The Contemplative Writer

Friday Favorites on Prayer and Writing

Posted on April 15, 2016April 12, 2016 by Ed Cyzewski

Each Friday I share some of my favorite finds related to praying or writing. If I think it could help you pray or write better, then I’ll include it below. Do you have someone else’s article or post to share? Join the Contemplative Writers Facebook group, comment on today’s post on my Facebook page, or follow me on Twitter (@edcyzewski) to nominate your favorite articles, blog posts, and books by Thursday at noon each week.

Seven Reasons to Pray the Divine Office via Carl McColman

The Unbusy Pastor (but not just for pastors!) via Eugene Peterson

How the Examen Empowers Us to Pray and Write via Micha Boyett (my guest post for her)

Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry via John Ortberg

How I Became a Morning Person via Medium

How to Stick with Good Habits via Business Insider

The Desert Fathers (a parody) via Mallory Ortberg

Looking for more recommendations? Check out our Prayer Resources page.

Contemplative Profiles: Julian of Norwich

Posted on April 14, 2016April 5, 2016 by Ed Cyzewski

We best know Julian of Norwich for saying: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

Despite her optimism in this statement, Julian lived in the late 1300’s in England, facing plague and violent warfare, to say nothing of a church hierarchy that could turn on her in light of her visions of Christ.

At the age of 13 in May 1373, Julian suffered a severe illness and experienced a series of sixteen “showings” or visions of Christ. These visions revealed the love of God in ways seemed to run counter to the assumptions about God during her time, but she managed to both live a quiet life as a female hermit and to put her experiences down on paper. Julian was the first woman to publish a book in English: Revelations of Divine Love.

She is remembered by biographer Amy Frykholm as a mystic who embraced suffering–almost to the point that one would raise an eyebrow. However, the depth of her compassion for others cannot be separated from her embracing of the sufferings of Christ and the suffering of others.

Reviewer Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove writes,

Julian’s compassion grows out of her passion—a suffering both in and of the church, but a suffering that nevertheless reveals the love at the heart of the church. Julian gets God’s love not because she retreated from the world and focused on spiritual things, but because “she chose Jesus over the bliss of heaven.”

Contemplating a crucifix that began to drip blood onto what she thought would be her deathbed, Julian saw and later wrote about a vision of God that was revolutionary to the church authorities of her day—indeed, to many church leaders in our own time.

May we have eyes to see the suffering of others around us.

May we remember that the cross wasn’t just the means of our salvation. It was the way of life that Jesus modeled and expected us to follow.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death…

Philippians 3:10, NRSV

Reflection

Remain open to the ways you can share in the suffering of Christ today.

Where to Start with Christian Meditation

Posted on April 13, 2016April 9, 2016 by Ed Cyzewski

There are many Christians who are either unfamiliar with meditation or concerned that it’s inappropriate to practice. However, a brief look at the actual substance of meditation should put any concerns at rest and demonstrate the value of meditation for followers of Jesus today.

Meditation is a way to become mindful of the present, creating space to hear what God is speaking in the present moment rather than allowing our minds to run unchecked. We’re surrounded by noise, choose to add more noise, and may not even realize how much negative noise is coming from our own heads.

Christian meditation is a way to become mindful of what we are thinking so that our thoughts can be open to direction from God.

Stephanie Vozza writes about the basics of meditation for Fast Company:

Mindful people—those who live in the present—can step back and stay on the riverbank, watching their current of thoughts and not getting swept away by their content.

Meditation fosters mindfulness, but the practice seems difficult in today’s world of constant stimulation: “People think the goal of meditation is to empty the mind,” says Brooks. “It’s not about clearing the mind; it’s about focusing on one thing. When the mind wanders, the meditation isn’t a failure. Our brain is like a wayward puppy, out of control. Catching it and putting it back to the object of focus is the mediation.”

Brooks says meditating is like exercise; a full workout is preferred, but there is value in short bursts.

“Research shows that a total of 15 minutes of meditating each day for several weeks produces detectable, positive changes in the brain as well as corresponding reductions in stress, anxiety, and an enhanced sense of well-being,” says Brooks. “You can get the benefits of a formal meditation practice by weaving mini-meditations into your daily life.”

Source: Fast Company

Vozza adds a few simple prompts for meditation that you can incorporate throughout your day:

Walking Meditation
Red Light Meditation (turn off your radio while waiting at red lights)
Exercise Meditation
Eating/Drinking Meditation
Waiting Meditation
Task-Oriented Meditation

For instance, if you’re waiting in line or doing the dishes, turn off the radio or a podcast in order to become aware of God’s presence. I’ve often turned to a prayer word such as “mercy” or “beloved.” I also use the Jesus prayer: “Jesus Christ, only Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

I have incorporated all of these practices into my life at one point or another and have discovered that left to my own devices I am constantly reliving the past or fearing the future. By practicing these simple meditation practices I’m no longer at the mercy of my guilt or fears. I’m learning to live by faith and trust God in new, deeper ways.

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Scripture Meditation: Trusting God to Care for Our Souls

Posted on April 12, 2016April 4, 2016 by Ed Cyzewski

“To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; my God I put my trust in you; . . .”
Psalm 25:1

Meditation

I have long wondered what it means to “lift up my soul” to God, but I recently read one suggestion that “lifting up” our souls to God is a surrender. Lifting up my soul is a handing over of control to God.

A weary soul is consumed with the cares of this world, distracted by entertainment and greed, or caught up in pleasing others. Perhaps we “lift up” our souls to others each day as we hope they’ll notice us, affirm us, or meet a deep need.

Trust is no small matter. Is God worthy of our trust? Will God show up if we lift up our souls to him?

The practice of contemplation opens our souls to the presence of God. It’s a lifting of our souls to God, inviting him to care for us and our souls. Over time, we will learn to place greater trust in God, but we must begin by lifting up our souls in faith and expectation.

Reflection

How is your soul today?

Are you lifting up your soul to something or someone other than God?

What does it look like to trust God with your soul

Featured Contemplative Book: Immortal Diamond

Posted on April 11, 2016April 8, 2016 by Ed Cyzewski

Week Two: The Struggle with the False Self

Who am I?

This is a foundational question that we’ll forever struggle with in prayer and writing until we finally confront it. There may be no better tool for answering this question than Richard Rohr’s Immortal Diamond: The Search for our True Self.

This is the book that saved my soul, or at least saved me from myself.

The false self won’t be silenced easily. In fact, I have found that the false self is so hard to fight because living into your true self in God’s love requires doing LESS. So much of religion is about doing more or doing something differently. Rohr’s wisdom about the true self appears to be counterintuitive at first.

“Your True Self is who you are, and always have been in God . . . The great surprise and irony is that “you,” or who you think you are, have nothing to do with its original creation or its demise. It’s sort of disempowering and utterly empowering at the same time, isn’t it? All you can do is nurture it.”

* * * * *

“The soul, the True Self, has everything, and so it does not require any particular thing. When you have all things, you do not have to protect any one thing. True Self can love and let go. The False Self cannot do this.”

* * * * *

“Remember, please remember, you do not (you must not!) fear, attack, or hate the False Self. That would only continue a negative and arrogant death energy, and it is delusional and counterproductive anyway. It would be trying to “drive out the devil by the prince of devils,” as Jesus puts it. In the great economy of grace, all is used and transformed, and nothing is wasted. God uses your various False Selves to lead you beyond them.”

* * * * *

“What the ego (the False Self) hates and fears more than anything else is change. It will think up a thousand other things to be concerned about or be moralistic about—anything rather than giving up “who I think I am” and “who I need to be to look good.”

Finding your true self in God’s love is largely a matter of practicing the presence of God rather than trying to do any one thing better. If we let God define who we are, we’ll start to recognize the times when the false sense begins to whisper lies to us.

Once we learn to rest in Christ, we’ll begin to recognize when the imposter of the false self emerges.

Learn more about Immortal Diamond today.

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For Reflection or Sharing

Saturday Prayer

Posted on April 9, 2016April 7, 2016 by Ed Cyzewski

Today’s prayer comes from the Divine Hours as compiled by Phyllis Tickle. It is a prayer from the 7th century that has been translated from Latin:

The Word whom earth and sea and sky adore and laud and magnify, whose might they show, whose praise they tell, in Mary’s body deigned to dwell. Blessed is the message Gabriel brought, blessed is the work the Spirit wrought, most blessed to bring to human birth the long-desired of all the earth. Lord Jesus, Virgin born, to thee eternal praise and glory be, whom with the Father we adore and Holy Spirit evermore.
Latin, 7th C.

Friday Favorites–How to Pray and Write More

Posted on April 8, 2016April 8, 2016 by Ed Cyzewski

Productivity 101: A Primer on the Pomodoro Technique via LifeHacker

Why You Should Walk More if You’re a Writer via The Publication Coach

You Were Never Made to Be Productive via Christianity Today

7 Essential Thomas Merton Books via Carl McColman

Lessons from Weakness: Elizabeth Maxon Interview via Scott Savage

Looking for more recommendations? Check out our Prayer Resources page.

Contemplative Profiles: St. Ignatius of Loyola

Posted on April 7, 2016April 5, 2016 by Ed Cyzewski

Ignatius of Loyola was a former soldier who was known for extraordinary bravery and discipline. After a serious injury left him alone for a long and painful time of recovery, Ignatius read about the life of Jesus and the stories of the saints. He found a new calling for his life and dedicated up to seven hours of his day to prayer.

While praying in solitude, he developed his Spiritual Exercises which formed the foundation of the Jesuits, a spiritual order he founded later in his life along with a group of friends.

The legacy of Ignatius is difficult to untangle. Was he a Catholic mystic on the brink of heresy? Was he a zealous counter-reformer who opposed the Reformation? Where does his legacy of spiritual direction and spiritual practices fit into how we remember him?

Even the Jesuits, whom Ignatius founded, remain divided over his legacy. However, as more Catholics and Protestants discover his work, there’s no doubt that many have benefitted from his emphasis on meditation and awareness throughout the day, such as his use of the Examen. One writer sums up his influence in this way:

“The Spiritual Exercises focus not only on our intellect, but also on our feelings and emotions. It is through all of our senses that we can come to know and experience God in our daily lives.”

Whatever Ignatius would have thought about a Protestant writer leaning so heavily on his spiritual practices today, Christians from every background and denomination can enter into prayer with greater awareness and freedom because of the practices he passed on to us.

Learn more about Ignatian spirituality here.

Paraphrase of the First Foundation of the Spiritual Exercises

The Goal of our life is to live with God forever.
God, who loves us, gave us life.
Our own response of love allows God’s life
to flow into us without limit.

All the things in this world are gifts from God,
Presented to us so that we can know God more easily
and make a return of love more readily.
As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God
Insofar as they help us to develop as loving persons.
But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives,
They displace God
And so hinder our growth toward our goal.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance
Before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice
And are not bound by some obligation.
We should not fix our desires on health or sickness,
Wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one.
For everything has the potential of calling forth in us
A deeper response to our life in God.

Our only desire and our one choice should be this:
I want and I choose what better leads
To God’s deepening his life in me.

Source: Ignatian Solidarity Network

Reflection

Ask God to deepen his life in you today.

Spiritual Progress Is in Spiritual Practice

Posted on April 6, 2016March 25, 2016 by Ed Cyzewski

“Let God use trials to help you grow. Do not try to measure your progress, your strength, or what God is doing. His work is not less efficient because what He is doing is invisible.”

100 Days in the Secret Place

We make a mistake when speaking of spirituality. We speak of growth or progress, as if we should be able to track or measure how far we have come.

This leads us to rely more on ourselves and to even become anxious that we aren’t progressing enough. We can also miss the ways God is working in unseen places in our lives.

Is there an alternative to this? Well, we can begin by ending the practice of measuring spiritual growth. I wrote in a previous blog post:

As I’ve confronted my own measuring mania, I’ve tried to move away from the language of spiritual growth. I don’t want to know if I’m getting better or improving or providing some metric of my spiritual awesomeness.

The truth is that I could pray a lot or improve my Bible knowledge and still be a wandering, self-centered mess without direction.

Speaking of direction, spiritual direction is just the sort of thing we need to talk about instead of growth.

Let’s talk about where I am and where you are right now and which direction you’re moving in.

We could also speak in terms of temperature, being hot or cold.

Jesus spoke in terms of abiding on the vine. If we abide in him and he in us, the life of God will be evident. Our direction or proximity tap into this idea of abiding.

What if we ditched the language of spiritual growth in favor of spiritual proximity (close or far, hot or cold) or spiritual direction?

Are we living close to Jesus? Are moving in step with Jesus? Are you close enough to Jesus to know whether or not you’re moving in step with him?

Why We Need to Stop Talking about Spiritual Growth

What if our “progress” in spirituality is whether or not we’re engaged in spiritual practice? The “growth” isn’t in how far we’ve come but whether we’re turning toward God and simply making space in our lives?

As for the results–they are up to God.

Reflection

Do you find yourself struggling with spiritual performance or spiritual sloth? How does this post speak to that?
What does it look like to trust God with your spirituality?

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Scripture Meditation: A Love That Stays When We Fail

Posted on April 5, 2016April 4, 2016 by Ed Cyzewski

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”

Psalm 103:8 NRSV

Meditation

How does God respond to our unfaithfulness and failures? By standing by us and continuing to love us.

Do we believe God is still loving us while we fail and struggle?

I can believe that God still loves someone else who fails or falls into sin, but that’s much harder for my own sins. I’m far more likely to imagine a God who is fed up with me. I should know better by now and this time I’ve just gone too far.

A God who abounds in love can’t help but be steadfast, standing by people who are unfaithful and fail. How else can God transform us than remaining by our sides with his grace and mercy when we are at our lowest points?

Personal Reflection

When did you fail today?

Imagine God reaching out to you right now in love despite that failure.

Take a moment to sit with the idea that God is “abounding in love.”