Contemplative at Home

Contemplative at Home offers guided prayer, Christian meditation and contemplation. This space will help you slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God's love for you today - drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina, with episodes from the Gospels and the Psalms.

The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ: Lectio Divina: Philippians 3:4-16 06/30/2025

Twenty Minute Body Scan - Be Still and Know That I Am God 05/18/2025

When God is Absent: A Meditation for Holy Saturday 04/19/2025

When God is Absent: A Meditation for Holy Saturday A 21-minute audio guided meditation, with text from John 19:38-42 Though it is wildly tempting to rush to Easter morning, I invite you to tarry a while with me, to stay here in the holy, devastating moments as the body of Jesus is removed from the cross. As Michael Rosen so wisely said: we can't go around it, we can't go over it, we can't go under it. We have to go through it. My prayer is that we will all gently grow in our capacity to attend the loss, absence, and bewilderment that will inevitably consume us from time to time. Not because the wilderness is an end in itself, but because our healing and our hope, can only be as deep as the depths to which we have explored our pain. In this meditation I use the text from John 18:38-42 NRSV. I also quote Etty Hillesum, who died at Auschwitz, from her book An Interrupted Life and Letters from Westerbork She writes: "And that is all we can manage in these days and also all that really matters: that we safeguard that little piece of You, God, in ourselves. And perhaps in others as well. Alas, there doesn't seem to be much You Yourself can do about our circumstances. About our lives. You cannot help us. But we must help You, and defend your dwelling place inside us to the last." A profound reflection for the darkest of days. Thank you to Val for sharing this with me last week. In the closing blessing, I use words that are very close to Jan Richardson's poem . This poem lives inside of me and sometimes emerges. Jan has lots of helpful blessings for Holy Week and Easter. Do sit with them. Thank you for trusting me to accompany you on your journey, in your sacred moments. It is a great honour to be here with you. All blessings. offers guided meditative prayer - space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God's love for you today - drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina. Sign up for Lissy's newsletter "" or join our Facebook group You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a or Thank you so much! All music by . /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/36203315

Arrest: Lectio Divina: John 18:1-14 04/15/2025

Jesus and Judas: Imaginative Contemplation: John 13:21-30 04/07/2025

Are You Going to Wash My Feet?: Imaginative Contemplation: John 13:1-17 03/31/2025

The Glory that Comes from God: Lectio Divina: John 12:27-43 03/24/2025

We Want to See Jesus: Lectio Divina: John 12:20-26 03/17/2025

Mary Anoints Jesus' Feet: Imaginative Contemplation: John 12:1-11 03/10/2025

Jars of Clay: Lectio Divina 02/24/2025

Love was His Meaning: Lectio Divina with Julian of Norwich 02/17/2025

Love was His Meaning: Lectio Divina with Julian of Norwich A 20-minute meditation with the writings of Julian of Norwich, using Lectio Divina. You are probably familiar with Mother Julian's saying "All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well." On her deathbed, Julian was given a vivid and powerful vision of Christ on the cross. She revived from this extreme illness, and went on to spend the rest of her life as an anchoress, enclosed in a cell, that she might meditate on the meaning of this vision. She lived in medieval Norwich and her writings are the earliest English language writings attributed to a woman. In this meditation we listen prayerfully to some of these words, describing the understanding she was given after many years of meditating on the vision (see text below). I am relatively new to Julian of Norwich and so I invite you to begin to explore her insights together with me as a beginner. If you'd like to explore more about Julian, I did read the fictional autobiography "I, Julian" by Claire Gilbert last year and can heartily recommend it. My friend Nikki, who has a great devotion to Julian, also commends "Anchorhold: Corresponding with Revelations of Divine Love" by Kirsten Pinto Gfroerer, a book of meditations on her words. Blessings as you meditate with her words here today and thank you again for being here. Text for meditation: “Throughout the time of my showings I wished to know what our Beloved meant. More than fifteen years later the answer came in a spiritual voice. This is what I heard: Would you like to know our Lord’s meaning in all this. Know it well. Love was his meaning. Who revealed this to you? Love. What did he reveal to you? Love. Why did he reveal it to you? For love. Stay with this and you will know more of the same. You will never know anything but love, without end. And so what I saw most clearly was that love is his meaning. God wants us to know that he loved us before he even made us. And this love has never diminished and never will. All his actions unfold from this love and through this love he makes everything that happens of value to us. And in this love we find everlasting life. Our creation has a starting point. But the love in which he has made us has no beginning and this love is our true source. Thanks be to God!” Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love, Chapter 86 (Mirabai Starr translation) offers guided meditative prayer - space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God's love for you today - drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina. Sign up for Lissy's newsletter "" or join our Facebook group You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a or Thank you so much! All music by . /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/35256215

Filled with the Unknowable: Lectio Divina: Job 11 and Ephesians 3 02/10/2025

Filled with the Unknowable: Lectio Divina: Job 11 and Ephesians 3 A 19-minute guided audio meditation with Job 11:8-9 and Ephesians 3:17-19, using Lectio Divina. I came to this text hoping to bring you a meditation on the depths of the love of God (Eph 3:18-19), but as I sat with a handful of translations, Greek words and Hebrew references, I was taken more mystically into the presence of God than I had imagined going. I have knit a few verses together here (Job 11:8-9 and Eph 3:17-19), pulling from various translations and expanded Greek definitions, mixing words into combinations that spoke most vividly to me. Please note that while I feel that I have been very faithful to the text, I am not a biblical scholar and this is not an authorised translation. The words I have gathered from the NRSV, the Orthodox Jewish Bible and the Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament (at biblegateway.com) for this meditation are here: Job 11:8-9 Can you find out the deep things of God... Can you find the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than the heaven. What can you do? Deeper than Sheol. What can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. Ephesians 3:17-19 I pray that Christ may inhabit, make his dwelling place in your heart. I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in (agape) love, may be empowered to grasp the height and depth, the length and breadth... and have knowledge of the Love of Christ, this Love which surpasses knowledge that you might be filled, fully pervaded, with the fullness, the plentitude, of God. Please note that I read the above text three times in this meditation, rather than the usual two. I hope that this meditation transports you in the way that it has transported me, but more than that, however you find your prayer today, may the Lord accomplish the Spirit's intentions through your faithfulness to prayer. BLESSINGS and much love!! Lissy offers guided meditative prayer - space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God's love for you today - drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina. Sign up here for Lissy's newsletter "" You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a or Thank you so much! All music by . /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/35175785

Embodied Examen 02/03/2025

Embodied Examen A 19-minute guided meditation using gentle physical movement (yoga), breath and the Ignatian Examen. Ignatius of Loyola taught his followers that the one prayer they could never eliminate from their daily practice, is the prayer of review, or the Examen. As Teresa of Avila (who for some time had a Jesuit confessor) said "I've gone on and on, here and elsewhere, about the damage we do to ourselves by failing to cultivate humility and self-awareness. Just remember: it is your most important task." - The Interior Castle, First Dwelling, translation by M Starr The Examen invites us to look back over the day, to notice when we felt most alive in Love, and when we felt least alive in Love, to see how God was travelling with us throughout the day, and to intentionally ask God to be near us tomorrow. I personally find end of day prayer so difficult. I am usually well past the point of attentive concentration by the time I've settled the house and the teenagers and am getting myself in the direction of bed. What does help me, however, is bringing some physical movement or embodiment to my prayer. Here for the first time, I am incorporating some simple yoga postures into an audio meditation. So this mediation is a little bit different. It is yoga asana (postures), breath awareness and the prayer of examen all folded together. This is something like my own personal practice, and I hope you find it helpful. You may be helped by a couple of rolled or folded blankets to hand, and I recommend moving through these postures on the floor rather than on your mattress. You don't need special clothes or a mat, just come as you are. This prayer is traditionally prayed at the end of the day, but if the end of the day doesn't work for you, feel free to pray it at noon, or 4pm, or just before or after dinner, or in the morning. Find what works for you in this particular season and go with that. Blessings, blessings, blessings. And much love Lissy offers guided meditative prayer - space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God's love for you today - drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina. Lissy Clarke is a Spiritual Director and yoga teacher (200CYT). Sign up for Lissy's monthly-ish newsletter "" for more contemplative nourishment, and to find out about any upcoming retreats. You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a or Thank you so much! All music by . /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/35086085

15-Minute Meditation on Song of Songs 01/27/2025

Intimate Encounter: Finding Your Name in God's Love 01/20/2025

A Moment Aside with the Beloved: 12-minute Guided Meditation 01/13/2025

Let the Earth Be Glad: Psalm 96: Lectio Divina 12/23/2024

Finding Your O Antiphon: An Advent Meditation 12/16/2024

Preparing Space: A Guided Meditation for Advent 12/09/2024

Thy Kingdom Come: Advent: A Guided Meditation 12/02/2024

Preparing for Advent: A Guided Meditation 11/25/2024

Steadfast Love : Lamentations 3 : Guided Meditation 09/08/2024

The Interior Castle: The First Dwelling: Lectio Divina 08/19/2024

The Interior Castle: The First Dwelling: Lectio Divina A 19-minute audio guided meditation with text from Mirabai Starr's translation of The Interior Castle. In this meditation I invite you to pray with the wisdom of St Teresa of Avila. Listening prayerfully to the text, you are invited to ask: How is the Lord speaking to me in these words? Teresa was given a picture of her inner self, her soul, as mansion, a palace, with many rooms. At the center of this palace is the holy of holies, a place where the Holy One dwells, abides, resides. The text we pray with is this: "Always visualise your soul as vast, spacious, plentiful. This amplitude is impossible to exaggerate. The soul's capacity far transcends our imagining. The sun at the centre of this place radiates to every part." (p45) "As long as we are on this earth there is nothing more essential than humility. Enter the room of self-knowledge first, instead of floating off to other places. This is the path.(...) It seems to me that we will never know ourselves unless we seek to know God. Glimpsing his greatness, we recognise our own powerlessness: gazing upon his purity, we notice where we are impure: pondering his humility, we see how far from humble we are." (p47) "Cultivate humility and self-awareness. Just remember: it is your most important task." (p49) (And) "Guard yourselves... against the spirit of evil. It's aim is to undermine charity and cool the love the friends have for one another.(...) Let's understand that true perfection means loving God and loving our neighbour. (...)All spiritual rules are nothing but means toward the end of spiritual love." (p50-51) The shape of our meditations at Contemplative at Home are very much informed by Ignatian Spirituality. Teresa was alive at the same time as Ignatius of Loyola, and she had a Jesuit Spiritual Director for some of her years, so shared in that formation. I hope that their combined wisdom in this partiuclar format will take you deeper in to the heart of Christ. All blessings as you pray. offers guided meditative prayer - space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God's love for you today - drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina. Sign up for Lissy's newsletter "" or join our Facebook group You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a or Thank you so much! All music by . /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/32194942

What are we to do?: John 11:45-54: Lectio Divina 08/12/2024

We Are One: John 17: Lectio Divina 08/05/2024

Reflecting on Your Relationship With Christ: John 16:16-27: Guided Meditation 07/29/2024

Reflecting on Your Relationship With Christ: John 16:16-27: Guided Meditation An 18-minute audio guided meditation in John’s Gospel, John 16:16-27, with questions for reflection. This meditation takes on a slightly different pattern as we allow the text to open up questions for our spiritual journey. Firstly we see how Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure, for a radical shift in their relationship to him. All enduring relationships go through multiple stages of change and development. Some relationships grow, some relationships atrophy. Sometimes what feels like crisis or loss is actually a movement towards growth, a deepening development. Secondly Jesus desires to instil a sense of hope, and we use these verses to reflect on our own vision and desires. This is an invitation to name what it is that keeps you moving forward. In this meditation I invite you to consider the following questions as we journey through the text: John 16:16-18 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” When have you felt a sense of disorientation or confusion in your relationship with Christ? Where are you just now - are you able to see Christ, or is Christ hidden from you? If Christ is hidden from you, are you able to access any kind of faith, hope or curiosity about where this is leading? How would you describe the texture of your relationship with Christ in this season? John 16:19-22 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’? Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. What future are you hoping for? In a spiritual sense, what is your direction of travel? John 16:23 On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. Can you imagine a state of being in which you have nothing you need to ask for? What are the deepest longings and cries of your heart? John 16:26-27 On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you. You are loved by the Father. Rest in that love, dialogue with the One who Loves you. ***** Any of these questions could take quite some time to answer. Many of them are key questions for . You may wish to revisit them in your journal, or with a soul friend. Don't feel you need to answer all of them thoroughly today. Let one or two stand out to you, and linger over these. As the meditation concludes I invite you to notice what stays in your mind and heart. Give that your attention in prayer. All blessings. offers guided meditative prayer - space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God's love for you today - drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina. Sign up for Lissy's newsletter "" or join our Facebook group You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a or Thank you so much! All music by . /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/32158042

The Spirit of Truth: John 16:7-13: Lectio Divina 07/22/2024

The Spirit of Truth: John 16:7-13: Lectio Divina A 21-minute audio guided meditation in John’s Gospel, John 16:7-13, using Lectio Divina. John 16:7-13 "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth..." In this meditation on John’s Gospel, I invite you to join me in taking a ‘long, loving look’ at a few verses of text, beholding the words as living, shimmering, life-giving containers which hold endless layers of wisdom, mystery, beauty and truth. In these verses, just before his crucifixion, Jesus is preparing his friends for life without him. He has given them a vision, in John 15, of the depths of love that they are invited into, and then warns them that they won't always be understood or appreciated. That in fact, those who think they know God may even put Jesus' followers to death, in the name of God. Then - he encourages them with the verses in today's meditation (see above). The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, will bring the voice of the Father, as Jesus had been doing while he was alive. For me the primary question this leaves us with is: how do I know when I am hearing the voice of the Advocate? How can I be sure that my own convictions come from the Spirit of truth? This is a question of discernment, and I hope you have wise and grounded people in your life who help you to discern. Any time you're feeling full of love, and open to correction, I think you're likely in a good space. May the Spirit of truth lead into all truth, and all love. Blessings as you pray. offers guided meditative prayer - space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God's love for you today - drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina. Sign up for Lissy's newsletter "" or join our Facebook group You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a or Thank you so much! All music by . /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/32065872

Love One Another: John 15:12-17: Lectio Divina 07/14/2024

Imagining The Vine and The Branches: John 15:1-11: Imaginative Contemplation 07/08/2024

Abide: John 15:5-11: Lectio Divina 06/30/2024

Contemplative at Home

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