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O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things too great and marvellous
for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a child quieted at its mother’s breast;
like a child that is quieted is my soul.
Psalm 131
Space to be still, space to be with God, space to be: the University Quiet Place, next to the yew tree garden, was opened by the chancellor, Dame Janet Baker, at the end of last term and has (quietly!) found its way into the lives of a number of people since then. They have discovered that rare commodity in campus life, a place of calm and stillness. Some come alone to the lower room to reflect, think, pray or simply retreat from the bustle of activity around and regain perspective on life; others use the upper room to pray together in a group, to meditate or to listen to their inner selves in the company of friends. The gardens to the front and through the gates, although not yet matured, beckon towards summer with the stilling voice of flowers and scented shrubs. Within the chaplaincy, we have begun to offer led meditations on Wednesday lunchtimes … the words from Psalm 131 quoted above formed the basis of the first series. If you are new to contemplation and meditation why not take the opportunity of joining us and discover fresh ways of approaching God? If you are part of a group why not book the upper room for prayer? If you wish to be alone why not build some stillness into your week by visiting the lower room on a regular basis? Access through the gate and into the lower room is by a keypad code available from Derwent porters’ lodge on production of identification, and the upper room can be booked either through me (e-mail jcr7@york.ac.uk) or Dr. Bill Shiels in the history department.
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Last modified: 25th November 2005
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