Thursday, August 16, 2018

QUIET ENOUGH TO HEAR

One of my most favorite definitions of prayer I have adapted thus: Being quiet enough to hear God saying nice things about you.

Being quiet enough to hear God saying nice things about me.

Wow.

So as I am willing to let go of all the theological language, the thee’s and the thou’s and the rote prayers of the ages…as I am willing to stop talking at some far off God…as I become still and quiet and receptive enough I begin to hear a faint affirming whisper right in my own heart.

And again, I say wow. I do not think of prayer as something that I am doing. I experience prayer as something that is always happening inside of me and sometimes I am attentive enough to know that it is happening.

Prayer is an alignment IN God. It is the attunement IN Godness. When I am attuned IN God I feel God moving IN me. I sense it. I hear it. I think it. I relate to and from it. As I listen to IT I intuit Its Voice. IT is always speaking of what IT is. It includes me IN that wordless narrative. For IN God I am of God. IT describes Itself and so me. I am the Word of God. And I am invited to fully become that word. When I step back and gain some internal distance from my own constant narrative I can begin to hear that Voice. I begin to feel and hear words of beauty, grace, wisdom, Truth, and love. I begin to hear nice things being said. About me.

God Itself is saying nice things about me. I am done with interrupting that Voice. I am through with speaking over it. Arguing with It. Contradicting It with my own demeaning commentary.

Shhh…

Be quiet.

Can you hear it?

Will you listen?

Right now. Be quiet enough to hear God saying nice things about you.

Kind of makes you blush, doesn’t it?

God loves that.