In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals,

step home within yourselves, and be still.

Wait upon God to feel God’s presence.

This will carry you evenly through your day’s business.

William Penn

Our world is full of sounds, we rarely sit in complete silence.

Can you find the time today to sit in one minute of complete silence, what about 2? what about 5?

• How long could you survive without silence?
• When do you have space for silence in your life?
• Are you comfortable with silence, why/why not?

God can be found in silence, the Hebrew Scriptures tell of a time where God met Elijah in silence, read 1 Kings 19:11-15, what does this story have to say to you?

How could you organise space for silence in your daily life this week? This month? This year? At school, home, work, in your community, in your neighbourhood, in nature, as you eat or walk…

Sally Douglas has put together a great reflection and invitation for people to experience and enter into silence as a spiritual practice. You can follow this link to her video and invitation.

Download pfd guide by Luke Edwards

SILENCIO (PREPARE)
As you prepare to depart, quiet your inner voice.

Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your steps and your observations.

Seek a mindset of openness, leaving preconceived assumptions behind.

LECTIO (READ)
As you begin walking, take a special notice of what and who you see.

In this stage try to avoid interpreting what you see, simply observe. You may take notes on paper or on your phone if it helps you to remember.

Take note of places where people are gathering. Look for written words on signs, posters, magazines. Observe the housing in the community, if a property is for sale or rent look up the cost.

What stands out to you right away? Remember you are not interpreting yet.

MEDITATIO (MEDITATE)
Find a quiet place to sit in the neighbourhood.

Reflect upon what you saw.

Replay the walk in your imagination, stopping for moments that stood out to you.

Ruminate on these moments. What stood out to you about them?

Slowly shift your focus from the mind to the heart. What feelings stirred in you?

What was happening under the surface? Where did you feel God’s presence on your walk? Where could you see God already working?

ORATIO (PRAY)
Shift into a conversation with God about what you saw on your walk.

You can do this in a journal if it helps.

Ask God some questions. Ask God for clarity in areas that are unclear.

Ask God where you might partner with God’s redemptive work already happening in the community.

CONTEMPLATIO (CONTEMPLATE)
As you begin to close, jot down your newly discovered insights about your neighbourhood.

Write down anything you feel like God was saying to you in this time.

Rest in God’s presence for a few moments before returning to your daily tasks.

Invitation 01 – Make some bread, break it and share it with someone.

As you do remember the meals you’ve had with strangers who have turned friends. What are your favourite memories of meals shared?

Theodore and I have put a very simple Soda Bread recipe up on my Facebook page for people to use.

Invitation 02 – Remix the Psalm

Psalm 116 will be back in the readings again very soon, here is an invitation to remix it and share it with each other, perhaps you’d like to rewrite it’s words, turn it into a poem, a song, a piece of art…

Spend some time with the Psalm and send in your creations so we can share them with each other.

If you really enjoyed remixing the Psalm, perhaps you can make it a regular task and email your creations in for use in community worship.

Invitation 03 – Lectio Vicinitas (Neighbourhood Reading)

Lectio Vicinitas is a spriritual practice that invites us to walk around our neighbourhood and seek the spirit during our journey,

We have a description and instructions for this practice on our website here.

Plan a walk together this week, perhaps you can get a map and mark out where you’ll walk. How long will it take, what provisions will you need?

Discuss with the children journeys they make on foot on a regular basis. Where do they go? Who are they walking with? Talk about the story. Talk about the importance of having good friends who will listen to you, with whom you can share worries as well as good things.

Talk about how Jesus walked with the two friends even when they did not recognise him.