Contemplative Silence

What is it?

Contemplative Silence is the awareness of being drawn into a spaciousness of Love. It not so much something we ‘do’, but rather a response to ‘being’ that is irresistible resisted. In this response we yearn for a quality of stillness that both draws us inward and propels us into the world in which we live. It evokes within us a sense of wonder, of awe, of mystery, of belonging. It raises to consciousness aspects of personality and of community that need healing. (Jean Springer)

How do I practice Contemplative Silence?

Open to the possibility there is more to life than the obvious. Respond to the need to be silent by creating intentional time and space to contemplate God in mystery. Be aware of the dramas going on around you and what you feel called to in relationship to these Experience the movement of tenderness, of compassion, of quiet that is drawing you inward. Read authors who speak of contemplation. Discover communities that have the word ‘contemplative’ in their mission. Sit with a community to discover if there is a resonance within you.

What are the challenges associated with this practice?

Contemplatives are counter cultural. We live in a world that is fast paced, task oriented, and productive, therefore we can doubt the desire for this quality of silence. In silence, what we have not faced consciously has an opportunity to surface and can create a dissonance with the ego. Insights and inspirations can surface asking for a response we may not be willing to make. Silence is not productive and therefore we can make judgments about its purpose, value and meaning. Finding the space and time in which we can be contemplative may not be readily accessible.

Tips and Reminders:

• Remember this is Contemplative Silence. You are being moved into this by Love • Be patient with the process of Love working within you and transforming your mind, heart and soul to be one with all that is. • There is no right or wrong way in Love. Trust that your response is the response of you deepest self and that it is enough.