In the Sweet Here-Now
Prayer of the week
At any moment, in any place, no matter what is going on around us, it is always possible to be with God. We can sink into stillness, be present with His presence, and let our busy-ness, anxiety, regret, or whatever is troubling us melt away. It can be for a dedicated few minutes or a half hour, and once we get the hang of it we can even drop in to that meditative space spontaneously, whenever we feel the pull.
In this stillness, God works on us in mysterious ways. I think of it as the “making straight the way” that John the Baptist hollers about on the banks of the River Jordan. We want to be with God, and he wants us to be with him, but there are soul obstructions in the way. When we allow ourselves to sit still and quiet, consenting to God’s presence (and action) within us, our channel to wisdom, peace, and love begins to smooth and straighten as if by a miracle.
Giving this slice of undistracted time to sitting in silence with God can do wonders for us as we go about our daily lives. We find that we are not only at peace in prayer and meditation, but also in many situations that would previously have stressed us out to no end. We worry less about the future, give less energy to the past, and find it easier to be present with ourselves and others in loving kindness.
It can take some practice to be able to reliably access this state of tranquility, but it is accessible to each of us, as part of our birthright. If you want to give it a try, I recommend the Centering Prayer practice. I practice Centering Prayer alone and as part of an in-person group. I wrote the prayer below as an invocation to be used when beginning a sit.
Here I am, Lord,
present
with your ever-presence;
there is nowhere else to be
but still and silent
in the Sweet Here-Now.
Here I am, Lord,
filled
with your spirit;
there is nothing else I need.
For all is provided
in the Sweet Here-Now.
Here I am, Lord,
held
in this eternal moment;
there is no other time.
Only serenity
in the Sweet Here-Now.
