“Chochma Halev, Hesed Shalom”
(Heart of Wisdom, Love and Peace)
Psalm 57
Be merciful to me, Beloved!
I open my heart to You,
for in You is Love and Wisdom.
In the shadow of your wings I will find peace,
until the fears that bind me are transformed.
I cry to the Source of all life,
to the eternal One whose Plan
is wholeness for All…
Nan C. Merrill, Psalms for Praying
Power of Listening Hearts
With listening hearts your words are spirit and life.
Speak to us in word and silence and
grant us the gift of attentive listening.
Speak to us in the works of those who serve
and grant us the gift of appreciative awareness.
Speak to us in the persons and events of our daily lives
and grant us the gift of discerning hearts.
Unknown
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The Sacred Art of Listening
by Kay Lindahl
Published by: Skylight Paths Publishing
Reflection 3:
A Sacred Art
Listening to access your stillpoint
Kay presents the relationship of silence to inner stillness. She describes how uncomfortable it is being in silence in our present culture. In some ways, slowing down to allow time and space for deep listening is “counter cultural”.
In daily conversation, “it is as though there is an unwritten rule that whenever there is a hint of silence, someone must fill the vacuum with a rush of words. We start to talk faster and faster. Listening quickly takes a back seat to talking.”
Kay continues, “The power of silence gives us breathing room. There is wisdom in the silence. It can alter our perceptions and our ability to see what is happening. It can give clarity in the midst of apparent chaos.”
Kay’s ways to practice silence:Get centered within yourself.
Take a few deep breaths before speaking,
Ask what wants to be said next.
Turn off the car radio, CD or tapes and drive in the silence and be centered in the midst of traffic.
This is just a small portion of Kay Lindahl’s book. For more information:
The Sacred Art of Listening:
Forty Reflections for Cultivating A Spiritual Practice
by Kay Lindahl
Published by Skylight Paths Publishing
Available for your use at the Antioch Center Library
or for purchase at your local book store.
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Refective Questions
- Imagine listening to silence as a global behavior.
- As you engage your imagination in this inquiry, what kind of words emerge?
- What kind of creative images do you envision for more healthy, life affirming, life giving/sharing, human relationships?
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Prayer for Compassion
by Elizabeth Tarbox
Spirit of Life,
I give thanks for the opportunities to love
that present themselves in the turmoil of life.
When the light catches the tears in another’s eyes,
where hands are held and there are moments without words,
let us be present then, and alive to the possiblity of changing.
Let us seek to make another’s wellbeing the object of our concern.
Let us seek to be present to another’s pain;
to bathe another’s wounds,
hear another’s sadness,
celebrate another’s success,
and allow the other’s story to change our own.
Let us stand in the morning on damp grass,
hear the syllables of bird song, and
fill up on sweet air that rolls over oceans and continents.
Let us look up at the stars and the planets that fill the night sky with majesty.
Let us witness the first fresh buds of spring amid the brown sticks of winter.
And for all this, let us be grateful.
Let us not defend ourselves against the discomfort of unruly emotion,
nor seek to close down our hearts for fear a new love will come
to shake our foundation.
Let us instead be open to discovering a new way of seeing an old problem,
or appreciating the perfection of a seashell,
or the possibility of friendship.
For in giving ourselves to what we do not understand,
we receive life’s blessings and
in taking care of another, we are cared for.
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We will be offering Reflections for Cultivating a Spiritual Practice using the book, “The Sacred Art of Listening” by Kay Lindahl. These programs will continue to take place from 12:30 to 1:30 pm at the Antioch Center on the following dates:
July 11, 25
August 8, 22
September 5, 19
The programs will be facilitated by our Advisory Board member, Randy Thomas with help from Susan Batterton. We have purchased 2 copies of the book, “The Sacred Art of Listening”, and made them available for you to read at the Antioch Center. Handouts for each session will also be available along with additional supplemental resources. For a copy of the handouts, please email us at [email protected].
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