O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN (Book of Common Prayer)

Silence

I have been thinking about silence, particularly since the dinner I attended last night as a guest of Henry and Linda Chen – a dinner put on by the American Guild of Organists. It was a walk back into the past for me, to my multiple years of being a church musician.

In one of the churches I worked in, there was no liturgy per se, except what was self-created by the musicians. Each moment was filled with either words or music, or both. Silence rarely occurred. Silence was uncomfortable for most of us.

I did not learn to appreciate silence until I went on my first silent retreat several years ago. There I found a gift in the stillness.

Perhaps it seems odd to contemplate silence…it is somewhat like painting a portrait of someone painting a portrait: in the very act of contemplating silence, one must enter into silence. And that is a very scary thing for some.

I have found that silence is a great friend. But, like appreciating good wine, it is an acquired taste. Like any other discipline, it takes practice to be able to move out of discomfort into consolation. As we quiet ourselves in this stimulating world, we find a space for our soul. And when we do that, we find God waiting there.

Take some time this week – five minutes even, in which there is no outside stimulation: no book, no TV, no music, no people, no pets… take a deep breath, and let God who fills all emptiness breathe rest into your soul.

Go deeper
Past thought
Into silence
Past silence
Into stillness

Deeper still
Past stillness
Into the Heart

Now
Let the Love
Consume
Whatever is left of you
- Chris McCombs

Debra’s Midweek Meditation
For some unknown reason, I don’t always get what people send on email. That was the case today, when Debra’s meditation didn’t come. She had sent it, but it never got here! She will send it out again tomorrow, and I will send it to you then.

Daily Morning Prayer
http://www.episcopalchurchingarrettcounty.org/morning_prayer.htm

This week at St. James
Saturday: 3:00 Memorial service for Doris McCalley
Sunday: 10:15 Middle School Family Affair
Tuesday: SJA Grandparents’ Day
Wednesday: 8:30 Healing Eucharist; 9:30 Bible Study; 9:30 Prayer Shawl ministry
Thursday 10:00 Thanksgiving Liturgy and Blessing of the Hunt

Did you know St. James is an Amazon Affiliate? If you do your Christmas shopping through the Amazon link on our website, you will not pay any more for items that you would otherwise, but the church will get 5% of the price of everything purchased.

Prayers, Etc.
For the repose of the soul of Doris McCalley.
For Glenn and Cynthia McCalley and their family who mourn.
For those who are deployed and their families who wait.
For Laura and Lyle.

For those on our prayer list:
Joe & Bess; Dot; Sue; Prof; Lee; Liz
Art W.; Lovisah; Brittany; Bill; Harold Fitch
Rob Lindsey; Sally; Leib & Carlyn; Bill & Stacey
Mrs. Chung; David; Lucy; Abbey; Sharon
Shirley; Sylvia P.; Dotty H.; Ed & Peggy W.

Lord, I rejoice that nothing can come between me and your love,
Even when I feel alone or in difficulty,
When in sickness or am troubled.
Even if attacked or afraid,
No abyss of mine is so deep
That your love is not deeper still.
Lord,
You have experienced many hells of
This world but descended so that you
Can lift us up.

Be always near.
- Corrie Ten Boom

In Closing:
God, you have prepared in peace the path that I must follow today.
Help me to walk straight on that path.
If I speak, remove lies from my lips.
If I am hungry, take away from me all complaint.
If I have plenty, destroy pride in me.
May I go through the day calling on you, O Lord,
You who know no other Lord.
- Ethiopian Prayer

May Almighty God, who enlightened the minds of the disciples by pouring out upon them the Holy Spirit, make you rich with his blessing, that you may abound more and more in that Spirit forever.

Pax et Bonum,
Loree+

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