Reflection:
Rooted in the Ground of Being
In this reflection we will explore what it means to be rooted in the Ground of Being.
Opening music:
Listen to the following as an opening prayer.
Reflection Talk:
Talk length: 7 minutes
If the above YouTube video does not automatically show you can use this link: https://youtu.be/ene0aD4Z-aA
Reading:
Read the following readings through twice or three times, and listen for any word or phrase that seems to be inviting you to linger with it.
Reading 1: Psalm 1 (paraphrase)
Blessed are those who recognise the habitual patterns
of control, fear and self-protection;
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.
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.
~Adapted from Psalms for Praying, by Nan Merrill
Reading 2: Julian of Norwich
“God is the ground in which our soul stands, and God is the means that keeps the substance that they be kept whole... For our soul sits in God in very rest, and our soul stands in God in sure strength, and by grace our soul is turned into God.”
Quiet prayer
I invite you into a time of guided prayer leading into quiet abiding in God the Ground of our Being.
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.
Rumi:
“Do not treat the ground of your heart like dirt;
Plant the seed of love inside it.
The ground of God takes in our compost and yields beauty.
Be like a tree: let the dead leaves drop,
And let your roots drink deep from the Groundless Ground.”
Ezekiel 47:12:
“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.”
2 Corinthians 4:18:
"So we set our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal".
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…
Alternative lyrics to the tune of the chorus:
Here I am in the beauty that surrounds you
Here I am, the Life within all life
Here I am, I hold all things in being
I am here, here I am
Here I am in the silence that enfolds you
Here I am, too close to comprehend,
Here I am, the Source of your becoming
I am here, here I am
Here I am, in the depths of your own being
Here I am, in the stillness that remains
Here I am, longing to love through you
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 myself (email sharongruss@gmail.com), or from loot.co.za or Takealot, or from your local bookshop through Ingram Distribution.