As a family our dinner reading lately has consisted of going through the timeless work of Brother Lawrence entitled "the practice of the presence of God". The other day we came upon the following paragraph: 'if I were a preacher, I would preach nothing but practicing the presence of God. If I were to be responsible for guiding souls in the right direction, I would urge everyone to be aware of God's constant presence, if for no other reason than because His presence is a delight to our souls and spirits................I honestly cannot understand how people who claim to love the Lord can be content without practicing His presence. My preference is to retire with Him to the deepest part of my soul as often as possible. When I am with Him there, nothing frightens me, but the slightest diversion away from Him is painful to me'.
Powerful words from one who practiced this presence in the humble position of working in the kitchen in the monastery. Words that are over 300 years old and yet I beleive so powerful and rich for us living in today's culture. A culture that today is wrought with such anxiety over so many things, most of them the things we cannot control but try so hard to and pour so much energy into. A culture that is so attracted to the quick fix and the idea that change happens or should happen immediately. A consumeristic church culture that so often thinks our spiritual life is no different than our exercise or study routines, somehow thinking there is a 10 step list to follow to a deeper walk with God. And when the steps are not provided or fail we are off looking for the next list or the next solution.
Oh I wonder how much of our anxiety, our fears, our nervousness would disippate if we heeded the words of Brother Lawrence, being aware of God's constant presence in the midst of all we walk through in life, living with the same preference: to retire with Him to the deepest part of my soul as often as possible. I guess the problem is that there is not an easy 10 step solution for sitting in the presence of God and delighting in the Father and the Son. This journey is not quick, and is often not a quick fix. It is also a journey due to our sinful souls we flee from so often. Yet if we come to this point of delighting in this presence, we are again brought to the only place our souls will ever find peace.
Perhaps if we were not always in the search for something new, we would come back to words that are hundreds of years old, grasping the wisdom they contain. I thank God, for the wise sages like Brother Lawrence who have gone before us, and have given us words that continue to remain so relevant for our lives today!!
Powerful words from one who practiced this presence in the humble position of working in the kitchen in the monastery. Words that are over 300 years old and yet I beleive so powerful and rich for us living in today's culture. A culture that today is wrought with such anxiety over so many things, most of them the things we cannot control but try so hard to and pour so much energy into. A culture that is so attracted to the quick fix and the idea that change happens or should happen immediately. A consumeristic church culture that so often thinks our spiritual life is no different than our exercise or study routines, somehow thinking there is a 10 step list to follow to a deeper walk with God. And when the steps are not provided or fail we are off looking for the next list or the next solution.
Oh I wonder how much of our anxiety, our fears, our nervousness would disippate if we heeded the words of Brother Lawrence, being aware of God's constant presence in the midst of all we walk through in life, living with the same preference: to retire with Him to the deepest part of my soul as often as possible. I guess the problem is that there is not an easy 10 step solution for sitting in the presence of God and delighting in the Father and the Son. This journey is not quick, and is often not a quick fix. It is also a journey due to our sinful souls we flee from so often. Yet if we come to this point of delighting in this presence, we are again brought to the only place our souls will ever find peace.
Perhaps if we were not always in the search for something new, we would come back to words that are hundreds of years old, grasping the wisdom they contain. I thank God, for the wise sages like Brother Lawrence who have gone before us, and have given us words that continue to remain so relevant for our lives today!!
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