“Contemplation” shared by Andy Dahm

Ten Signposts of Renewal: Contemplation

‘Be still and know that I am God.’

• Psalm 46:10

Diana Butler Bass’ Christianity for the Rest of Us discusses contemplation as one of the qualities of a church of renewal. She gives some excellent examples of churches that have centered silence and contemplation in their practice, and discusses how welcome these practices are in today’s loud, distracting world.

The Episcopal Church is a liturgical church, centered in practice rather than individual confessions of faith. As Mark Tooley writes in his American Spectator article ‘The Zen Episcopalian,’ many Episcopal clergy and laity see no contradiction between church doctrine and practices such as meditation, contemplation, and seeking compassionate relationships with everyone we meet.

Here at St. Luke’s, we maintain a beautiful campus centered around the church sanctuary and the labyrinth. As our website says, ‘You are invited to walk this path to meditate, seek spiritual guidance, find stillness in your mind and heart, cultivate conscious contact with God, or develop balance in your life.’ We also have periodic groups studying centering prayer, intercessory prayer, and other forms of contemplation that can serve to deepen our experience of God and lead us away from self-centered habits and behaviors.

And then there’s our worship. We offer a quiet morning service and a service with music later in the day. There is standing. There is sitting. There is kneeling. There is religious practice repeated weekly, leading us to contemplate the Bible readings appointed for each Sunday, our relationship with God, and our duty of care and compassion to one another.