Psalm 46:10
“Be still and know that I am God.”
As people of the Book, as people committed to the Living Word, it often seems counterintuitive to keep silent. To choose an absence of words in the midst of all the noise.
As people who are called, as disciples who are equipped to lead, it often seems irresponsible to choose stillness. To choose nonaction in a world where so much needs to be done.
Where angry political rhetoric is raging on social media and in the 24-hour news cycle. Where storms are devastating individual lives and entire communities. Where elders are neglected and where children are suffering violence—or becoming violent themselves. Where human beings are drowning in wave upon wave of grief or struggling with the chokehold of anxiety and depression.
We want to be saying something meaningful. We want to be doing something that makes a difference.
And yet, at such moments, sometimes the most radical, most healing, most transforming act we can take is to pause, to ponder, to enter into that wordless prayer that ushers us into the Presence of the only One who can restore us.
Only then might we go from that stillness to bear that Presence into the world.
Let us pray
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Amen.*
*This form of praying the biblical text is grounded in an ancient practice of lectio divina, but this particular prayer practice is recommended by author Richard Rohr.
Rev. Rebecca Irwin-Diehl, Ph.D., is director of the ABHMS Center for Continuous Learning, offering practical mission education for ministry leaders, online and in-person.
“When everything is moving and shifting, the only way to counteract chaos is stillness. When things feel extraordinary, strive for ordinary. When the surface is wavy, dive deeper for quieter waters.” —Kristin Armstrong
“Silence is God’s first language; all else is poor translation.” —attributed to John of the Cross
“Prayer is not just a way to ask for divine intervention, but a means to align our hearts and minds with God's justice and compassion.” —Walter Rauschenbusch
“There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have.” ?Howard Thurman
Additional Resources for Engagement and Education
“To Live in God: Daily Reflections with Walter Rauschenbusch,” edited by Dennis L. Johnson. Judson Press, 2020. Visit JudsonPress.com to obtain a copy.
Commit yourself to a daily spiritual discipline of stillness and silence. For 5-15 minutes, hold in your heart the name of Jesus, a few simple words of Scripture, or an image that centers you in God’s presence. Click here for additional practices.
Enroll in Listen to Your Life Retreat, an asynchronous experience of personal discernment. Listen first to discover what God’s next invitation to action might be.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still and know that I am God.”
As people of the Book, as people committed to the Living Word, it often seems counterintuitive to keep silent. To choose an absence of words in the midst of all the noise.
As people who are called, as disciples who are equipped to lead, it often seems irresponsible to choose stillness. To choose nonaction in a world where so much needs to be done.
Where angry political rhetoric is raging on social media and in the 24-hour news cycle. Where storms are devastating individual lives and entire communities. Where elders are neglected and where children are suffering violence—or becoming violent themselves. Where human beings are drowning in wave upon wave of grief or struggling with the chokehold of anxiety and depression.
We want to be saying something meaningful. We want to be doing something that makes a difference.
And yet, at such moments, sometimes the most radical, most healing, most transforming act we can take is to pause, to ponder, to enter into that wordless prayer that ushers us into the Presence of the only One who can restore us.
Only then might we go from that stillness to bear that Presence into the world.
Let us pray
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Amen.*
*This form of praying the biblical text is grounded in an ancient practice of lectio divina, but this particular prayer practice is recommended by author Richard Rohr.
Rev. Rebecca Irwin-Diehl, Ph.D., is director of the ABHMS Center for Continuous Learning, offering practical mission education for ministry leaders, online and in-person.
“When everything is moving and shifting, the only way to counteract chaos is stillness. When things feel extraordinary, strive for ordinary. When the surface is wavy, dive deeper for quieter waters.” —Kristin Armstrong
“Silence is God’s first language; all else is poor translation.” —attributed to John of the Cross
“Prayer is not just a way to ask for divine intervention, but a means to align our hearts and minds with God's justice and compassion.” —Walter Rauschenbusch
“There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have.” ?Howard Thurman
Additional Resources for Engagement and Education
“To Live in God: Daily Reflections with Walter Rauschenbusch,” edited by Dennis L. Johnson. Judson Press, 2020. Visit JudsonPress.com to obtain a copy.
Commit yourself to a daily spiritual discipline of stillness and silence. For 5-15 minutes, hold in your heart the name of Jesus, a few simple words of Scripture, or an image that centers you in God’s presence. Click here for additional practices.
Enroll in Listen to Your Life Retreat, an asynchronous experience of personal discernment. Listen first to discover what God’s next invitation to action might be.