I recently learned that early explorers boiled water to determine altitude. They knew a simple scientific fact that the higher the altitude, the lower the temperature was needed to boil water. Armed with this knowledge, and through comparison with known boiling temperatures, you could make educated predictions regarding altitude even in unknown territory.
As we travel through the uncharted and unknown spiritual spaces, are there any constants that can aid us in our navigation? What guidance or wisdom can assist as we traverse threshold moments? Are we to simply fend for ourselves and rely on the winds of fortune to get us through? What if our disorientation and fear get the best of us and freeze us in our tracks?
The Bible is a fascinating and ancient holy book that contains many stories of struggle, promise, betrayal, forgiveness, and brokenness between God and God’s people. It is a love story of cosmic proportions that is played out in the lives of everyday fragile and imperfect individuals. It is also a story of many journeys across a variety of terrains – some of them were wildernesses and frontiers. Themes abound in scripture that offers grounding points for our struggles and personal voyages: grace, forgiveness, commitment, generosity, compassion, and faithfulness to name just a few. Such themes can be found (or found missing) in human to human interaction as well as human to divine interaction.
Throughout the Bible, an important constant, which even transcends these important themes, is God’s steadfast love. Again and again, scripture proclaims that God’s love is steadfast and endures forever. Love is the Divine constant against which we can measure all interactions and relationships. It is also an abiding companion in our travels.
When we cross a threshold, all that we know can seem to be topsy-turvy. We can easily find ourselves tossed about even as we try to embrace the disorientation and fear -seeking blessing and teaching. Indifference might create within us an openness to possibilities, but it does little to bring courage. As the storm swirls around, we need help. With everything in transition, we desperately need some constant. Here is where our faith enters the fray. Faith in the constant love of God gives us what is needed. God’s love is steadfast and enduring before, during, and after our threshold trekking.
Silent Prayer:
Find a comfortable place to sit. Set your phone or watch for thirteen minutes. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. As thoughts come to your mind – push them aside. Now is not the time. Trust in God to hold your life without needing to control it with our thoughts or actions. At the end of your time – say a simple “thank you” or “Amen.” Tomorrow, we will build on this spiritual practice by adding more time. Consider the time spent in silent prayer as an Advent gift – an opportunity to enter into God’s shalom/peace.
Today’s Silent Prayer Goal – Thirteen minutes
If the challenge of thirteen minutes of silence seems to be just too much, an alternative might be to continue with seven or eight minutes of daily, prayerful silence for the remainder of this Advent season. The length of time spent in silent prayer is not as important as the practice itself so give yourself the permission to do it for as long as works for you.
Scripture:
Mark 4: 35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Thank you for reading the Thirteenth blog of this Advent series. If it was meaningful to you, please feel free to like it below or share it with your friends. You may also leave a comment. Blessings on the journey as we head through this season of Advent together. In Christ, Walt.