When I was a child, my grandfather had a chair by the window. It wasn’t grand or fancy—just a simple wooden chair with a well-worn cushion.
Each morning, he’d sit in it silently for what felt like hours. No newspaper. No radio. Just stillness.
One day, I asked him, “What do you do there, Grandpa?”
He smiled and said, “I sit with the part of me that never changes.”
At the time, I had no idea what that meant.
Years passed. Life, as it does, became noisy—filled with thoughts, roles, worries, and other people’s expectations. I tried to be someone. I tried to fix everything. I became my stress, my sadness, my successes.
But none of it brought me peace.
One especially heavy day, I found myself back at the old family home. The chair was still there.
I sat in it.
I breathed.
And in the silence, I heard Grandpa’s voice, not out loud, but in my being:
“You are not your thoughts. You are the one who sees them. Sit with the part of you that never changes.”
Tears came.
Then quiet.
Then something else—awareness.
I watched my thoughts pass like clouds. I felt a flicker of peace I’d forgotten.
And I realised:
That chair wasn’t just for resting. It was for remembering.
That I was never broken—only distracted.
Never lost—only listening to the wrong voice.
And always… the stillness was right here, beside me.
audio version:
Service Reflection
Key Theme: You Are Not Your Thoughts – You Are the Awareness Behind Them
This sermon centres on two intertwined spiritual truths:
- You are not your emotions, thoughts, or circumstances. Instead, you are the awareness behind them — the silent observer capable of perspective, peace, and stillness.
- You always have the power to choose. With this awareness comes the ability to consciously respond to life, rather than react from conditioning. This freedom of choice brings both empowerment and responsibility.
Together, these teachings call us to:
“Live from presence, not panic. From clarity, not chaos. From inner power, not external noise.”
