Spiritual director Reuben Chupp shares a poem about finding silence as a means to prepare for meetings with his spiritual directees.
Ruben Chupp retired from full-time pastoral ministry in 2018, after 28 years, and now serves as an on-call chaplain at Goshen (Indiana) Health. He also offers spiritual direction and works at two local funeral homes, as needed. He attends Sunnyside Mennonite Church in Dunlap, Indiana. In his 30s, Ruben wondered how long he would like fast cars, wear Levi’s and listen to rock-n-roll. At 71, he still does all three. Mostly, though, he enjoys being with family, especially his grandchildren, as they join him on his journey with Jesus.
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I need silence more than I used to.
A lot more than I used to.
Quite a lot more,
Actually,
Than I used to.
Silence illumines reflection
On my life,
Where I’ve been,
Where I’m going,
Knowing when I get there.
Silence enhances concentration,
Clarifies thinking,
Lubricates cognitive gears,
Sharpens feelings,
Enhances spirituality.
Silence soothes my soul,
Muffles external racket,
Hushes internal racket,
Speaks peace,
Whispers contentment.
In silence,
Jesus
Speaks
Grace
To me.
Then,
After I have gathered silence,
I am ready
To sit
With this day’s spiritual directee.
Learn more about the Mennonite Spiritual Directors Network at mennosdn.org.
You can find links to the Spiritual Directors Network website and other congregational and ministerial resources on MC USA’s Church Vitality webpage: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/
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