Silent Night ...

Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center

The light 

keeps shining
    in the dark,
and darkness 

has never
    put it out.   

John 1:5

Deep within us ...

“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. It is a dynamic center, a creative Life that presses to birth within us.”

("A Testament of Devotion," Thomas Kelly, Quaker mystic)

PRESENT in the PRESENCE

Photo by Dan Barcus Nov 2012 Lakeview

I am present
I am here
My feet touch the ground
I breathe the air
I see things around me
I hear birds
I see trees
I smell flowers

God is present
God is here
God is everywhere so
He must be here

Creation is present
God's creation envelopes me

God's presence is here
I can’t see it
I can’t hear it
I can’t touch it
I just feel it

One is physical
One is spiritual

When the two meet there is communion

There is Presence

Am I in God's presence
or am I just present?

In the presence there is Peace.

In the presence there is Love.

In the presence there is Growth.

In the presence there is Compassion.

In the presence there is Joy.

In the presence there is Understanding.

I want to be Present in His Presence.  

©Dan Barcus 2009

Thanks Dan!

the Word of God chose to be silent ...

Breathing Christ

In Mary the Word of God chose to be silent for the season measured by God. She, too, was silent; in her the light of the world shone in darkness. Today, in many souls, Christ asks that he may grow secretly, that he may be the light shining in the darkness. In the seasons of our Advent - waking, working, eating, sleeping, being - each breath is a breathing of Christ into the world.

Caryll Houselander
Source: The Reed of God

Seen on the Inward/Outward Blog

the contemplative ...

 ... the contemplative, not only sees and touches what is real, 

but beyond the surface of all that is actual, 

he [and she] attains to communion with Freedom Who is the source of all activity. 

This Reality, this Freedom, is not a concept, not a thing, not an object, 

not even an object of knowledge: 

it is the Living God, the Holy One,

 the One to Whom we dare to utter a Name only 

because [God] has revealed a Name to us, 

but Who is beyond all Names ...

 

The New Man, (New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux) 1961:15

Weekly Reflection for December 3, 2012

 Merton Institute of Contemplative Living

In God's Silent Embrace

Loving God,

so happy to sleep

in your silent embrace

to know you are

always with me ...

giving me insight

into my soul

as I sleep

sinking deeper

deeper into my self

who am I?

I am me.

 
And the candle keeps vigil
even unlit it keeps vigil
and sings an unsung silence
so beautiful to sleep
to be
here
in my dreams
with friendly creatures
keeping watch
in the twilight
of my unconscious

who am I?

I am me.

so happy to sleep

in God's silent embrace ...

© Cindy Serio

The Great Silence

November 2012 Lakeview

World AIDS Day 2012

Remembering my beautiful friend on World AIDS Day. 

Remembering his art, 

his creativity, 

his fearlessness, 

his smile, and 

his love of Phantom of the Opera :)

Today I celebrate the life of my own Angel of Music!
whose life changed my life.
I am more tolerant.
I am more understanding.
I am more loving.
I am more generous.

Praise God from whom all Blessings flow!
AMEN 

Read my story of him:  Celebrating Life

Give to: The United Methodist Global AIDS Fund
Advance #982345  Representing the commitment of United Methodists to end HIV/AIDS in our world through prevention, treatment, care and support.