Contemplative at Home

Dear Friends,

We continue our July series of Guided Meditation “travels”, this week visiting the redwood forests of America’s west coast.

This mindful and relaxing guided meditation will take you down a path through a redwood grove, where you will restfully meditate on the forest and God’s presence.

Towards the end of this meditation you will hear a short reading from Jeremiah 17:7-8

Enjoy this 20 minute journey into peace!

Every blessing

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

Sign up here for Lissy’s weekly newsletter “The Contemplative Window” or join our Facebook Community here.

All music by Pete Hatch, check out his ART on instagram, nature sounds from freesound.org.

Hey Friends

I thought we needed a change of scenery for the summer months, so I’m trying something a little bit different. I’ve written this imaginative journey to a beach, where we meet God’s presence in the majesty of the ocean.

As with any imaginative contemplation, if at any point you don’t feel safe, do come right out of the space you’re in, returning to the present moment. If you find it hard to stay with the imagery, or you feel distracted, bring your attention to your breath.

I really hope that you enjoy this! I look forward to hearing what you think. I’m hoping to take us to a few other places in the natural world over the next few weeks, if everything goes to plan.

I am also introducing some new artwork today!!

Every blessing.

Greetings Friends,

Today we continue in our meditations on the teachings of Jesus, sitting for a few minutes with Jesus’ story about the two sons who were asked to go out and work in the vineyard.

This is a familiar feeling, I must confess, asking my two sons to help (if not in the vineyard), with the dishes, with the laundry, tidying their rooms. One of them literally declared enthusiastically that he wanted to do all the dishes by himself after dinner the other night. And, funnily enough, by about 9:30, he was entirely out of energy, and the dishes were nowhere near done.

In Matthew 21:28-32, Jesus paints a picture of two sons, one who is all enthusiasm and zero follow-through, the other who is initially negative, but then steps in and gets the job done.

I was quite taken by the phrase “going in to the kingdom of heaven.” I wonder which phrase will hold something interesting for you.

Every blessing as you pray dear ones, and much love.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

Today’s meditation is with Jesus’ parable of the labourers in the vineyard.

Every blessing as you pray, friends!

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

Sign up for Lissy’s weekly newsletter “The Contemplative Window” http://eepurl.com/hkbDFP

For more information and show notes please visit www.contemplativeathome.com or find us on Facebook.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.

EDITED TO ADD: Sadly, this episode didn’t successfully make its way through the technical weeds and out into the world, and before I could try to resurrect it, most of the original recording was lost. CAH will be back next Friday with a new episode. My apologies.

A meditation on Matthew 18:10-14 – the parable of the wandering sheep, and the shepherd’s joy at finding the one little one he feared he had lost.

You’re invited to listen, to be attentive, for one word or phrase which catches your attention in this very familiar story.

You might also be alert for something which surprises you.

Every blessing as you pray.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

Sign up for Lissy’s weekly newsletter “The Contemplative Window” http://eepurl.com/hkbDFP

For more information and show notes please visit www.contemplativeathome.com or find us on Facebook.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.

Today’s meditation is with the parable of the unforgiving servant, in Matthew 18.

Grace and Peace as you pray today.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

Sign up for Lissy’s weekly newsletter “The Contemplative Window” http://eepurl.com/hkbDFP

A meditation on two short parables.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” – Matthew 13:44-46

There will not be a Contemplative Window newsletter today, see you there next week!

Blessings and peace as you find time to stop for a deep breath today.

Show Notes: “If at the count of three, God were to stop loving you into existence, then at the count of three, you would cease to exist.” I’ve been hearing James Finlay say this on Turning to the Mystics – a podcast well worth your time if you have yet to come across it.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which someone took and planted in a field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” – Matthew 13:31-32

A tiny parable about a tiny thing, which holds within in all kinds of possibility for growth and flourishing and blessing for others.

I wonder how you most instinctively express your creativity – drawing, signing, dance, carving, cooking? Or something else? I invite you to listen to the text today with the creative part of yourself.

Hope you enjoy the birdsong in the background! (They were genuinely singing outside the window as I recorded — not added in!)

Every blessing dear ones.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

Sign up for Lissy’s weekly newsletter “The Contemplative Window” http://eepurl.com/hkbDFP

For more information and show notes please visit www.contemplativeathome.com or find us on Facebook.

All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com.

Dear Friends,

I’m so pleased to offer you an introduction to the practice of Centering Prayer.

In Centering Prayer we use a word or short phrase to help us maintain an attentive awareness of the presence of God.

We share five minutes of silence together in this meditation, beholding God as God beholds us.

I’ll be very interested to hear how you find it!

This meditation is dedicated to the students at Warwick University, and indeed students everywhere, during exam season.

Warmest BlessingsLissy

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

We continue our series of meditations on the parables of Jesus, today praying with the sower, whose seeds fall on different patches fo earth.

This will likely be very familiar to you, and I hope that you’ll have the grace to hear these words with new ears.

Every blessing dear ones. May you have many moments to drop into the grace of deep attentiveness this week.

PS: I will be leading a 15-minute Examen, live over Zoom each evening from 13-23 May 2021.

9:15-9:30pm GMT / 1:15pm Pacific / 4:15pm Eastern. No meeting Sunday 16th.

This is being organised by my local church as part of the Church of England’s Thy Kingdom Come prayer event.

You are very welcome to join us. Zoom Meeting ID: 884 7269 5579 Passcode: review