Minute Meditations

Presence exacts its coin

our dearly held desire for self-preoccupation,

and the fantasy of control that presumes to preside over and above.

Mystics, artists, and prophets exemplify

this surrender into solidarity;

letting the self be moved by suffering and inspired by imagining.

True spiritual practice harbors this same intention

the hand-over of self, that places us on a collision-course with grace

and draws us into a deepened state of readiness.

This holy intention

leads to whole, undivided attention,

where we come to know life in its raw fullness!

from the book Wandering and Welcome: Meditations for Finding Peace by Joseph Grant

Amid the tumult of these electrically charged, frenzied times, contemplative living does not propose an escape from our very real, practical, and sometimes intractable problems. On the contrary, it suggests a way of being still, while still being in the storms that rage all around and within us. Like sturdy trees that bend with the breeze, wisdom-inspired living offers a deeper mooring for our being and our doing, which allows for movement even as we are deeply rooted. Seasoned by tears of joy and lament, prayer-centered presence invites us to welcome the whole world by drawing it into our heart-center. Here theology mixes with theater and prophetic action with poetry, as walls come tumbling down, making way for wonder, woe, and well-being.

—from the book Wandering and Welcome: Meditations for Finding Peace by Joseph Grant

What prevents you from being fully immersed in this moment, the holy ground of “now”?

Every grace-laden moment,

is primed with possibilities

for anyone who is wide open and ready to receive.

The only limit

to our Maker’s abundance

is our limited capacity to receive.

Consider a time when you lost yourself

and fell into fullness —

fully alive, fully connected.

—from the book Wandering and Welcome: Meditations for Finding Peace by Joseph Grant

The scope of every life is indeed defined by the questions we choose live into, and if we are blessed to live long enough, we will inevitably end up shaped like a question mark. Since quest is also the start of every question, it is questions, not answers, that are the surest guideposts for any journey of faith —which necessarily means moving into the unknowable. Always trust the open, heartfelt question that lays bare the soul to unknowing. Whether they are simplistic or sophisticated, handle answers with care, for they often reflect and display, for all the world to see, the broad sweep of our ignorance. Perhaps, for this reason, wisdom teachers use stories, ballads, parables, or poems. Such lyrical musings open spaces for fresh appreciations and diverse perspectives. They foster fascination and expose imagination to wider fields of understanding, laced with mystery, which always leads us down and out to face yet another, more penetrating question.

—from the book Wandering and Welcome: Meditations for Finding Peace by Joseph Grant

Seekers, pilgrims, disciples; all are wayfarers who find themselves stumbling along the stony path toward integrity. They are people trying to live into life’s lessons by taking hard-earned insights to heart and turning them into habits. Whether they perceive it as troublesome, disturbing, inspiring, or consoling, seekers embrace everyday wisdom by adopting a receptive attitude, cultivating a learning heart, and approaching life as novices; for whom each experience is welcomed anew. In some Buddhist circles this has been called the Beginner’s Mind. Christians might simply call it cultivating a disciple’s heart.

—from the book Wandering and Welcome: Meditations for Finding Peace by Joseph Grant

Is there a method for cultivating mindfulness? Yes, there are many methods. The one I have chosen is gratefulness. Gratefulness can be practiced, cultivated, learned. And as we grow in gratefulness, we grow in mindfulness. Before I open my eyes in the morning, I remind myself that I have eyes to see, while millions of my brothers and sisters are blind—most of them on account of conditions that could be improved if our human family would come to its senses and spend its resources reasonably, equitably. If I open my eyes with this thought, chances are that I will be more grateful for the gift of sight and more alert to the needs of those who lack that gift.

—from the book The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life

Gratefulness strengthens a sense of belonging. There is no closer bond than the one which gratefulness celebrates, the bond between giver and thanks-giver. Everything is gift. Grateful living is a celebration of the universal give-and-take of life, a limitless “yes” to belonging.

—from the book The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life

We all wrestle with some internal governor prescribing some need for moderation or temperance, which translates, “It’s time to put the kibosh on all manner of joy or ecstasy or elation or, God forbid, wholeheartedness.” Here’s the deal: When we give way to any such shackling measure, we put a lid on our passion and our spirit, and we short-circuit the bounty and generosity that would spill from our heart. This all begs the question: What is the reason we internalize this script, and how does it procure its power? In other words…why do we allow ourselves to live so small?

—from the book This Is the Life: Mindfulness, Finding Grace, and the Power of the Present Moment by Terry Hershey

Joy goes beyond happiness. Joy is the happiness that does not depend on what happens. It springs from gratefulness. When we begin to take things for granted, we get sucked into boredom. Boredom is deadly. Yet, everything within us longs for “life, life in fullness” (John 10:10). The key to life in fullness is gratefulness.

—from the book The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life