Sitting with Shadows: Devotional for Via Positiva

As the Third Quarter Moon rises, we walk the Via Positiva awakening, blessing, and beholding the sacred in all things.

Invocation

Holy One,
You who shine in radiance and whisper in shadow,
draw us into Your presence now.

As the Third Quarter Moon lifts her face,
teach us to savor the beauty of light and darkness together.
We come not to solve but to listen,
not to master but to marvel.

Give us the courage to rest in Your mystery,
and the joy to wait in Your silence with expectant hearts.

Speak, still small voice.

Shine, uncreated light.

Let Your Word be a lamp to our feet,
and a light upon the path before us.

Amen.

The Sacred Moment

Today, the third quarter moon rises, opening the middle way between light and darkness. May we feel the call to awe, to cosmic hospitality, to the art of savor, and to the kin-dom of God here and now. In the sacred light of the Third Quarter Moon, we walk the path of the Via Positiva: the way of wonder, the dance of delight, courage to speak the living Word of God into form. Our souls ache for blessing and community as we gather to taste the sweetness of life and share the joy with each other.

This is a moon to awaken, to bless, to behold.

Theme: The Beauty of Shadows

There's so much going on in the world today that just feels dark, from murder to mass shootings to just the constant sense of violence and authoritarian takeover. And with that, there tends to be a shadow that gets cast over us, where we feel a little lost, that we're trapped in the great cloud of unknowing without a sense of where to go or how we should move forward.

It's important for us to take time to realize the blessing of not knowing. In that space of ambiguity, we have the tools and the opportunity to seek within ourselves, and with each other, a way to move forward and a way to find peace, because we're not trapped in any one dogmatic or rigid system that requires us to act or behave in certain ways.

When we talk about the Via Positiva, we're often talking about the topics of light, the things that we know, the things that we can directly experience. But one of those experiences that we can have is this great sense of not knowing. And while in the Via Negativa, we learn to sit with that and to find a place in ourselves to just let that be or to let go of our preconceptions, in the Via Positiva, we're here to gather, to savor, to find the Word of God. And the Word of God is found in the still, small voice.

The Via Positiva is the path of awe, delight, and wonder. It reminds us to look at cosmos not as a problem to solve but as a gift to savor. The Third Quarter Moon, glowing in its in-between brilliance, invites us into this practice.

The Psalmist teaches us, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1, WEB). That shadow is not absence but refuge. It is a shelter that surrounds us in gentleness, a reminder that God’s presence is not only in dazzling clarity but also in the quiet shade.

Proverbs declares, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter” (Proverbs 25:2, WEB). In the shadow, God conceals, not to punish us or hide from us, but to lure us into curiosity and reverence. The mystery is part of the blessing. To be in shadow is to be invited into a sacred game of discovery, to seek wisdom in places where it does not announce itself loudly.

We see this truth in Elijah’s encounter on Mount Horeb. “Behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire passed; but Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11–12, WEB). When God spoke to Elijah in the cave, the voice was not in the thunder, in the light, in the fire. It was not in the earthquake, but it was in this still, small voice, this quiet within. If we're going to speak the Word of God, the liberating, powerful, resounding Word of God that is needed to bring grace into this world and to help us to find our way to the world to come that we wish to see manifest in this world, we have to savor these moments in the silence, in the darkness, in the shadows, and listen for that Word of God so that we can speak it with integrity as the power flows through us to make this world a better place.

This is the heart of the Third Quarter Moon. It is not the absence of light, but the soft presence of light and shadow together. It is the moon teaching us to see differently, to listen differently. Job was asked, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding” (Job 38:4, WEB). These divine questions are not meant to silence us but to awaken us to awe, to remind us that even in what we do not understand, we are surrounded by beauty and meaning.

In the Via Positiva we do not endure the shadows, we celebrate them. Shadows soften our gaze. They deepen the colors of creation. They teach us patience, intimacy, and attentiveness, reminding us that the Divine does not shout from the heavens but whispers in the hush.

So as the Third Quarter Moon rises, let us take its lesson to heart and rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Let us search out the hidden wisdom that God conceals with joy, and listen for the still small voice, not in the thunder, but in the quiet glow of the inner, uncreated light. With the Psalmist we proclaim: “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105, WEB). Not a blazing sun, not a floodlight, but a lamp: gentle, sufficient, and full of wonder.

We need to remember that when we sit in silence, there's two ways to do that. There's the method that is so popular nowadays of pure mindfulness meditation, where we just sit and rest and let be. But there's also this deep contemplation where we sit with expectant wonder, with expectant awe, profound silence, where we just sit and wait and listen. As the scriptures say, “But those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31 WEB).”

That is true in the Via Negativa, but it is also true in the Via Positiva. It is a way for us to sit expectantly in that silence, waiting for the uncreated light, the inner light, to shine through us and give us direction. We may have moments of thought, we may have moments of clarity, but this isn't rumination. This is a time for us to contemplate in that quiet place, to just sit and wait for the voice, the light to shine within us. Always with faith, which is the hope of things not seen, that the answers are there, that we can find them, that we are not lost in the darkness, but we have a lamp that will shine at our feet and let us see the path.

Practice: Expectant Waiting

The Quaker tradition offers us a simple but profound practice called expectant waiting. It is not just silence for silence’s sake, nor is it passive or empty. Instead, it is a silence of expectancy, a listening with the whole self for the inner light of God to shine, speak, and move within us.

Here’s how to practice it:

Find a quiet place.

You may sit alone or with others, but choose a space where you will not be easily distracted. Sit comfortably, upright but relaxed, in a way that allows you to be attentive.

Settle into silence.

Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Let your breathing slow. Release any need to analyze your thoughts. You are not trying to empty your mind entirely, but to quiet it enough to listen.

Wait with expectancy.

This is the heart of the practice. In Quaker waiting, you are not drifting into nothingness but leaning forward in the Spirit, as though you are listening for a beloved friend’s whisper. The silence is alive with presence. You are waiting for the Spirit to stir, for the still small voice to rise.

Attend to what arises.

As thoughts, images, or feelings emerge, notice them with reverence. Some may be distractions; let those drift away. Others may carry weight, clarity, or a sense of deep peace. Those are often how the inner light speaks. Do not force meaning, but stay open to the possibility that God is speaking to you here.

Respond gently.

If a message forms: a phrase, a scripture, a conviction, a word of encouragement; hold it in your heart. In communal worship, Friends may feel led to speak aloud when a message arises with clarity and power. Alone, you may choose to write it down, pray it silently, or simply sit with it.

Close with gratitude.

After a while, whether minutes or an hour, bring the practice to a close by thanking God for the silence and the word, whether or not you feel you received a clear message. Expectant waiting is not about success or failure; it is about showing up in faith.

This practice of waiting is not passive resignation. It is a posture of trust that the Word of God will come, that the inner light will shine, that the lamp will be placed at your feet.

Closing Blessing

Holy One,
We thank You for the gift of shadows,
for the quiet places where Your voice is heard,
for the mystery that deepens our wonder,
and for the gentle lamp that guides our steps.

As we rise from this time of silence and expectancy,
let the still small voice remain in our hearts.

Renew our strength
that we may walk and not faint,
run and not grow weary,
and lift our lives like eagles into Your winds of grace.

Send us forth with courage,
to speak Your liberating Word,
to shine with the uncreated light,
and to savor the beauty of all that You have made.

Amen.