Reflection:
Put out into the deep
In this reflection we look at the invitation from Luke 5:4 to "Put out into deep water and let down your nets". We explore this from the perspective of our inner journey.
Opening music:
Listen to the following as an opening prayer.
Lyrics:
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you.
Everything changes, I alone remain.
Hold patience, for nothing is wasted,
Presence in all things, I'm with you in all things.
Quiet Prayer:
Spend some time in quiet prayer, gently allowing yourself to rest in the quiet depths of being in God's Being.
End the time of quiet prayer by listening to the following piece of music:
Sacred Reading:
Read the following readings through twice or three times, with an attitude of open receptivity. Allow a few minutes of silence between the readings. Listen for any words that call out to you, or that draw you into a listening that is deeper than your usual knowing:
Reading 1:
"In the prayer of quiet, the soul understands without understanding... It is a gentle absorption where the intellect ceases its labor and the soul rests in a state of tranquil, receptive waiting."
~ Teresa of Ávila
Reading 2:
“Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continually return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto Itself. Yielding to these persuasions, gladly committing ourselves in body and soul, utterly and completely, to the Light Within, is the beginning of true life.”
~ Thomas Kelly
Question for quiet reflection
⮚ Who am I without my roles? Without my history or future?
⮚ Who am I when I don't think about who I am?
⮚ Who am I when I am simply resting in quiet presence?
⮚ Who is God without my ideas about who God is? Without my theology or background teaching?
⮚ Who is God when I don't think about who God is?
⮚ Who is God when I am simply resting in quiet presence?
For Further Reflection:
Below are quotes from the talk for you to take this theme further.
Luke 5:4-11
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.”
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Pema Chödrön:
"We relax into the unknown, sitting quietly with the open-endedness of our situation."
Richard Rohr:
“I believe only the contemplative mind can allow transformation at the deepest levels and help us to rest in the awareness of God’s loving presence.”
Ending Prayer:
At the heart of the brokenness around me
and in the hidden depths of my own soul,
I seek your touch of healing, O God,
for there you reside.
In the hidden depths of life, O God, there you reside.
Teach me to search for You in my own depths,
that I may find You in every living soul.
Amen
(by J. Philip Newell)
Ending music:
Lyrics:
How much room is there inside of us for what we don’t already know,
Do we have the courage to venture beyond the safety of the known,
Into the wisdom of uncertainty where insight is born,
Into the wisdom of uncertainty humility is born.
How much room is there inside of us for what we don’t already know,
Do we have the courage to venture beyond the safety of the known,
Into the wisdom of uncertainty where insight is born,
Into the wisdom of uncertainty creation takes form.
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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 myself (email sharongruss@gmail.com), or from loot.co.za or Takealot, or from your local bookshop through Ingram Distribution.