Silence, Stillness and Centering (2 min)
Scripture Reading -Mark 4:35-39
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
Devotional
When life becomes chaotic, we often begin to doubt God’s presence with us. Look carefully at Rembrandt’s painting below. (You may want to enlarge it or search find the painting on the internet to print off). Jesus is on the dark side of the boat sleeping. Although it seems He is hidden and unavailable, He can be touched and is quite responsive to the disciples’ fears. Notice from the passage, in their distraught state, they don’t ask Him to calm the storm. Rather they accuse him of not caring. Meanwhile, the disciples on the side of the boat that is exposed to light are frantically trying to keep the boat afloat. They seem to forget about Jesus. Adapted from Contemplative Vision, by Juliet Benner
Question to Ponder
In your life, where might you place yourself in the boat? Are you more apt to be with the disciples trying to keep things afloat or might you be with the disciples accusing Jesus of not caring?
Prayer
Talk to Him about any of your fears. Then sit silently before Him. Ask God to show you where you may be missing or ignoring His presence, asking for His help to become more aware of His hidden presence in all circumstances and relationships.
Silence (2 min)
