Jesus frequented deserted places (Luke 5:16, Mark 1:35). The Greek word translated desert means “uninhabited,” “lonely,” and “no human population.”
The greatest gift of deserted places is the chance to be alone with God. Empty places help us shake the distractions that incessantly clutch at our sleeves. Deserted places help us to see with brilliant clarity that the enemy of the best (solitude with God) is the good (the sticky notes that populate the refrigerator door).
Conversely, the gift of solitude with God can become a source of terror. If during centering prayer there are no distractions, no thoughts, words, images, smells, sounds, sights, tastes, then what’s left? Is anything left? Or is there just a great void? The courage of the mystic is to experientially explore this profound question. And the results will surprise us. When we’re completely emptied of all sensory stimulation there is a subtle stirring that no words can touch, that sends shivers of joy up our spines.
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Be Still and Listen by Amos Smith is now available at Contemplative Life Bookstore.
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Amazon is offering the kindle version of Be Still and Listen for $6.99.
Also by Amos Smith, Healing the Divide: Recovering Christianity’s Mystic Roots
The Way of the Wisdom Jesus: Going Beyond the Mind to the Heart of His Teaching – If you put aside what you think you know about Jesus and approach the Gospels as though for the first time, something remarkable happens: Jesus emerges as a teacher of the transformation of consciousness. In this online course, Episcopal priest, teacher, and retreat and conference leader Cynthia Bourgeault serves as a masterful guide to Jesus’s vision and to the traditional contemplative practices you can use to experience the heart of his teaching for yourself. Based upon her book the Wisdom Jesus.
Prayer is a core Christian practice, but for many, this means “saying prayers” or asking God for various favors. In this course, we will review a variety of methods of prayer that have been used for centuries in Christianity. Whether you’re a beginner who is just learning how to pray, or a more mature Christian who has been at it awhile, this course will offer specific guidance, encouragement and support for practicing several time-tested methods of prayer. Enjoy a review of this course by Rich.
Simply Good News is a short course based on Prof. N.T. Wright’s latest book, Simply Good News. Tom Wright will guide you through the chapters of his book through videos that suggest what some of the main points are. You will instantly get into the heart of the idea of ‘good news’ as it was understood by the 1st Century writers of the New Testament. You will be brought into their world in order to make more sense of what ‘good news’ means in our world.
