Silent Sunday
Return to the Garden
Richard Rohr describes the Garden of Eden as a symbol of unitive consciousness, where we are never separate from God. In this short reflection, we explore the return to the garden as a metaphor for the spiritual journey.
Opening music:
Introduction Talk:
Quiet Prayer
I invite you to rest in the quiet unitive simplicity of the present moment, returning to the I Am presence of God, in a time of quiet prayer (you can choose between a 10 minute and a 20 minute time of simple silence using the timers below). If you find your mind wandering, gently let go of your thoughts and return to being present, through awareness of your breath or your sacred word.
Listen to the following music as an ending to the time of prayer:
Lyrics:
You and me alone in God's garden,
We're not alone any more
You and me alone in God's hotel,
We're not alone any more
The trees bow down to shade you,
The mighty greets the small
As from the cloudless calm of sky
A thousand raindrops fall
You and me alone in God's garden...
The sound of leaves enfold you
The wind has softly died
Around your head is shining
Your self most sanctified
You and me alone in God's garden...
The timeless home is waiting
The key waits in your hand
The real beyond imagining
The purest of all lands
You and me alone in God's garden....
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 the sacredness of silence that is deeper than your usual knowing:
Reading 1: Luke 13:6-9
Jesus told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and put dung in the soil. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
Reading 2:
“If God said, ‘Rumi pay homage to everything that has helped you enter my arms,’ there would not be one experience of my life, not one thought, not one feeling, nor any act, I would not bow to.” – Rumi
Meditation walk:
Take a 10-minute walk somewhere in nature, if you can. Notice whatever stands out for you, and what it may evoke in you. You may want to bow to whatever you see, and let this be symbolic of bowing to whatever is arising within you. Welcome it all - nothing is wasted, everything belongs.
For Further Reflection:
Below are the quotes from the talk for you to take this theme further.
Richard Rohr:
"The whole Bible is trying to return us to the garden. By the end, in the book of Revelation (21–22), the garden becomes the New Jerusalem, where there is no temple, but only the river of life and the trees of life, where even the leaves are for the cure of all (22:2) and where God lives among humans (21:3). …There is no need for a religious building because the garden itself is the temple. Life is now one sacred reality.
The Garden of Eden is a symbol of unitive consciousness. We cannot objectively be separate from God. We all walk in the garden whether we know it or not. We came from God and we will return to God. Everything in between is a school of conscious loving.
Authentic spiritual cognition always has the character of re-cognition! We return to where we started and, as T.S. Eliot stated, “know the place for the first time.” As Jacob put it when he awoke from his sleep: “Truly, Yahweh was in this place all the time, and I never knew it” (Genesis 28:16). That is, without doubt, the common knowing of mystics, saints, and all recovered sinners. …
We are always being led back to the real Center to find who we really are: to find ourselves in God. God seems both very patient and very productive with the journeys back and forth. Such is the pattern of the soul, of history, and of the Bible, a progress of sorts: two steps backward and three forward.
That humble productivity and slow efficiency on God’s part is called “the economy of grace” or the good news. Here, God fills in all the gaps, everything is used, and nothing is wasted, not even sin."
Jack Kornfield:
"When you bow to the moment, the moment bows back… Bowing doesn’t mean liking what’s happening. It doesn’t mean giving up. It means acknowledging what is before trying to make it something else. It is the difference between fighting the moment and meeting it."
Ending Prayer:
Beloved our God, remind us to return to Your presence.
Call us to return to the garden, where we are never separate from you,
And where everything is for our healing and growth,
That we may bear fruit for the healing of all creation.
May our lives be for healing,
May our lives be for peace,
Amen
Ending music:
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.
We would appreciate any donations so that we can continue making resources like this available at no cost.
Donate here...
A very warm thank you to all of you who have donated so generously.
To see a list of additional resources click here...
If you are not already on our mailing list you can subscribe here...
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.