DVD: Be Still And Know That I Am God (2006)

Life is not only full of more distractions and noise than ever, but if you are like me, then it is almost a compulsion that whenever you get into the car, or the house is silent, the first thing you do is turn on the radio, stereo, or TV. I know many people are never without their I-Pod or cell phone—on the train, at the beach, shopping, or anywhere. If you’re like me, it has gotten to the point where you don’t know what to do with yourself unless you’re stuffing information into your brain, whether it’s words, sounds or images. When I’m not talking or writing, I’m reading a book, a magazine, a screen, a newspaper or a cereal box. I seem to be making it very difficult for any thoughts and feelings to surface freely of their own accord. I seem bent on drowning them all. Have I had any inner peace lately? Can I put two and two together?

This DVD is an introduction to contemplative prayer, also known as listening prayer, or Christian meditation. This is the kind of prayer where, instead of talking to God, you give God a chance to talk to you. It is reflective prayer. Different aspects of the topic are presented by about a dozen different Christian educators, authors and ministers.

The topics include the issue of distraction and noise in contemporary society, the importance of silence as a spiritual discipline, discernment of thoughts, and usage of the Bible in contemplative prayer including the method known as Lectio Divino. The presenters stress that contemplative prayer is for everyone---we ordinary people in our everyday lives.

Several of the presenters talk of their own experience with listening prayer, but also many of the great Christian spiritual masters of history are discussed and quoted: St. Benedict, France de Sales, Francis of Assisi, Brother Lawrence, Theresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich and Evelyn Underhill.

If nothing else, this DVD will open your mind about opening your mind. It should also give you greater respect for, and an understanding of the importance of silence.

The most insightful thing I heard was when a woman said (a paraphrase) that many people say they do not like being alone and silent because then they have face themselves and their own thoughts. Her rejoinder was that it was those very thoughts are God trying to talk to you.

The names of the people on the DVD are: Dr. Henry Cloud, Richard Foster, Max Lucado, Beth Moore, Dr. Lon Allison, Dr. Mark Brewer, Jan Johnson, Dr. Peter Kreeft, Michelle McKinney Hammond, Dr. Calvin Miller, Ginny Owens, Dr. Jerry Root, Priscilla Shirer, Dallas Willard.

As a Catholic, I found it refreshing, and a great leap forward, that the DVD was done entirely by Protestants.

I found this DVD in my local Hollywood Video store. I was only able to find one link to it on the Internet:

http://www.crosswalk.com/fun/1386003.html