Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Just Beginning
It's Wednesday evening and I'm setting up this blog that I hope will become a place people can share ways in which they pray. I believe that the ways of prayer are as infinite as the ways in which the Divine loves the Creation. Praying can be sitting still and listening to the birds sing in the trees, watching the sun rise, holding a new grandchild, or joining in worship with a faith community. In what ways do you come closer to being in the presence of God?
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I think the way i feel closest to go is when I am creating something through my various ways of doing art. Whether it's making a card for someone, painting a picture, writing an icon, or doing a scrapbook page, I can feel that creative spirit and presence of God all through me. I also keep being surprised at God waking me up in such circumstances when I turn the corner to go to Bible study on Friday mornings and see the beautiful sunrise over Dane Street beach. That's prayer to me, too.
ReplyDeleteI am coordinator for a retreat in everyday life ministry called Week/Month of Guided Prayer. It can be so very beautiful to introduce people to different methods of prayer and/or to affirm the forms of prayer they use. You probably know that many people are uncertain that they are praying the "right" way, and we give them the safety and freedom to express that confidentially. What we tell everyone on these retreats is that they cannot do it wrong - there is no wrong way to pray, which some find quite liberating.
ReplyDeleteMy own favorite place to pray is in the park near my home, being with and in God in an intentional way. I also write spiritual poetry during prayer and use non-dominant hand finger painting as another form of prayer.
My advice to those on the retreats is to find a quiet and safe place to pray. Quiet meaning not just turn off the TV, but also quiet yourself, put your to do list in a worry basket for a time. Safe meaning a place where you feel safe enough to cry.
Dear Clarence
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Patterns of Prayer. I believe you are right on when you say how important it is to create a safe space where people can freely share what and how they feel about prayer.
How often do you coordinate your retreat in everyday life ministry? How long do sessions last? It's a challenge, I believe, to balance teaching about prayer and having people experience different ways to pray.
Another one of my favorite ways to pray is to sit and watch the ocean and let the rhythm of the sound of the water and the sight of the waves rolling into shore calm me and give me serenity so that I can feel God's presence.