Some Helpnotes.

A few help notes on how to get the best from the contents of this book.

I have called this book, "Out of the Silence," with a subtitle, "Reflections from a ministry." I spent twenty years as a Church of Scotland Parish Minister. I served in a number of parishes in the central belt of Scotland. During this time I served as a Prison Chaplain, Hospital Chaplain, School Chaplain and Chaplain in a Steelworks. These reflections, therefore, have grown out of a number of experiences and meetings of people. 

I had a time when due to the overuse of my voice I damaged my vocal cords and had three operations and a lengthy period of being unable to speak. At one time there was the possibility of never speaking again. I communicated using pencil and paper and sign language. 

During this time of silence, I developed one or two skills. I studied the practice of meditation, I taught myself to paint, my already love of nature deepened, and alongside my theology, I studied many of the eastern philosophies of life. 

It follows then that in this book there will be many influences at work. I have spent time making sure that there is not a mix and match that would only end up in confusion, but I have not held back from taking what I have learned over the years from many sources and offered them here in the hope that they bring some insight.

When putting this book together I began with the thought of having three sections: Poems and Thoughts, Meditations and Stories, and Insights. When I sat down to begin I began to see that this was in many respects a false division. When are a poem and a thought not a meditation? When are stories and thoughts not able to be used as an aid to meditation? I, therefore, decided to write them as they came to me, Out of the Silence, and offer them in this random way.

I have always felt that meditation becomes a very personal thing and the insights gained come from personal experiences. I would not, therefore, advise that there is any one way that this material should be used. 

There are some things that over the year I have found valuable and offer them as an aid to be used or ignored. 

Whatever part of this book you turn to, or even randomly select, there are four helpful things worthy of attention.

Relax..... Read........ Use Imagination.......Be Silent...... and a fifth possible, be thankful for any insight accrued.

RELAX. I always find it helpful to be completely comfortable. It is seldom the case that anybody is comfortable with legs crossed for example. Make a conscious effort to relax each muscle and part of your being. Take time to tell each limb to be relaxed and feel yourself relaxing that very limb. Follow this little exercise until there is no part of you that feels tense or tight.

READ. Take the selected part of the book and just simply read through it once. Reading it at this stage, to begin to get a feel for the content into the mind. Then read again this time pondering and considering exactly what it is you are reading.

USE IMAGINATION. With the aid of the poems, thoughts or passages of meditation try to put yourself into whatever situation the passage is about and allow the material to speak to that small inner voice. Be at one with the characters or actions of the passage.

SILENCE.  When you have taken in the complete passage, take a time to be at peace and quiet. Be still and know. Allow what you have just read and been part of to speak to you. Out of the Silence hear that still small voice and what it is directing to you.

THANKS. Try to come away from this time of silence and relaxation with some thoughts or guidance. Be aware that not every passage will give you happy cheerful thoughts, life is just not like that. One of those passages may one day do just that, fill you with an inner joy, another day the same passage may say some entirely different. I never try to force the passage to say what I wish to hear I try to hear what at that moment in time it is saying to me.