Feel it with the same certainty as you feel your own thoughts
“Turn therefore inwards, and all that is within you will demonstrate to you the presence and power of God in your soul, and make you find and feel it with the same certainty as you find and feel your own thoughts. And what is best of all, by thus doing, you will never be without a living sense of the immediate guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, always equal to your dependence upon it…”
— William Law, 1760
Church of England priest and Nonjuror
Reader Responses
Do you regularly set aside time for spiritual practice?
What is your practice? How has it evolved?
The great luxury of being elderly and retired is that I can truly prioritize a period of meditation, spiritual readings and conscious awareness of the Divine Presence within and around me. I generally use the time in the morning after I awake while sitting in my recliner and sipping my morning cup of tea, honey & lemon juice.
It is a time in which I experience great gratitude, comfort and also the agony of awareness of the suffering of some many billions of people living without the privileges and blessings I have. It motivates me to do what little I can to alleviate some of that suffering through volunteer efforts and donations to service organizations, like AFSC, that offer direct services to those in need. Prayer + Action is what complete spirituality is.
Joseph I., Washington, DC, USA
This Week’s Messages
Mon Dec 08
How to feel peace in the midst of thy trouble
“There is a river, a sweet, still, flowing river, the streams whereof will make glad thy heart. And learn but in quietness and stillness to retire to the Lord, and wait upon him; in whom thou shalt feel peace and joy, in the midst of thy trouble from the cruel and vexatious spirit of this world.” …
Tue Dec 09
Slowing down to revere life
“Slowing down frees time and space for spiritual connection and reverence for life. We must act on what our deep hearts already know: All life is sacred. Everything is connected. From this space, we can create a world we are proud to leave to our children and all future generations. Reverence for life empowers us to take responsibility for, and to care for, ourselves and each other. Through our choices and actions of love for the sacredness of life, we “re-member” our own lives, and we contribute to the renewal of our planet.” …
Wed Dec 10
Retire into your own soul
“At what time soever thou wilt, it is in thy power to retire into thyself, and to be at rest: for a man cannot retire any whither to be more at rest, and freer from all business, than into his own soul. Afford then thyself this retiring continually, and thereby refresh and renew thyself.” …
Thu Dec 11
Enter the inner chamber of thy mind
“Flee, for a little while, thy occupations; hide thyself, for a time, from thy disturbing thoughts. Cast aside, now, thy burdensome cares, and put away thy toilsome business. Yield room for some little time to God; and rest for a little time in him. Enter the inner chamber of thy mind; shut out all thoughts save that of God, and such as can aid thee in seeking him; close thy door and seek him.” …
Fri Dec 12
Clean up the spiritual living room
“Our lives hammer us continually with alerts, stimulants, and hazards, which can trigger our fight-or-flight responses, raise our levels of tension and anxiety, and lead us to live in prolonged states of preoccupation and vigilance. Being in constant, sustained alert mode diminishes our ability to access our human abilities of deep thinking, intuition, empathy, feelings, and stored knowledge. Free-floating anxiety is also bad for your health.” …
Sat Dec 13
Sit down in God
“In Him sit down, who is above the subtle foxes in their holes, and the fowls of the air in their nests; I say, sit down in Christ, who hath no place among them to lay his head; He is your rest. So in him is my love to you all.” …
Read the source of today’s quote
Banner art by Ruth A. Seeley
