Reflection:
Grounded and thriving
In this reflection we will explore what it means to be grounded and thriving in our lives.
Opening music:
Listen to the following piece of music as an opening prayer.
Reflection Talk:
Talk length: 15 minutes
Reading:
Read the following passage through twice or three times, and listen for any word or phrase that seems to be inviting you to linger with it.
Psalm 1 (paraphrase)
Blessed are those who recognise the habitual patterns
of control, manipulation and self-deceit;
and who choose instead to return
to the Present One
in quiet simplicity and trust;
finding again the freedom of open-hearted surrender to the Beloved, our God.
They are like trees planted by ever-flowing streams of water,
that naturally yield fruit without strain or effort,
and whose leaves flourish.
In all that they do, they cannot help but bring life.
Without this rootedness,
people are like tumbleweed, blown in the wind.
Not knowing the generosity of God's heart,
all they know is scarcity and mistrust.
They will isolate themselves from wisdom,
living in their self-imposed prisons of separation.
Those who are rooted deeply in God come to know the beauty of Unity,
as the illusions that are born from ignorance will perish
in the Light of the Beloved's presence and grace.
Quiet prayer
I invite you into a time of quiet prayer, using the ten minute timer below which begins and ends with the sound of a gong. If you find your mind wandering, gently let go of your thoughts and return to silence, to being present in the place of your central stillness, to awareness of your breath or your sacred word.
End the time of quiet prayer by listening to the following song:
Lyrics:
Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am
Be still and know that I
Be still and know that
Be still and know
Be still and
Be still
Be
Be still and know that I am Love...
Be still and know that I am Peace...
For further reflection:
Below are the readings from the talk and some additional readings for further reflection on this theme.
Thich Nhat Hanh:
“The only way out is in.”
Albert Nolan:
“Radical means reaching down to the roots. The freedom that Jesus experienced reached down to the very roots of his being. It was the freedom he challenged his followers to strive for, and it is the freedom that challenges us today as we hover on the edge of chaos”.
Meister Eckhart describes the ground of the soul as:
"the very essence of the soul which is the soul's most secret part. ... In that ground is a central stillness …, for this part is by nature receptive to nothing save only the Divine Essence, without mediation. Here God enters the soul with God’s all, not merely with a part. God enters here the ground of the soul."
Cynthia Bourgeault:
"Every time you are willing to release a thought, to perform the gesture of self-emptying, this gesture is patterned and strengthened within you. In time, with patience and persistence, it begins to take shape as a magnetic center within you, a deeper pull or gravitation that is clearly perceptible, like a tug to center. ... Your emerging magnetic center is increasingly recognized as the actual inner pulsation of a mutual yearning, yours for God and God's for you."
Ezekiel 47:12
“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”
Henri Nouwen:
“Eternal life is life in and with God, and God is where I am here and now. The great mystery of the spiritual life—the life in God—is that we don’t have to wait for it as something that will happen later. Jesus says: “Dwell in me as I dwell in you.” It is this divine in-dwelling that is eternal life. It is the active presence of God at the center of my living—the movement of God’s Spirit within us—that gives us the eternal life.”
Ending prayer:
O Beloved, Ground of our Being,
We pray that as we become more deeply rooted
and established in your Presence, in Love,
we may be empowered, together with all of the people of your creation,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is your love,
and to become convinced of this love that surpasses rational knowledge—
that we may be filled to overflowing with your generous, outpouring abundance,
May our lives be for healing.
May our lives be for peace.
Amen
(Adapted from Ephesians 3:17-19)
Ending music:
Lyrics:
Here I am
Standing right beside you
Here I am
Do not be afraid
Here I am
I'm waiting like a lover
I am here
Here I am.
Do not fear
When the tempter beckons
Do not fear
Even though you might fall
Do not fear
For I have conquered evil
Do not fear
Never be afraid.
Here I am…
I am here
In the face of every child
I am here
In every warm embrace
I am here
With tenderness and mercy
Her I am
I am here.
Here I am…
I am here
In the midst of every trial
I am here
In the face of your despair
I am here
In pardon and forgiveness
Here I am
I am here.
Here I am…
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Sharon's book that was previously called "Contemplative Living" has been republished by AnamChara Books under the title "Deeper: Finding the Depth Dimension Beneath the Surface of Life". The Kindle version is available from Amazon, and the hard copy version can be ordered from loot.co.za or Takealot, or from your local bookshop through Ingram Distribution.