Learning to Pray and Meditate

“…solitude is not a private therapeutic place. Rather, it is the place of conversion, the place where the old self dies and the new self is born, the place where the emergence of the new [person] occurs.” ~ Henry Nouwen

From Henri Nouwen Society and John Eudes:

You Are the Glory of God

“With a smile John Eudes said, “Take this as a koan: ‘I am the glory of God.’ Make that thought the center of your meditation so that it slowly becomes not only a thought but a living reality. You are the place where God chose to dwell, you are the topos tou theou (God’s place) and the spiritual life is nothing more or less than to allow that space to exist where God can dwell, to create the space where his glory can manifest itself. In your meditation you can ask yourself, ‘Where is the glory of God? If the glory of God is not there where I am, where else can it be?’ "

Nouwen Meditation: Open Yourself to God:

Nouwen Meditation: Open Yourself to God Don't Miss the Book Launch Webinar for Henri Nouwen's latest! Drawn from Henri Nouwen's unpublished journals from 30 years ago, Ukraine Diary is altogether timely, prophetic and deeply meaningful. Joi

Radical Prayer - Unpacking the Gift of Prophecy with Eric Janzen

Our guest today is author Eric Janzen. Eric is probably best known for his high fantasy fiction books. He's written a trilogy called The Dreamtrekker Journals Trilogy, and more recently released a new series entitled The Essence Tales. In Eric's bio, he says he will continue writing until he can't anymore.

Eric and I have known each other for quite some time, and we were both part of the Langley Vineyard during the Vineyard’s well-known renewal years, and it's the place where I would say we both got an education in the gift of prophecy and praying for others. Eric has continued to be a student of prophecy and is a volunteer and contributor to a prophetic school called Samuel’s Mantle.

Our Conversation

During our conversation, Eric defines what he's talking about when he talks about the gift of prophecy. He tells us about receiving a prophetic word that helped save his life, and we talk about the process of writing Ponder. And then we go into all sorts of other things about prophecy. We talk a little bit about how to give a prophetic word, and how not to give a prophetic word.

Radical Prayer

Admittedly, the form of prophecy that Eric and I are talking about is a radical form of prayer. And I want you to know that I, I recognize that.

At the same time, what I appreciate about Eric's book and our conversation is that Eric gives us some guidelines to keep it healthy and some boundaries so that we can discern whether or not we're receiving a prophetic word that is authentic, loving, encouraging, and in Eric's words, sounds like it would come from Jesus.

I just want to say that my openness to the prophetic, in a similar way to Eric’s comes from several prophetic words that radically changed my life and my relationship with the God of my understanding. I would say the fruit of receiving these prophetic words is a more gracious and loving view of God and my relationship with God, so I'm open to Eric's book and what Eric has to say.

Read and listen to more -

Unpacking the Gift of Prophecy Our guest today is author Eric Janzen. Eric is probably best known for his high fantasy fiction books. He's written a trilogy called The Dreamtrekker Journals Trilogy, and more recently released a new series entitled The Essence Tales. In Eric's bio, he says he will continue writing until he can't a...

A Prayer by Henri Nouwen

O Lord,

How hard it is to accept your way. You come to me as a small, powerless child born away from home. You live for me as a stranger in your own land. You die for me as a criminal outside the walls of the city, rejected by your own people, misunderstood by your friends, and feeling abandoned by your God.

As I prepare to celebrate your birth, I am trying to feel loved, accepted, and at home in this world, and I am trying to overcome the feelings of alienation and separation that continue to assail me.

But I wonder now if my deep sense of homelessness does not bring me closer to you than my occasional feelings of belonging. Where do I truly celebrate your birth: in a cozy home or in an unfamiliar house, among welcoming friends or among unknown strangers, with feelings of well-being or with feelings of loneliness?

I do not have to run away from those experiences that are closest to yours. Just as you do not belong to this world, so I do not belong to this world. Every time I feel this way I have an occasion to be grateful and to embrace you better and taste more fully your joy and peace.

Come, Lord Jesus, and be with me where I feel poorest. I trust that this is the place where you will find your manger and bring your light. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

Amen.

Thank you tiny songbird for getting my attention and calling me to presence.

Thank you sweet summer fragrances along the trail. This was bliss.

Thank you floating Cottonwood for reminding me to be gentle and go easy.

All of the above is the god of my understanding gently and lovingly calling me to union. I’m so grateful.

Christian non-duality and unity with Thomas Keating https://youtu.be/kEMAWJ-QBag Gonna have to chew on this one a bit 😊

86. Christian Non-Duality and Unity Consciousness, with Thomas Keating From his latest video series, recorded at age 93, two years before his death, Fr. Thomas relates the Divine Indwelling to contemporary expressions of non-dua...

“Through contemplative nonviolence, we focus on the nonviolent Jesus and the Holy Spirit of peace, love, and compassion, and in so doing, we undergo a lifelong, daily, ongoing conversion to nonviolence, a new beginning that starts every time we sit to meditate.” John Dear via Richard Rohr

Here’s a nonviolent contemplative practice -

Contemplative Nonviolence – Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations Join us in a meditation inspired by Father John Dear. He has dedicated his life to nonviolent activism and teaching peace in the manner of the nonviolent Jes...

Living from the Heart offers a learning community that invites participants to deepen their experience of intimacy with Jesus. Biblically, the heart is the very core of life out of which intellect, emotions, and intentions flow. Opening to God’s heart of love with our whole heart, especially in our most broken places, brings a healing integration within and provides the courage to offer our lives in loving compassion to the world around us. See

Courses - SoulStream SoulStream offers courses in contemplative living such as Living from the Heart, training in spiritual direction, and specific workshops from time to time. For our in-person courses, retreats, and workshops, SoulStream will adhere to the current relevant provincial Public Health Officer’s orders i...

How Do You Describe Such Beauty?

Like so many other words the word “beauty” has been hijacked and has lost its meaning.

When I am outdoors and notice something that is so beautiful that it takes my breath away, puts a smile on my face, or even a tear in my eye, that’s beauty. It creates a visceral response.

To read and listen to more, see Learning to Pray and Meditate here https://www.hintsofgladness.com/how-do-you-describe-such-beauty

How do you describe such beauty? See https://hintsofgladness.substack.com/p/how-do-you-describe-such-beauty?r=yv3mz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web and I'll give it a try! 😆

How Do You Describe Such Beauty? Listen now (5 min) | Today was a classic "hints of gladness day"