Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Strategic Monk

Home
Contemplative
Listening to Sacred Stillness: The Stillness of Today

Listening to Sacred Stillness: The Stillness of Today

Last updated on: March 5, 2019 at 7:59 pm by Greg Richardson

Listening to Sacred Stillness: The Stillness of Today 2019-03-05T19:59:41-08:00 Greg Richardson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Stillness of Today

Today by Mary Oliver

Today I’m flying low and I’m
not saying a word
I’m letting all the voodoos of ambition sleep.

The world goes on as it must,
the bees in the garden rumbling a little,
the fish leaping, the gnats getting eaten.
And so forth.

But I’m taking the day off.
Quiet as a feather.
I hardly move though really I’m traveling
a terrific distance.

Stillness. One of the doors
into the temple.

Each day has a stillness of its own. The stillness of today tells a uniquely personal story. We listen to sacred stillness and remind ourselves to be open for what today’s stillness has for us.

On our own and together with others we listen to the stillness of today.

Some of us need to work hard to set aside everyday distractions. The voices of friends and family, ideas and words challenge our ability to listen to stillness. We become lost in our memories of the past or plans for the future.

Our minds and hearts are often pulled in competing directions. It may be our own fatigue which keeps us from listening.

Are we able to tune into the stillness of today? How can we find the stillness of today in all the echoing noises and distractions of our world? When will we take time to listen to the stillness of today?

Is the stillness of today one of the doors into our temple?

We may experience the stillness of today as elusive or difficult to hear. As we practice listening to sacred stillness we hear more deeply, more completely. The stillness of today draws us in today and paves our way for tomorrow.

Listening to the Stillness of Today

What qualities are characteristic of the stillness of today?

Each day has its own combination of herbs and spices which give it a unique flavor. Some days are made sharper with a dash of frustration or even anger. Other days taste smoother. We remind ourselves each day has the ingredients and flavorings we add to it ourselves.

We listen to sacred stillness by filtering out what distracts us from hearing each day’s stillness. Our practice may be a set period of time on a certain schedule each day. We practice being open to stillness and helping ourselves become better listeners.

There are days when a regularly scheduled practice of listening to sacred stillness is not enough for me.

Some days I am trying to discern wisdom for myself or for someone else. I need to spend more time listening to stillness and what it has to say to me. There are days when I am tired. Soaking in stillness is the closest I can get to taking a nap. On other days it feels like I am wrestling with stillness, struggling to hear what it wants to tell me.

There are days when it takes me longer to clear away all the distracting thoughts, words, and feelings.

We practice listening to the stillness of today.

I have a time when I sit in my regular chair and begin listening. Closing my eyes I begin to breathe more deeply. There is a word I use to remind myself I intend to consent to the life and action of spiritual life within me.

My listening to the stillness of today is not about how much I hear or how often I get distracted. It makes no difference how much I remember or whether I think I do a good job.

The Stillness of Today Opens the Door

Like any contemplative practice, listening to sacred stillness is not magic. While stillness may be full of mystical power, there is no magical formula or word to put it to work.

We sit in stillness and allow all the distractions of the world to float past us. Some of them move faster than others and some have lights and sound to help them distract us.

There may be ideas or feelings which try to distract us every day. Some distractions will be new in the stillness of today.

No matter what we encounter, what we hear, we sit still and listen to sacred stillness.

Some of us work hard trying to gain entry into the temple wherever we find an opportunity. We rattle all the windows and doors we find. Sometimes we discover a way to enter we had not experienced before.

Listening to sacred stillness requires a little patience and some practice. It is a dependable and reliable door into a sacred place.

We do not need to climb a wall or find a way to force our way inside. The stillness of today opens the door and allows us in each day.

Being Open to the Stillness of Today

Stillness is not a generic experience. Each day, each moment we spend listening to stillness is unique. The stillness of today, the stillness of each moment, has its own qualities.

When we practice listening to sacred stillness we practice becoming open to stillness. We do not listen by becoming more tightly focused or concentrating, but by becoming more open.

By listening to the stillness of today we allow stillness to fill us and bathe us each day. The sacred stillness in the world around us recognizes the stillness within us because it is the same stillness.

Stillness opens the door for us. With so many ideas and feelings and sounds competing for our attention, stillness is our path through them.

Listening to the stillness of today reminds us it is our openness which opens the door for us. Our listening is not about how much we know or how right our answers are.

As we practice being open to the stillness of today we realize we cannot hoard stillness overnight. Each day is a new opportunity for us to listen to its sacred stillness.

When will we take time to listen to the stillness of today?

How will we practice being open and attentive to the stillness of today?

[Image by debs-eye]

Greg Richardson is a spiritual life mentor and coach in Southern California. He is a recovering attorney and a lay Oblate with New Camaldoli Hermitage near Big Sur, California. Greg’s website is StrategicMonk.com, and his email address is [email protected].

Blog

Sacred Stillness

Previous Post

March 2, 2019

Practices From the Inside Out: Is Lent a Contemplative Practice?

Next Post

March 7, 2019 Monastic Strategies: The Next Day and the Day After That

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Book Reviews Everything Else Guest Posts Leadership Monastic Strategies Neighborhood Pilgrimages Sacred Stillness Spiritual Direction Spiritual Practices Work

Select a Month May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does James say about friendship with the world?

Select your answer to see how you score.

It creates emnity with God It pulls you from God It is dangerous It is foolishness