July 16, 2016

“When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out and followed Him on foot from the towns. when He stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.…” Matthew 14:13-14

“And so we go from bad to worse, exhaust ourselves, empty our whole life of all content, and fall into despair. There are times then, when in order to keep ourselves in existence at all we simply have to sit back for a while and do nothing….nothing is more difficult than to sit still and rest…” Thomas Merton (The Pocket Thomas Merton, p. 17-18)

When was the last time you had the chance to sit still and do nothing? The introduction of the book I have about Thomas Merton was written by Robert Inchausti. Inchausti was born in Sacramento, California, attended Sacramento State University and got his Ph. D. in English from The University of Chicago. Robert is the author of five books and the editor of two anthologies of Thomas Merton’s writings. He writes: “The purpose of a book of meditations is to teach you how to think and not to do your thinking for you. As soon as any thought stimulates your mind or your heart you can put the book down because your meditation has begun.”

As someone who finds it hard to sit still, when I get to do it, I find it is very enriching for me. And, if I can write while I am sitting still, the better I am for it, and the better my writing is as well. Jesus tried desperately to find time to sit and be still, and to pray. Most of the time, the crowds who were following him did not allow him enough time to rest. But that did not stop Jesus from trying. When I include a scripture reading with the writing from Thomas Merton, I want you to read each and then sit still for some time, and meditate on one or the other. Let the writing or the scripture reading settle onto you, and into you. When you have read scripture, or when you have read any other meditation, once you have read it, well, your personal meditation has just begun.

Pastor Dave