothing can stop it.
Nothing we do gets between us and God's love and yet we forget our distractedness,
Our shame,
Our duties,
And responsibilities.
They get in the way and so we begin our time of silence,
Using your home word to direct your attention back to God when it wanders.
God's love is always available for us.
The source is unending.
God's grace is active in this world,
Transforming us,
Inviting us,
Calling us to do certain things or be certain ways.
Our task is to discern those calls,
Then decide whether to go along,
Whether to follow the path to truth and love and fairness,
Ultimately saying yes to God's presence,
Yes to God's love.
Made in God's image,
We seek to reflect that love to all whom we meet.
You might choose another word now,
A word that you might carry with you throughout the rest of your day or evening or night to remind you of this experience,
Of this practice,
To remind you of having consented to God's presence and as you bring your attention back to your room and your surroundings,
Perhaps opening your eyes if they're closed,
Perhaps bringing some movement back into the body.
I hope you'll accept my gratitude for joining me today.
