Quoting Silence, November 2023:
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A post throughout each week of the month, offering quotes and resources linked to one contemporary author who writes about silence and its role as a spiritual discipline. |
The first week of each month has a short, image-backed quote with links to associated resources in the text below it. In other weeks, the short quote is taken from a longer one by the month's author, found below the image. The last week of the month has a short quote and questions to encourage reflection on all the month's quotations and images.
Phileena Heuertz, our author for November, combines in her ministry a profound engagement with both activism and contemplative living. After many years at the place where these streams meet, she offers rich wisdom for more compassionately and safely navigating their confluence.
Read more about Phileena's book, Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation, from which this month's quotes are taken, by clicking here.
Read more about Phileena's book, Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation, from which this month's quotes are taken, by clicking here.
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Guided Meditation for all quotes:
For a 5 minute audio guided meditation to use with each week's quote, click the play button on the image. To pause, and restart, click in the same place. To see the image full screen as you listen, click the expand screen icon in the corner. |
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Lectio Divina with longer quotes:
For an audio guided Lectio Divina to use with this week's longer quote, click the play button on the image. Allow 10-15 minutes for this practice. To pause, and restart, click in the same place. For a text version of the Lectio Divina meditation, click the button. |
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Monday 6th November, 2023
Phileena Heuertz, Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation (IVP, 2018), 160.
Image: Sasha Freemind, London, UK, unsplash.com/@sashafreemind
This short image-backed quote is from Phileena Heuertz's Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation (InterVarsity Press, 2018), 160. To read more about this book, click here.
Phileena Heuertz grew up in Indiana, USA and, after university 'set off to change the world'. For nearly two decades, as a co-leader of Word Made Flesh International - see here - Phileena worked across more than 70 countries to build community with some of the world's most traumatised peoples, including child soldiers, war brides, abandoned children and survivors of human trafficking, HIV and AIDS. As for many activists, ministry amongst the most vulnerable of the world's poor came at a significant emotional cost and caused a crisis of faith. Phileena's journey back from burnout was grounded in ever-deepening engagement with contemplative spirituality which taught her that she was best placed to participate in bringing about change when her life was rooted in solitude, silence and stillness. Phileena's account of this stage of her life is contained in her first book, Pilgrimage of a Soul: Contemplative Spirituality for the Active Life (InterVarsity Press, 2010): see here.
In 2012, Phileena co-founded Gravity, a centre for contemplative activism based in the USA. Although it has since closed, for ten years it sought to make contemplative practices accessible to organisations, communities and individuals engaging in areas of social justice. In Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation - the book from which this month's quotes are taken: see here - Heuertz shares with readers the wisdom and compassion gleaned from reflection on the need to hold spirituality and activism in a tender balance. In this narrative and experiential account, Phileena invites us to learn from her engagement with a range of spiritual practices that can more deeply ground us in God as we seek to facilitate greater social justice. For a 30 minute video of Phileena talking about this book, see here.
Today, Phileena lives in the remote mountains of New Mexico with her partner, Dave, and their dog, Basil. She is an author, speaker, retreat leader, spiritual director and yoga teacher who is passionate about communicating how our individual spiritual growth can equip us to play our part in making the world a better place. To find out more about the different ministries that Phileena Heuertz offers, see her website, here. You can follow Phileena on Facebook, here, on X (formerly Twitter) here, and on Instagram here.
In 2012, Phileena co-founded Gravity, a centre for contemplative activism based in the USA. Although it has since closed, for ten years it sought to make contemplative practices accessible to organisations, communities and individuals engaging in areas of social justice. In Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation - the book from which this month's quotes are taken: see here - Heuertz shares with readers the wisdom and compassion gleaned from reflection on the need to hold spirituality and activism in a tender balance. In this narrative and experiential account, Phileena invites us to learn from her engagement with a range of spiritual practices that can more deeply ground us in God as we seek to facilitate greater social justice. For a 30 minute video of Phileena talking about this book, see here.
Today, Phileena lives in the remote mountains of New Mexico with her partner, Dave, and their dog, Basil. She is an author, speaker, retreat leader, spiritual director and yoga teacher who is passionate about communicating how our individual spiritual growth can equip us to play our part in making the world a better place. To find out more about the different ministries that Phileena Heuertz offers, see her website, here. You can follow Phileena on Facebook, here, on X (formerly Twitter) here, and on Instagram here.
Monday 13th November, 2023
Phileena Heuertz, Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation (IVP, 2018), 162.
Image: Anastasiya Badun, Los Angeles, USA, unsplash.com/@badun
This week's short image-backed quote is taken from this week's longer quote, below, in Phileena Heuertz's Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation, (IVP, 20184), 162-163. For more about this book, click here.
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Listen to this week's longer quote:
To listen to the longer quote, below, being read, click the play button on the small version of the image next to or below this text. To see the image full screen as you listen, click the expand screen icon in the corner. |
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‘"God is the drone note that underscores everything." But we have to get quiet to notice that presence.
In solitude we learn to be present.
In silence, we learn to listen.
And in stillness, we develop restraint.
Contemplative prayer, held in the postures of solitude, silence, and stillness, helps us wake up to Presence. Regular contemplative practice helps us detect the "drone note" undergirding our life. Once that presence is recognized we can more easily discern how to respond to life. Even just a little contemplation goes a long way. The important thing is to awake from slumber and stop resisting this critical part of life. It’s time that all of us who desire to build a better world make time for spiritual practice. The future of our global family is counting on it.
Clearly, we all need at least a little bit of solitude, silence, and stillness. And some of us will be called to more.'
Monday 20th November, 2023
Phileena Heuertz, Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation (IVP, 2018), 92.
Image: Marc-Oliver Paquin, unsplash.com/@marco_paquin
This week's short image-backed quote is taken from this week's longer quote, below, in Phileena Heuertz's Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation, (IVP, 20184), 162-163. For more about this book, click here.
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Listen to this week's longer quote:
To listen to the longer quote, below, being read, click the play button on the small version of the image next to or below this text. To see the image full screen as you listen, click the expand screen icon in the corner. |
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'The process of transformation is not something we can do for ourselves. It is truly the work of God in us. … We can only choose to yield or not to yield to this secret work. … we can indeed choose to consent or reject the divine action of God within us. The practice of contemplative prayer helps us say yes when our disordered attachments and psychological resistances scream, “No!” …
Over time, as we let go into God, our entire being is illuminated. We begin to see with a long and broad view; we grow in oneness with the whole created world; we love more freely and generously. We become vessels in which Christ can pour out his energy, his love, and his healing to a world that desperately needs it.
Contemplative prayer … is an invitation to rest, to be, and to let God be God in our life. Over time, as we open ourselves to this work of Spirit, our overcrowded life relents to solitude, noise gives way to silence, and restlessness transforms to stillness — both interiorly in our soul and exteriorly in our life and vocation. This work of grace makes it possible to respond to life circumstances rather than react. Once we taste divine peace and love within, we are liberated to share such graces with others.
Peace and love cannot come to our world until we have uncovered them from within.'
Monday 27th November, 2023
Phileena Heuertz, Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation (IVP, 2018), 144.
Image: Nick Scheerbart, unsplash.com/@nck
The last week of each month offers some questions to help you reflect further on its quotations and images, and how they resonate with your own spiritual journey and relationship with God.
You can engage with these using the written text or the audio version of the questions, below.
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Listen to the reflection questions:
To listen to the reflection questions, below, being read, click the play button on the Reflect ... image next to or below this text. To see the image full screen as you listen, click the expand screen icon in the corner. |
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Reflection questions:
Before reflecting on this month's quotes and images, take time to re-ground yourself in your body.
Perhaps take a few slow breaths, feel your feet on the floor and be aware of how your body feels in this moment.
1) Read back over or listen again to this month's quotes and spend time looking at their associated images. As you do so, note a phrase or image that draws your attention. If this is a phrase, you might like to write this out in a journal or on a piece of paper where you will see it regularly. Consider reading aloud several times what you have written to help the words sink more deeply into your heart. If an image resonates with you, let your gaze rest lightly on it for a couple of minutes, allowing it to speak to your heart. Consider using it as a screensaver for a while, or perhaps print it out and place it somewhere that you will see it often.
2) What emerges as you sit with the phrase or image that attracted your attention? Does a new insight or a question, emotion or sensation arise? Take some time to write down and ponder on whatever you notice.
3) Where can you see hope in the midst of what is emerging in you, for yourself, your neighbour, your community, or the planet? How might this impact your daily life and those with whom you share it?
4) In the days and weeks to come, how can you stay open to what you have discovered from your reflections?
Take some time to give thanks for the hope that you have found in this month's quotes and images.
Before reflecting on this month's quotes and images, take time to re-ground yourself in your body.
Perhaps take a few slow breaths, feel your feet on the floor and be aware of how your body feels in this moment.
1) Read back over or listen again to this month's quotes and spend time looking at their associated images. As you do so, note a phrase or image that draws your attention. If this is a phrase, you might like to write this out in a journal or on a piece of paper where you will see it regularly. Consider reading aloud several times what you have written to help the words sink more deeply into your heart. If an image resonates with you, let your gaze rest lightly on it for a couple of minutes, allowing it to speak to your heart. Consider using it as a screensaver for a while, or perhaps print it out and place it somewhere that you will see it often.
2) What emerges as you sit with the phrase or image that attracted your attention? Does a new insight or a question, emotion or sensation arise? Take some time to write down and ponder on whatever you notice.
3) Where can you see hope in the midst of what is emerging in you, for yourself, your neighbour, your community, or the planet? How might this impact your daily life and those with whom you share it?
4) In the days and weeks to come, how can you stay open to what you have discovered from your reflections?
Take some time to give thanks for the hope that you have found in this month's quotes and images.