Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Peace, Be Still
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Peace, Be Still
Welcome to the latest newsletter from The Distant Spire.
This week’s offering is called Peace, Be Still and inspired by those words spoken by Christ with such powerful authority to the mighty forces of nature which were under his command. It speaks to us not only of his supernatural ability to bring calm and stillness to the raging seas, but also our own storms and adversities.
Recorded in my home studio, this instrumental piece features ethereal pads, serene guitar swells and a gentle arpeggio for a tranquil relaxing mood. I invite you to listen to the music as you pray and reflect on the following devotion.
I recommend headphones or full range speakers both for listening quality and to provide some isolation from the noise and business so you can more easily enter into a quiet time with the Lord. Please leave a comment if The Distant Spire has been a benefit to you.
The Boat As The Church
It widely accepted by bible scholars that Mark 4:35-41 is a picture of the church here on earth. Speaking of the passage, as far back as 200AD Tertullian wrote:
"But that little ship presented a figure of the Church, in that she is disquieted in the sea, that is, in the world, by temptations and persecutions, the Lord patiently sleeping, as it were, until roused at last by the prayers of the saints he checks the world, and restores tranquillity to his own."
William Barclay’s exposition on this theme is worthy of reflection:
“To voyage with Jesus was to voyage in peace even in a storm. Now that is universally true. It is not something which happened once; it is something which still happens and which can happen for us. In the presence of Jesus we can have peace even in the wildest storms of life.
(i) He gives us peace in the storm of sorrow. When sorrow comes as come it must, he tells us of the glory of the life to come. He changes the darkness of death into the sunshine of the thought of life eternal. He tells us of the love of God. There is an old story of a gardener who in his garden had a favourite flower which he loved much. One day he came to the garden to find that flower gone. He was vexed and angry and full of complaints. In the midst of his resentment he met the master of the garden and hurled his complaints at him. "Hush!" said the master, "I plucked it for myself." In the storm of sorrow Jesus tells us that those we love have gone to be with God, and gives us the certainty that we shall meet again those whom we have loved and lost awhile.
(ii) He gives us peace when life's problems involve us in a tempest of doubt and tension and uncertainty. There come times when we do not know what to do; when we stand at some cross-roads in life and do not know which way to take. If then we turn to Jesus and say to him, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" the way will be clear. The real tragedy is not that we do not know what to do; but that often we do not humbly submit to Jesus' guidance. To ask his will and to submit to it is the way to peace at such a time.
(iii) He gives us peace in the storms of anxiety. The chief enemy of peace is worry, worry for ourselves, worry about the unknown future, worry about those we love. But Jesus speaks to us of a Father whose hand will never cause his child a needless tear and of a love beyond which neither we nor those we love can ever drift. In the storm of anxiety he brings us the peace of the love of God.”
Additional Notes
I experienced a minor miracle while preparing this newsletter that I want to share. As I was doing some final editing on this post, I decided to double check the source for the quote from William Barclay that I sourced online against a hard copy from my bookshelf. I bought these commentaries second-hand years ago, before I converted to the Catholic faith (also Barclay was not a Catholic). As I flicked through the pages of the Gospel of Mark commentary I noticed a prayer card inside. It was a picture of Mary and Jesus with a prayer to Our Lady on the back. The prayer card was in the exact page that contains the text in the above quote. The prayer card is shown below. I am in awe of God.
The Carmelites and Mystical Christianity
Catholic Classics is one of my favourite podcasts and they are currently reading through The Story Of A Soul by St Thérèse of Lisieux. I read it last year and found it challenging, however going through it a second time with commentary from two priests has been enlightening and much more enjoyable. My parish is run by Carmelite Friars, and their tradition of devotion and prayer is very much a part of the church life. I’m keen to know what others think about the Carmelite spirituality and mystical devotion that St Therese is known for. Has she been an influence for you? Are there others such as St John of The Cross or St Teresa of Avila that have resonated with you more? Leave a comment below.
A Major Music Update
You will begin to see The Distant Spire tracks disappear over the next few weeks from Spotify, Apple Music, iHeartRadio etc. This decision comes after careful consideration over what direction I want to take in regard to this creative project and service to the Christian community. Going forward, music from The Distant Spire will be available in podcast format and Soundcloud as well as here on Substack (see links below). I believe these services provide the best way to access music for devotion like The Distant Spire.
It has never been my intention to monetise The Distant Spire so the loss of (meagre) income from streaming services does not bother me at all. I am however exploring options for listeners to support The Distant Spire financially if they would like to.
If you want to support The Distant Spire
You can help me with my motivation by subscribing to my newsletter, and sharing a link would be the nicest compliment you could give me - it says my work is worthy of not just your time but those that are important to you.
🎵 The Distant Spire is a reader supported project that does not currently receive any financial support and content is free. Music from The Distant Spire is also available through the links below.
I highly value your comments and encouragement so please leave a comment if what you enjoy what you hear, and if it resonates with you or helps you in any way.
You can read more about The Distant Spire and the concept behind it on my About Page.
God bless you and keep you,
D.A SigleyThe Distant Spire
Footnotes and Resources
Music written, recorded and produced by Dale Sigley ©2025
Scripture quotes from Revised Stand Version Catholic Edition.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedistantspire.substack.com
View all episodes
By Original music that provides moments for prayer, reflection and pause in this busy, noisy world.Welcome to the latest newsletter from The Distant Spire.
This week’s offering is called Peace, Be Still and inspired by those words spoken by Christ with such powerful authority to the mighty forces of nature which were under his command. It speaks to us not only of his supernatural ability to bring calm and stillness to the raging seas, but also our own storms and adversities.
Recorded in my home studio, this instrumental piece features ethereal pads, serene guitar swells and a gentle arpeggio for a tranquil relaxing mood. I invite you to listen to the music as you pray and reflect on the following devotion.
I recommend headphones or full range speakers both for listening quality and to provide some isolation from the noise and business so you can more easily enter into a quiet time with the Lord. Please leave a comment if The Distant Spire has been a benefit to you.
The Boat As The Church
It widely accepted by bible scholars that Mark 4:35-41 is a picture of the church here on earth. Speaking of the passage, as far back as 200AD Tertullian wrote:
"But that little ship presented a figure of the Church, in that she is disquieted in the sea, that is, in the world, by temptations and persecutions, the Lord patiently sleeping, as it were, until roused at last by the prayers of the saints he checks the world, and restores tranquillity to his own."
William Barclay’s exposition on this theme is worthy of reflection:
“To voyage with Jesus was to voyage in peace even in a storm. Now that is universally true. It is not something which happened once; it is something which still happens and which can happen for us. In the presence of Jesus we can have peace even in the wildest storms of life.
(i) He gives us peace in the storm of sorrow. When sorrow comes as come it must, he tells us of the glory of the life to come. He changes the darkness of death into the sunshine of the thought of life eternal. He tells us of the love of God. There is an old story of a gardener who in his garden had a favourite flower which he loved much. One day he came to the garden to find that flower gone. He was vexed and angry and full of complaints. In the midst of his resentment he met the master of the garden and hurled his complaints at him. "Hush!" said the master, "I plucked it for myself." In the storm of sorrow Jesus tells us that those we love have gone to be with God, and gives us the certainty that we shall meet again those whom we have loved and lost awhile.
(ii) He gives us peace when life's problems involve us in a tempest of doubt and tension and uncertainty. There come times when we do not know what to do; when we stand at some cross-roads in life and do not know which way to take. If then we turn to Jesus and say to him, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" the way will be clear. The real tragedy is not that we do not know what to do; but that often we do not humbly submit to Jesus' guidance. To ask his will and to submit to it is the way to peace at such a time.
(iii) He gives us peace in the storms of anxiety. The chief enemy of peace is worry, worry for ourselves, worry about the unknown future, worry about those we love. But Jesus speaks to us of a Father whose hand will never cause his child a needless tear and of a love beyond which neither we nor those we love can ever drift. In the storm of anxiety he brings us the peace of the love of God.”
Additional Notes
I experienced a minor miracle while preparing this newsletter that I want to share. As I was doing some final editing on this post, I decided to double check the source for the quote from William Barclay that I sourced online against a hard copy from my bookshelf. I bought these commentaries second-hand years ago, before I converted to the Catholic faith (also Barclay was not a Catholic). As I flicked through the pages of the Gospel of Mark commentary I noticed a prayer card inside. It was a picture of Mary and Jesus with a prayer to Our Lady on the back. The prayer card was in the exact page that contains the text in the above quote. The prayer card is shown below. I am in awe of God.
The Carmelites and Mystical Christianity
Catholic Classics is one of my favourite podcasts and they are currently reading through The Story Of A Soul by St Thérèse of Lisieux. I read it last year and found it challenging, however going through it a second time with commentary from two priests has been enlightening and much more enjoyable. My parish is run by Carmelite Friars, and their tradition of devotion and prayer is very much a part of the church life. I’m keen to know what others think about the Carmelite spirituality and mystical devotion that St Therese is known for. Has she been an influence for you? Are there others such as St John of The Cross or St Teresa of Avila that have resonated with you more? Leave a comment below.
A Major Music Update
You will begin to see The Distant Spire tracks disappear over the next few weeks from Spotify, Apple Music, iHeartRadio etc. This decision comes after careful consideration over what direction I want to take in regard to this creative project and service to the Christian community. Going forward, music from The Distant Spire will be available in podcast format and Soundcloud as well as here on Substack (see links below). I believe these services provide the best way to access music for devotion like The Distant Spire.
It has never been my intention to monetise The Distant Spire so the loss of (meagre) income from streaming services does not bother me at all. I am however exploring options for listeners to support The Distant Spire financially if they would like to.
If you want to support The Distant Spire
You can help me with my motivation by subscribing to my newsletter, and sharing a link would be the nicest compliment you could give me - it says my work is worthy of not just your time but those that are important to you.
🎵 The Distant Spire is a reader supported project that does not currently receive any financial support and content is free. Music from The Distant Spire is also available through the links below.
I highly value your comments and encouragement so please leave a comment if what you enjoy what you hear, and if it resonates with you or helps you in any way.
You can read more about The Distant Spire and the concept behind it on my About Page.
God bless you and keep you,
D.A SigleyThe Distant Spire
Footnotes and Resources
Music written, recorded and produced by Dale Sigley ©2025
Scripture quotes from Revised Stand Version Catholic Edition.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedistantspire.substack.com