WHEN GOD SPEAKS IN THE DESERT – PART 2 - WAYS WE CAN SPEAK WITH HIM by Bobbie Ann Cole

 

In this post: 

MEDABER (SPEAKING) / CENTERING PRAYER / PRAYING INTO JESUS STORIES / LECTIO DIVINA / COMMUNITY / TAKING IT DEEPER / JOURNALING / HELPING OTHERS

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MEDABER IN THE MIDBAR – SEEKING TO SPEAK WITH GOD

Today, as promised in my last post about Jesus' conversations with God as he fasted in the desert (April 3^rd), I will explore ways we can medaber (Hebrew ‘speak') with God in the midbar, ((not necessarily an actual desert, but a place of peace where we can connect).

Perhaps the most difficult thing to get beyond is that, after an initial prayer seeking his wisdom, it is God’s turn to speak. Our role is to shut up and listen.

This is hard.

Whenever I try to open myself up to what he would like to say to me, I struggle with invasive thoughts. I chatter away. If I try to stop the chatter and clear my mind, I find myself filling in the blank space with thoughts about the shopping…

Sometimes, however – oh bliss - I hear something that guides, helps or inspires me. When that happens, the feeling is one of immense joy and spiritual closeness that sends tingles right through me.

Recently, God spoke, saying, ‘One Clear Thing.’ This made me miserable. I found it impossible to choose between writing and teaching, for I love them both. A few days later, however, I received clarification that pleased me: ‘One Clear Thing at a Time.’ In the midst of all the overwhelm I had been feeling, I received this as wise direction and acted on it. 

Below are some pointers toward reaching connection, some of which contemplative Christine Cleave, an ACW member, has shared with me.  

CENTERING PRAYER

This silent prayer involves remaining distinct from our thoughts. We observe them as if they appear on the far side of a river. Our focus is on Jesus, simply trusting that he is there but without any particular picture in mind. 

Let any intrusive thoughts go. 

Say ‘hineini,’ a Hebrew word often repeated in the Old Testament, that simply means, ‘I am here.’

PRAYING INTO JESUS’ STORIES

We can ask Jesus to help put ourselves in his parables or life events, such as the tax collector and the pharisee who come to worship. The former seeks God’s mercy as a sinner, while the latter is boastful and entitled, glad that he’s not that scumbag of a tax collector.

We can focus on the type of mercy we are looking for. The Latin and Greek words have different connotations. The Latin Deus misere is asking God for justice, whereas the Greek Kyrie Eleison is rooted in the cooling balm of olive oil, also used for anointing.

LECTIO DIVINA

Another pathway to hearing from God can be Lectio Divina. The monks of old would listen to a reading from Scripture, seeking something that particularly spoke to them – a verse or an idea - and peel off to meditate upon it.

Lectio Divina can bring enlightenment about the nature of God or his will and speak directly into our lives.

Words from the psalms work particularly well for Lectio Divina, as so many of their messages are personally relatable. It is fascinating to focus on a psalm in a group and then compare notes at the end of the exercise, Everyone will have a different perspective and the  contributions of individuals will often constitute something greater than the parts.

 A COMMUNITY

It is possible to join a community of seekers after God, such as The Northumbria Community. Their publications, liturgies, readings and meditations, such as John Nain’s Celtic Daily Prayer, open windows to how people have prayed through the centuries and the thought-provoking wisdom they have gleaned from spending time with God.

The Northumbria Community also loves storytelling, vividly bringing to life parables.

TAKING IT DEEPER

Writers and thinkers from different eras, as broadly different as Dietrich Bonhoeffer and St. Benedict, can teach us important lessons about contemplation. Writing in the 20^th century, Bonhoeffer argued that Christians should not retreat from the world but act within it, as imitators of Christ.

Back in the 6^th century, but still relevant today, St. Benedict taught how to live in a harmonious community, devoted to God.

In the 20^th century, Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, explored and wrote much about seeking the soul, arguing that, “True contemplation is not a psychological trick but a theological grace.”

JOURNALING 

A deeper connection with God is possible through journaled stories and experiences. We can lose ourselves in metaphor and poetry and psalms that create pictures in our heads that we put down on paper. My writing student, Christine Cleave says, “These words have a fragrance of their own and when this is released, I get pictures.”

Another of my students, Jackie Trottmann, who offers journaling courses, says our journaling falls into four categories:

·       Insights - on the Outside and Inside

·       Travel and Moments

·       Clarity and Direction

·       Connecting More Deeply with God

“Journaling allows us to get to the truth of who and Whose we are, so that we can truly be free," she says. "This is what Jesus promised us when He said, ‘You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” 

ACW member, Dawn Fanshawe, was reluctant to journal. However, encouraged by Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, writing morning pages has become a daily habit with her. She sets down anything and  everything. 

“The impact was quite profound,” she says. “I see much more clearly; it deals with nagging issues and prepares a prayer and an action plan for the day ahead.”

The act of having to stay with an issue on paper would provide solutions, a change of perspective, resolutions to problems… “I have found I can… put negativity in its place, identify and reinforce the truth.” (See Dawn's blog post on this subject here.)

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2

HELPING OTHERS

Listening to God and taking notice of the thoughts in our head help us to be better listeners and understand others better. As such, we become more active, attentive, and effective disciples.

 

Bobbie Ann Cole, Christian writer, speaker and writing teacher is writing The Messiah’s Mother, Mary’s Painful Journey to Disciple. 

Check out her writing courses for Christian writers and her popular free groups at http://bobbieanncole.com.

Her free Ahava Group meets next Saturday, 9^th April, to explore Temptation. This online group relies on lectio divina, meditation and journaling to get closer to God. Go here to get on the list to receive joining information: http://ahava.space