Establishing a Sacred Space by Lawrence S. Perry, B.S., M.Div

Establishing a Sacred Space

A Quiet Place at Home

When I was growing up, one of the things you would always find in our home was an altar. This was used by both of my parents. The altar was made up of statues of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, St. Michael and St. Anthony. Of course, there was a crucifix and a Three-D picture of Jesus. Although we kids did not use the altar, my parents prayed there every day. What I noted with amazement, was that when my mom was struggling with an issue or question, she would go to her sacred space, pray and come out of the room with a sense of peace. Her quiet time led her to the answer.

A Dedicated Space

I realize that many families do not establish altars at home; this idea is an Hispanic custom. Having a

dedicated space, however, is important to one's spiritual formation. This sacred space is not only a sanctuary to lift up our concerns, it is a place to listen to how our prayers are being answered.  Consequently, a sacred space must be intentional. The space should be established where it is free from household chaos and negative energy. Next, one may want to establish a focal point, a simple cross or other item that reflects your faith. A small votive candle is always a nice touch and symbol. The focal point helps us to focus. Having established a space and focal point, using the space you may want to quiet your mind. Yes, your mind is going to jump around from this thought to that. If you, however, avail yourself of God's Spirit, He will take you in the direction you need to go. Don't be surprised if  you end up in a place or find an answer you would not have chosen for yourself!  If we believe in the power of meditation and prayer, then you need to be open to the answer. Next, be patient! There are times when we meditate and pray that answers are not immediately available.  When the time is right, the answer may just pop into your head, or someone says just the right thing and you have an "aha" moment! Or, you could read a passage in a book or in the Bible and the answer is right there for your eyes to witness. When you have your answer, then at your next quiet session, offer up your thanksgiving.

Finally, allow me to leave you with this final thought. When you are seeking divine inspiration, you must sometimes accept the fact that you may be called upon to be the answer to your own prayers!

Biblical Insight

If you are still intrigued with the subject of revelation and discerning how we hear the voice of God, allow me to direct you to my book, Walking Through the Weeds.  In chapter six I go into greater detail as to the many ways of how God speaks to His beloved people. In scripture, we have over four thousand years of recorded human history. In these biblical stories, mankind was constantly hearing the voice of God. To hear that voice, we must remain astute. Consequently, when a biblical character was sharing how the Lord was speaking to him or her, pay close attention. What you will quickly note is that God continues to speak to you from your dreams--that quiet voice within you. When you're taking that quiet walk along a mountain lake, the voice of God can be seen in the creation He has established. Then, there may be that one person who comes in at just the right time to say just the right thing that you need to hear. Or, on a certain occasion you may receive information from the spiritual and mystical realm of angels. Just as fascinating as angels may be, man has also had the opportunity to see visions of what could be. Most importantly, we are all blessed by the Word of God as recorded in the Bible! The Bible is the story of your redemption and mine. And, as any good story is told, the creator is made known in his creation. 

The Voice of God, continued by Lawrence S. Perry, B. S., M.Div.

THE VOICE OF GOD (Cont.)

WHAT SCRIPTURE REVEALS

In my last blog, I addressed the fact that one of the ways God speaks is through that still, small voice from within. When we, however,  continue our search through the Bible, we uncover a number of stories that tell that God will reach out to us in our dreams. For instance, in MT:2-12f, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream and instructs him to take the Christ child to Egypt for He was in danger.  And Joseph obeys. In the Old Testament, we can read about the exploits of a young man named Joseph, one of the patriarchs of Israel. He is guided by his dreams and had the gift of interpreting dreams. Such a gift helped him save his family and lead the nation of Israel. Gen. 37f. But, what do you say? Do you pay attention to your dreams?  Are dreams still a medium through which the divine reaches out to us?

GIVE ME A SIGN

A number of years ago when I was contemplating a career change, I was in consultation with my par- 

ish priest as to wheather on not to enter seminary.  At the time I was somewhat confused. Wisely, my priest told me to simply look for a sign. That night I was reading a book which was talking about how God speaks to us through dreams. So, I challenged God to give me a dream as a sign of his will. I was somewhat smirking at the time. However, that night I dreamt in living color that I was submitting my application to seminary. The next morning I laughed as I was thinking that I really set myself up for that and quickly set aside my thoughts on the subject. The next night I was surprised to continue the dream where I found myself in seminary. The dream was once again in living color. When I woke up, I said that was odd. I had never had a sequential dream before. We weren't done yet. The third night the dream continued in technicolor, and I found myself leading my first worship service. I thought I had received my answer to the next step in my journey. Since that time, I have paid close attention to my dreams. Do you?  Remember, walking in sacred space is a moment in time, and you'll miss it if you're not open to the movement of the Spirit of God. 

The Voice of God, by Lawrence S. Perry, B.S., M.Div

THE VOICE OF GOD

THE DEBATE

Each fall while living in Douglas, WY, I would drive up to the Laramie range to gather my load of fire wood for the winter. It was my quiet time, and this trip was to be no different.The drive up to Esterbrook, where this little chapel was located, would only take about 40 minutes. When I got into my truck and set off, I immediately knew that this trip was going to be different.  Out of nowhere, I was entering a debate with God. 

                                                                                                    Allow me to put the debate into context.  A week prior, I was down in Cheyenne at a Christian conference. The leader of the conference was raising the question as to whether or not we had dedicated our lives to Christ.  If not, he was going to offer an altar call. This was rather a strange event for an Episcopal Church!  Did I go up? No.  You see, beloved, I'd been baptized, confirmed, sang in the choir, and was on the governing board of our local parish. In other words, I was a member in good standing! So, why did I have to make this new commitment?  The question haunted me all week, and now it was following me all the way up the mountain. I could not shake the voice that was reigniting in my head.

As I got to Esterbrook Chapel, I stopped my truck, slammed the door and yelled out, "What in the hell do you want from me!?"  The voice said, "I want your commitment!"  I finally capitulated as I declared one condition. "Don't put me on a soap box somewhere thumping on a Bible and telling sinners  to repent. All of a sudden, the debate was over as I committed my life to Christ.  It was a moment in time that changed the course of my life.  

From that moment on, my life was slowly being transformed. That which I used to do, no longer had the same appeal. I found myself buried in inspirational books and reading the Bible for the first time.
The funny thing was, I hated to read for pleasure--dyslexia does that!

My Spiritual Awakening to Holy Presence by Lawrence S. Perry

My Spiritual Awakening to Holy Presence 

My Eyes were Opened

We had just moved back to San Francisco in late summer and before school started when my father decided to enroll my brother and me into St. Joseph's Catholic School. Prior to this time, I don't remember attending Sunday services or having any religious training. We were, however, baptized Catholic, and this was the church where our family had its roots. The school was part of a large complex, and St. Joseph's Church was the anchor. For a little guy in fourth grade, the building seemed massive.  

Entering a parochial school was a new experience. The school was run by an order of nuns who operated the school with strict discipline and a ruler when you acted out. Of course, we had to wear a uniform consisting of a white shirt, blue sweater, and gray corduroy pants. I don't remember much about the school, but entering the church was a different matter.

The church building was impressive! Built in the Romanesque style, the church stood out. Not only was the outside impressive, the sanctuary added to its charm. The memories of entering the church are still fresh in my mind. As I walked down the main aisle, I could hear the echo of my foot steps bounce off the walls. Off in the corner, I could hear the whisper of voices as someone was offering their confession of sin and ridding themselves of guilt and shame. Continuing to walk, I could see a stranger kneeling at a pew and quietly reciting the rosary. Something was going on here, something new and mystical. Looking up, I found myself surrounded by a cacophony of brilliant light as each piece of stained glass caught the morning sun. Moving closer to the high altar, where Sunday Mass was offered, both sides of the altar had red votive candles strategically placed. And for ten cents, you could light a candle in remembrance of the prayer you just offered. High above the altar hung a gold cross to remind you why you were there.  As I stood in that space for the first time, I somehow knew that this was a sacred space.  In the midst of that, the silence spoke volumes. Standing in awe, I knew that this place was holy! No one had tell me; I was experiencing the moment.

Sadly, the church has since been deconsecrated having been badly damaged by an earthquake. It was left in ruins until it was remodeled as an art center. Does this mean it is no longer sacred?

What I have learned since is that sacredness is not necessarily based on a place. What makes something sacred is the moment--a mystical time when you encounter the presence of God. 

Walking as a Spirtual Discipline, blog by Lawrence S. Perry

Walking as a Spiritual Discipline

Nov.2019

In this blog, I would like to invite you to take a journey with me.  No, not a physical journey to some far off land. This journey will require you to use your imagination and enter into your soul and explore some of your deepest thoughts. Yes, it is a spiritual journey, one that will help examine your life and look at where you have been and where God's Spirit is leading you. At times, this will not be an easy journey, because it may require that you have to look at some difficult times in your life.  But, trust me, the time you invest will be well worth the effort as you come to understand that the path upon which you found yourself will be a path you would not have chosen for yourself.  However, you will rejoice and celebrate as you find new meaning in your life.

 Why Walking?  

I suspect that when you got out of bed, you did not give the steps you took much thought. If you were not afflicted with a physical deformity, walking is something which we do not think much about.  Each step is an automatic sequence in response to your brain waves. We think about a direction we want to go, and Zap! we are on our way. What if the act of walking is more that just a mechanical exercise? What if the act of walking takes us down a path that opens some of the deepest secrets of our lives? What if walking opens up Godly revelations that lead to new visions or addresses old concerns? Would this idea change what we think, act and feel about the world in which we live and how we live out our lives? With these thoughts in mind, we will quickly conclude that walking is a spiritual discipline that may be worth exploring.

What is spiritual about "walking"?

A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to supervise a Christian Jr. high church camp.  It was always a week of high energy! To help release some of that youthful energy, I always scheduled one day to hike up Laramie Peak just west of Douglas, WY.  The mountain ascended 10,000 into the heavens, and it took hours traversing the switchbacks to reach the top. Once reaching the top, I had the kids sit down to eat their lunches and then took the time to open the minds of these impressionable children. My attempt was to raise questions as to what spiritual lessons they had learned on the long trek up the mountain. We talked about how difficult the climb was, what we encountered along the way, how the terrain changed along the way, and whether or not this long difficult journey was worth it. This discussion was taking place as we gazed out over the horizon.  You see, from the peak you could look to the east and your eyes could see the western plans of Nebraska. If you looked to the south,  you could gaze in awe at the peaks of the Rocky Mountains.  From our vantage point, I reminded the kids that a few hours earlier when we started our trek in the valley below, our vision was obstructed by mountain and trees encountered along the way. But now, we could lay claim to the magnificent glory of God and his creation. Our vision was unobstructed, and we could see to the far reaches of the horizon! Only then could I teach them how we can look at life from different perspectives and how we encounter God along the way.


What I had hoped for was that the kids could learn what it meant to walk in a sacred space. And while in that space, to stop and listen to the voice of God as He was whispering in their ears.

Now, I wish I could say that these thoughts were my original pronouncements, however, I cannot take credit.  The reality is that my wisdom was gleaned through the Old and New Testaments. You see, the Bible has a lot to teach us about what it means to "walk".


Walking is not just the physical means to get from here to there. Walking, as used in the Scriptures, will offer a profound definition which point us to a spiritual journey. If you have any doubts, just look at the many ways in which the Bible uses the term. For example: In the Old Testament the people of Israel are always called upon to "walk" in the ways of the Lord. (1st Kings 2:1-4) In Isaiah 33:15f the prophet encourages his followers to "walk in righteousness", and they would find refuge in God. In John's gospel, the apostle records Jesus as saying that He, Jesus, is the way, the truth and the life, whoever believes in him shall have eternal life. (Jn. 14:6)  In other words, those who walk in the footsteps of the Christ will find true life! Furthermore, John reminds us that when we walk, we walk in love. (2 Jn. 6) Walking with God opens our minds and souls as to what it means to love.

Consequently, we cannot deny the importance of walking as a spiritual disciple. So I ask you, when was the last time you took a walk? And when was the last time you stopped to hear the whisper of God's voice in your soul? You're now invited to join me in walking into sacred places!