The Inner Room

The Dolomites - Falzarego Pass

 'But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to the Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.' Matthew 6:6

Cathedrals have very beautiful ornate altars but God is found in the inner room. 

Father Laurence Freeman interpreted Jesus' advice to us as close the door and pray there where your Heavenly Father is, and you will be enriched and rewarded. In that room is not just the idea of God but His real presence. 

In this privacy we are not distracted by the din and loud praises of the modern contemporary worships. We are not distracted by the art pieces, statues, stained glass windows, golden altar pieces inside beautiful in the voluminous spaces of cathedrals.

In the inner room, we can pay attention to ourselves but more importantly we can give our attention to Jesus who will be present. Father Laurence Freeman in his sharing Daily Wisdom, Inspiration for everyday, wrote on the 10 Dec 2021, "Attention Matters. Our distracted culture, the fact that we spend an average of three or fours hours on our mobile devices, young people at a very vulnerable ages, spending hours, hours and hours on their social media, indicates a fragmentation of our fundamental capacity which is attention."

When Jesus taught us how to pray, He told us,

• Not to grandstand. 
• Not to make a spectacle of our prayer
• Not to let our prayers become long speeches

"And when you pray do  not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the streets corners to be seen by others." Matthew 6:5

But to

• Pray quietly
• Pray in secret
• Pray as a conversation with God 

"But when you pray go into your room and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:6

So, when we are in the inner room, we leave self behind. We are alone with Jesus, and we will be able to engage, to listen, to feel empathy, says Father Laurence, adding that attention is the fundamental essence of prayer. We engage in prayer of the heart, we lay aside your thoughts, insights, ideas, petition keeping them in the background and we give our attention, just being there with the Divine. 

Behold us, Lord, a little space
From daily tasks set free,
And met within Thy holy place
To rest awhile with Thee.

Around us rolls the ceaseless tide
Of business, toil, and care;
And scarcely can we turn aside
For one brief hour of prayer.

The Inner Room does not have to be a space, it can just as well be the inner self. It is more the our attitude during prayer that Jesus emphasised as illustrated by this parable in Luke 18:10-14

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get."

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Jesus said

"I tell you that this man rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." 

Inner room prayers can be silent prayers or contemplative prayers. Jesus instructed that instead of making a show of it, this quiet time is where we begin to experience the transformation power of God. 

Yes, silent prayer transforms us. Henrí Nouwen calls this Silent Spirituality in his book The Way of the Heart; it 'molds self-righteous people into  gentle, caring, forgiving persons who are so deeply convinced of their own great sinfulness and so fully aware of God’s even greater mercy that their life itself becomes ministry.'

This is the Healing Grace so gently sung in this prayer song.

Merciful God and Father

Loving us like no other

Hear our prayer

The cry of our heart

As we come to You

We acknowledge our transgressions

We confess to You our sins

Show us mercy and compassion

Touch our lives with Your healing grace again

Release us from our past

As we seek Your face

Wash us free at last

We receive Your love

We receive Your healing grace

Lionel

Feel That Breeze - Awareness, Attention, Action

Mykonos, August 2012

'Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom.' James 3:13

There is a resident pelican on the Greek island of Mykonos. Chancing on this  pelican at the right moment, I took the picture as the bird was enjoying the sea breeze and spreading its wings. It basked in the sunshine. That bird demonstrated an at-one-with-nature experience as it was taking in the sun and wind.

The same wonderful sensation can be felt when meditating outdoors as the  gentle breeze lands on your face. With eyes closed and mind relaxed, that breeze informs you that you are not alone; that you are surrounded by God's creation. Then you become aware of the presence of God.  

In 2007, my daughter Rebecca, wrote to remind me that God is everywhere; we just need to become aware of His presence. She wrote, "I've always been amazed at the wonderful things that God has done for us. It isn't just nature that is a testament to God's creativity. Even man-made things like skyscrapers and cityscapes also attest to the greatness of God. You don't have to go very far from home to some remote place like New Zealand to enjoy these sorts of things either. Just step outside to take a  look at the things around you.

I recently watched a movie that was about being quietly thankful for your experiences. Every experience that we go through in life, whether good or bad, has a hand in making us what we are today, in shaping our personalities, our relationships with others and even our walk with God. So, as written in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, 'In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.' 

Take a look around you, that is awareness. But awareness is just the first step. As, Father Laurence Freeman pointed out in his daily wisdom page in WCCM on 24 Sep 2021, 'You could be aware of somebody in need but just objectify it, look at it, think about it. But then awareness should naturally move up the scale into attention to the personal needs of that person; and then it should naturally move even further up the scale into compassion. And compassion has this sense of identification or this sense of oneness with, and then that must lead to action.' (Ref 1)

Awareness. We have five senses, sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. Yet we may go through the day unaware and oblivious of our surroundings. There is a constant preoccupation that seems to insulate us. Perhaps urbanisation and crowded streets with traffic snarls forces us to shut our senses and we move quickly ahead to our destination. O that we may enjoy awareness with our five senses! John Keats (1795-1821) clearly expresses this awareness in his wonderful poem 'To Autumn.'

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the  vines that round the thatch-eves sun;

To bend with apples the moss'd  cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells 

With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

For summer has over-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Attention. Beyond just being aware of surroundings and things, we should become aware of people and then pay attention to their need and plight. Just as we can become oblivious to our surroundings, distractions can cause us to completely ignore the person next to us. How often friends walk by without even a greeting? We live lives, focus only on ourselves, seldom do we think of others.  We lose all opportunity to show our appreciation to other people. Here is a modern poem 'Our Worlds Collide' by Lyric Man

I would love to be your comfort

A blanket when you're confused

A bright sun on every dark day

Warmth and hope you cannot lose

To be the canopy to cover you

When life's storms come your way

I can be one you've longed for

Because I see the words you can't say

Action. Father Laurence went on further to suggest that it is no use just being aware or  paying attention. The next step is to take action. Amos Russell Wells wrote a poem 'Saying and Doing.'

It isn't the talk that will count, boys,

But the doing that springs fom the talk.

To what will your walking amount, boys

With no goal at the end of your walk? 

What's the use of a ladder set up, boys,

With the end resting only on air?

What's the use of a nobly filled cup boys

If no one to drink it is there?

What's the use of a capital plan, boys

That never is more than a scheme?

He makes a poor, scatter brained man boys

That begins his boyhood to dream.

No; talk on and plan as you will, boys

But remember, if you would succeed.

It isn't the talk that shows skill, boys,

But the end of the talking, -the deed!

Turning awareness to attention is a tenet for practical Christian living. This is called 'faith in action' and it was pointedly encouraged by the Apostle James when he wrote,

'Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does mere talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come across an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup - where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?' James 2:14-17 Message

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, 

'What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.'

That Mykonos pelican enjoying the breeze? After the photograph was taken, it spread its wings and flew. Aware of the sea breeze, it took action. 

Come, let us take action. Let us live and sing the the old song, 'I Would Be True.' 

1. I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
   I would be pure, for there are those who care;
   I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
   I would be brave, for there is much to dare.
2. I would be friend of all—the foe, the friendless;
   I would be giving, and forget the gift;
   I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
   I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.
3. I would be faithful through each passing moment;
   I would be constantly in touch with God;
   I would be strong to follow where He leads me;
   I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod.
4. 
   

Lionel

Ref 1: Laurence Freeman, Daily Wisdom, inspiration for every day, 24 Sep 2021, The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM)

Take Me Deeper

 

'Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.' 1 Cor 9:24

Calvin Miller in the introduction to his book 'Into The Depths of God' told of a family visit made to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Calvin and wife snorkeled in the shallow waters whilst their son scuba-dived. Mr Miller later wrote, “Ask me if I’ve been there, and I will hastily answer yes. So will my son. However, the truth is that the content of our experience was vastly different. We will both spend the rest of our lives talking about that experience and our enthusiasm will always be exuberant. But only our son really knows the Reef; only he understood the issue of depth.” (Ref 1)

We live our lives in the shallows. This is the era where communication by Twitter and information exchanges by 30 sec sound bites are preferred. We are ever so busy, moving from one place to another, skipping from one assignment to the next; Zooming and sending emails. We scarcely have time for each other, to talk and make conversation. We scarcely have time for ourselves.

It becomes serious when we apply the same hurry and superficiality to the nurturing of our spiritual selves, our souls. Spiritual depth needs time, contemplation and discipline. It had better be; we are touching the lives of others. Our testimony and witness shape the lives of our friends. We cannot be play-acting, dwelling on the peripherals and hope to get away with it. To be authentic we must go deep; into the very depths of our souls. 

Think of a huge tree with spreading branches giving shade. We know instinctively that the roots of this tree must be equally gigantic growing deep into the earth; giving it stability to weather any storm. The Bible described a fulfilled man in Psalm 1. 

'He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.' 

Bishop Robert Solomon in his book, The Race, called for discipline to train the soul and thereby achieve spiritual fitness. (Ref 2) He wrote, "An athlete has to put in hours of training before he or she can hope to excel in their sport and win a race. Spectators only see the final results, and feel the excitement of watching a race or an athlete perform new feats - going faster, jumping higher or throwing further. But behind these achievements lie hidden hours of private discipline and the hard work of constant training."

St Paul also urged the training of the soul 

‘You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally. I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.’ 1 Cor 9:24-27 The Message

To get deep, we need a teacher to make the dive with us. That teacher is the Holy Spirit.

'The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along.' 1 Cor 2:10 The Message

Bishop Solomon calls this coaching, "An athlete has a coach who pushes to his maximum potential. Being human, the athlete in training has to manage his own doubts, laziness, pride, stubbornness and blind spots. That is where the coach comes in. The coach offers a different perspective as he observes the strength and weaknesses of the athlete. He gives feedback and corrects mistakes and bad habits that he finds in the athlete. He offers motivation, and encourages his trainee when he feels like giving up or when the going gets tough."

The practice of meditation can help us go into the depths of our souls and make the deep dive. Father Laurence Freeman in his book, Light Within, wrote "Meditation is the way to be fully open to the power of the Spirit. All these different parts of our being come together under the guiding influence of a power that transcends both thinking and feeling and unites them both at a higher level of consciousness. This is the power of the Holy Spirit." (Ref 3)

'Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.' 1 Cor 2:12-13

John Wimber understood this as he wrote the Spirit Song.

Oh, let the Son of God enfold you with His Spirit and His love

Let Him fill your heart and satisfy your soul

Oh let Him have the things that hold you and His Spirit like a dove

Will descend upon your life and make you whole

Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill Your lambs

Oh, Come and sing the song with gladness as your hearts are filled with joy

Lift your hands in sweet surrender to His name

Oh, give Him all your tears and sadness, give Him all your years of pain

And you'll enter into life in Jesus' name

Lionel

Updated article: 1st published 6 Jul 2009

Ref 1: Calvin Miller, 'Into the Depths of God' Bethany House, 2000

Ref 2: Robert M Solomon. ''The Race - Finding the Real Journey in Life' Genesis Books, 2008
Ref 3: Laurence Freeman, 'Light Within. Meditation as Pure Prayer' Canterbury Press, 1986

Deep Dive Photo by Edmidentity

Body Still, Mind Silent, Spirit Soars

Outside the Church of San Damiano

'Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yield its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prosper.' Psalm 1:1-3

It was 9 Sep 2007 and we spent that week at Assisi to appreciate the life and deeds of St Francis of Assisi. Arriving at the Church of San Damiano we surveyed the Spoleto valley and noticed several sculptures in the garden including one of a Franciscan monk meditating while facing the valley below.  

St Francis was near San Damiano when driven by the Holy Spirit he entered the ruins of the old church to pray and meditate. While meditating before the Crucifix, it was written that 'he was invaded with a great spiritual consolation and, as he affixed his tearful eyes on the cross of the Lord, with the ears of his body he heard a voice descend to him from the cross and say three times Francis, go and repair my church which, as you see, is all in ruins!. On hearing that voice, Francis remained astonished and trembling, being in the church alone and, perceiving in his heart the power of divine language, felt kidnapped of his senses.'

The sculpture commemorates this event in the life of St Francis when during meditation and deep in prayer, the saint heard the voice of God. 

Father Laurence Freeman, a Benedictine monk and Director of the World Community of Christian Meditation, said "Meditation is a universal human wisdom, sorely needed today in all walks of life and at all stages of life. Although the roots of meditation in a transcultural and transhistorical tradition is not framed in a particular belief system, for those with a religious faith, learning to meditate may also offer surprising new ways of understanding and deepening of their faith" (Ref 1). Christians can practise meditation in the Christian contemplative traditions.

For those who would like to begin the discipline of Christian meditation, I  recommend reading the book written by Father Laurence Freeman, Light Within -  Meditation as Pure Prayer (Ref 2)

Why meditate? Meditation ushers us into the presence of God. We know that the Holy Spirit is always present in the lives of Christians but the moment of meditation is the time of awareness of God. St Francis in meditation and prayer at San Damiano reached a oneness with the Holy Spirit. 

I learned during meditation, to keep my body still, my mind silent, then in that stillness and silence to allow my spirit to soar. These stages can occur sequentially or simultaneously but it will require discipline and practice. 

Still. Keeping the body still sets the stage for a perfect reflection or contemplation, as this picture taken of the Black Dragon Pool in LiJiang, Yunnan Province demonstrated.

A Perfect Reflection, Black Dragon Pool, LiJiang

I found that keeping the body still is the easiest step to achieve. With the right relaxed posture the body sets the stage, the same way that this pool of still water sets the stage for the image of a beautiful pleasant scenery reflected upon it. Throw a pebble into the pool and it disrupts the image. In the same way, a body movement will disrupt the contemplative moment.

Silence. The next step, keeping the mind silent is more difficult. The body may be still but the mind is always moving, always thinking and always distracting. Those who meditate will suggest to keep away these distracting thoughts by repeating a mantra.  

This picture was taken just before dawn from a hotel window in Grenoble, France

Just Before Dawn, Grenoble, France

There is a phrase, 'The darkest hour is just before dawn.' I think that the darkness in that phrase is not meant in terms of light but sound; of quiet and peace. Just before dawn, before the world stirs, before the birds sing, is the most peaceful moment of the day. In the same way, if we want to hear the voice of God, we should remove our thoughts from distractions, we should keep our minds silent and peaceful.

Soar. Eric Liddell the Scotsman, Missionary and Olympian said, 'When I run I feel God's presence.' He meant that when he is engaged in his favourite activity he senses a connectivity with God. It is like the bird on the wind, soaring in the presence and oneness with the Creator.

The Bird on the Wind

I have not experienced this stage of meditation but those who practice meditation for many years will bear witness; their spirits soar. The Bible teaches that our spirits co-mingle with the Holy Spirit and identifies us as children of God. At that moment in meditation, I hope to pay attention to God and allow my spirit to soar in His presence. Father Laurence shared of the ability to pay attention to a unique person, the manifestation of the Divine, the presence of Jesus Christ.

 

So Christian meditation is not just about a personal uplifting of the spirit, it involves the Triune God and our spirit communicates with the Holy Spirit. It is silent prayer as noted by St Paul in Romans 8:26 (CEV)

'In certain ways we are weak but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. '

On the surface,  everything in meditation seem to be centred within that is towards the inner self or going to the inner room. This is a paradox because the post-meditation outcomes are all reaching out towards an others-centredness. In a seminar at DP Architects, Father Laurence shared that meditation 

• Creates community and connectedness with others
• Releases the power of forgiveness and reconciliation
• Removes the clutches of fear
• Promotes selfless attention towards others
• Expresses unselfish love 
• Heals relationships with self and others. 

The discipline of meditation changes a person in two directions, inwardly and outwardly. Inwardly, towards a life of contemplative worship. Outwardly, towards a life of selfless service. Come to think of it, this duality anchored the life of St Francis of Assisi and many other saints and heroes of the Christian faith.

 

May Christian Meditation set my spirit free for worship and service.

Lionel

Ref 1: Laurence Freeman OSB. Good Work - Meditation For Personal and Organisational Transformation. Meditatio 2019.

Ref 2: Laurence Freeman OSB. Light Within - Meditation as Pure Prayer. the Canterbury Press Norwich 2008