Bump in the Night, Bump in the Soul

 
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“Too many of us panic in the dark. We don’t understand that it’s a holy dark and that the idea is to surrender to it and journey through to real light.”

Sue Monk Kidd

 
 

I am not a fan of things that go bump in the night. As a child, I slept with a nightlight and the radio playing music at a soft, soft level. Silence and darkness were not my forte. During children's messages, when I ask kids if there is anything of which they are afraid, a sometimes shy voice answers back, "I'm afraid of the dark." I do my best to share with them that Jesus is the light of the world and is with us always. In those moments, I am reminding myself as much as I am reminding the little ones. 

As frightened as most of us were as children about things that go bump in the night, I have found that as an adult, I can shudder even more when things bump in my soul. I fear that which seems dark to my own understanding at the moment. But, there is holiness to darkness. 

  • Holy darkness of the earth's dormancy surrounds the seed where it is nourished and safe from the elements above. 

  • Holy darkness of the womb provides safety and nourishment where we are knitted together miraculously without working for anything ourselves. 

  • Holy darkness of our spiritual journey is normative. It is a time we lose our bearings, a time we need to pause till our eyesight and hearing adjust, a time God awakens our deeper sight to see what we couldn't see before.

  • Holy darkness grows good news.

This normative time of holy darkness is an invitation by God to journey through what is often described as The Wall in the stages of faith. It is hard, and it is miraculous. If you've found yourself losing your bearings (and who hasn't in 2020?!) and staring into a future that seems dark to your own understanding and yet there's this inkling, a longing for God even amid the confusion, I invite you to join us for our School of the Spirit  VIRTUAL Alumni Fall Refresher where we will share with you a little of the spiritual outlines of this experience of the soul so we can encourage one another, adjust our sight, and our souls to see God is still very much in our midst and calling us to move deeper into God's heart.

Ashley Pickerel Thomas
School of the Spirit Missioner
704-408-4248
ashleygpthomas@icloud.com

Upcoming offerings

  • ALUMNI Fall Refresher Retreat, October 5-6: Welcome to the Wall: a deeply holy place on the spiritual journey. REVAMPED FOR VIRTUAL: 10 am-3 pm both days with reflection time away from your screen to process what you’re learning/experiencing.
    All content on flyer is correct except for place and time — NOW Virtual! Learn more and register here — details follow your registration/payment.

  • UNDERWAY! Second Mile Mentoring

    • Second Mile Mentoring is a new opportunity for SOS alumni who desire to share the contemplative practices they have learned with their community of faith. We are now serving two churches and scores of individuals. More info here

Creating space for God to strengthen souls and nurture growth toward vibrant wholeness in Christ for the sake of others.

 
Rev. Ashley Thomas