Virtual Retreats

Journey to the Center (10 Minute Retreat)

Breathe in stillness… breathe out busy-ness
Begin by taking deep breaths and slowly exhaling three times; each time filling your being with stillness and breathing out the busyness around and within you.

Desired Grace
I ask for my heart to be open to hear God’s desire for me, and to trust that God will speak within me. “Oh that today you would listen to His voice” – Psalm 95:7

Reflection
Our society seems to reinforce a busyness that keeps us from seeking the Center of our life. God is the Center and to know who I truly am I must in freedom enter into the quiet to find the Center. “Seek the Lord while he is to be found, call on Him while he is near.” Is.55:6.

pc_smvocwaterstill Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk, in his book Intimacy with God, says,” We consent to God’s presence… and gently establish an attitude of waiting upon the Lord with loving attentiveness.”

I can close the door on the busy world by shutting my eyes. I can ignore the cell phone, computer screen, palm pilot, MP3, beeper, noise and whatever else demands my attention. I retreat into the stillness by letting go of the flow of thoughts and feelings and allowing my heart to open to God.

As thoughts and feelings invade my being, I mentally repeat a word like ‘God,’ ‘love,’ ‘Jesus,’ or ‘peace’ to still the thoughts and feelings; returning gently to the presence of God.

Reflection questions:

Do I find myself able to enter into the quiet and to find God, or do I need to be free of fears or that which keeps my heart hardened? (Or is the window of my heart closed?)
Where do I find God?
What allows me to experience God’s love for me?

Thanksgiving:
I give thanks to God for these moments with Him and allow that which touched me to carry me into the rest of the day. I may choose a mantra (”All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”– Julian of Norwich) or recall throughout the day the presence of God, this experience of being God centered.