Post #38- Peace!!!!!!

I had planned to use today’s post to share a very intimate spiritual experience I had recently, however both of my daily devotionals lifted peace as their theme today. No doubt, this is due to the anniversary of 9/11; nonetheless as we stand again on the brink of military action (against Syria), I think the message of peace is as important as it’s ever been.

The first devotional reminds us that peace begins within, and the second gives a very practical yet powerful technique as to how we might excavate that peace. I pray you read each carefully, allowing your spirit to be stirred.

In Peace,
~Ray

Devotion #1

Inner Peace

I AM OPEN TO THE PEACE OF GOD WITHIN.

The world does not determine whether or not I am at peace. I am willing to let peace begin with me. Inner peace is a state of mind and heart, one I can choose anytime.

I take time right now to center myself in peace. In a moment of silence, I release any concerns and feel my oneness with God. I relax, breathe deeply, and rest quietly. I pray “Peace, be still!” until I feel peace in every fiber of my being.

Beginning my day with a peaceful heart, I become a channel of peace, opening the way for peaceful encounters in the hours ahead. I set the intention to bring awareness to my thoughts, words, and actions throughout the day and to stay centered in peace.

For God is a God not of disorder but of peace. —1 Corinthians 14:33

Devotion #2

“My peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” John 14

A Word of Hope
Centering Prayer can be a powerful spiritual practice. It is silent prayer, but not just verbally silent; it seeks to quiet the mind, to help us let go of the clutter of thoughts that can be so distracting. It is designed to help us come into communion with our loving and gracious God through silence.

So many people in our world have abandoned religion, discarded church-going, rejected Christianity (or other major religions) because they look at the world and see the obvious damage done in the name of religion. Yet I believe that at the core of what it means to be human there remains a longing for the holy, a hunger for connection with Something More, as William James put it. The world’s major religions disagree about the nature of the holy, but they all give witness to that which is divine, and each has its own way of experiencing divinity through some kind of contemplative prayer or practice. Such contemplative practices can reach beyond theological, even linguistic, differences. In the silence there is peace.

For Christians, Centering Prayer has its roots in a 14th century work called The Cloud of Unknowing written by an anonymous English author. The method is easy. (And not easy.) For 20 minutes, we simply sit with eyes closed, taking some deep breaths, and move into the silence, quieting our minds of thought. Of course, since it’s a practical impossibility to quiet the mind, we choose a word as a symbol of our intention to simply be present and fully open to God. Then, each time we become aware that we are thinking, we gently return to the word we’ve chosen to symbolize our intention. I often use the phrase “Here I Am, Lord,” or just “Here I am.” I know of others who choose words like amen, or Holy One, or peace, or, actually, the word itself doesn’t matter, as long as your word helps you return to your intention to be aware, awake, present and open to God.

Some people have amazing experiences during the time of silence; others simply find it relaxing. Whatever your experience of Centering Prayer, it's a spiritual practice that has the potential to really help us find peace…..

Prayer 
Gracious and Loving God, whatever our method of honoring you, praying to you, being with you, give us the determination and courage to give some or our day to you. Amen

NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag #bigthingscoming.

(Copyright, 2013, Ray Jordan)