Reflection:
Rest in the Inner Sanctuary
In this talk we reflect on four movements that are helpful for coming to a place of inner rest.
Allow yourself some time to settle into stillness and presence, coming home to the I Am presence of God.
Opening music:
Listen to the following as an opening prayer.
Lyrics:
Be still
Be still and know that
In stillness and quiet
That I am the Lord
And let go, let go of your worries
Only one thing is needed
Just be still and know
Be still and know
That I am the Lord
Reflection Talk:
Talk length: 11 minutes
If the above YouTube video doesn't automatically show, you can paste this link into your browser: https://youtu.be/p0gfIcXWA3I
Guided prayer
I invite you into a time of guided prayer, using the audio track below.
End the time of quiet prayer by listening to and singing along with the following chant:
Lyrics:
Strength and beauty
Are in Your sanctuary
Reading:
Read the following passages through twice or three times, and listen for any word or phrase that seems to be inviting you to linger with it.
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 2:14,15
The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. ... Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing.
Reading 2:
Remember, the entrance door to the sanctuary is inside you...
What was said to the rose that made it open
was said to me here in my chest.
~ Rumi
Ending prayer:
In the temple of my inner being, in the temple of my body,
in the temple of earth, sea and sky, in the great temple of
the universe,
I look for the light that was in the beginning,
the mighty fire that blazes still from the Heart of life,
glowing in the whiteness of the moon, glistening in night
stars,
hidden in the black earth, concealed in unknown depths of my
soul.
In the darkness of the night, in the shadows of my being,
O God, let me glimpse the eternal,
in both the light and the shadows of my being.
May we carry the glow of the eternal into the world,
radiating from this inner sanctuary
with your peace, hope and renewal.
Amen.
(Adapted from The Glow of the Eternal, by John Philip Newell)
Ending music:
Lyrics:
O Spirit guide me now (x3)
In your way guide me
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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.