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A line behind~

8/31/2015

I just listened online to a sermon given at my mom’s church this past Sunday. The minister tells his version of the story of Mom during her last years when her hearing was poor joining in on the unison prayers. He remembers her being a line behind everyone saying The Lord’s Prayer. My memory is of the Call to Worship during her last visit to church and which I wrote about in Very Grateful. Regardless of the situation, Mom slowed everyone down as she spoke the words with heartfelt, faithful commitment .

I believe that is what many people who knew Mom in her later years will remember about her. But also, as the minister indicated, all the people around the country that have heard the story from him in his current role as a visiting minister are benefitting from this faith witness.

http://www.godsacre.org/worship-special-services/sermons/

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Seven gratitudes a day~

8/25/2015

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I have much for which to be very grateful. On the top of today’s list is my son, born forty-eight years ago. He had to remind me of the number.

Next, I’m grateful that my church is giving me the opportunity his evening to serve at Rosie Place, a woman’s shelter in Boston.

Besides the three that my mom offered up every day—health, family and life, I am grateful that I know God. That totals six. Since I always offer seven, the last is often some small and seemly inconsequential. Of course, no gratitude in trivial, but today my seventh is huge. I’m grateful that my minister and his family are home safely after pilgrimage to Iona.

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Prayer and a yipping dog in a car~

8/20/2015

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On today’s cottage by the sea blog I wrote about a dog who yipped at me from a passing car while I was on my walk. I was startled, scared, and although I knew I was completely safe, I felt attacked. The feeling stayed with me all the way home and created enough energy for me to write about it on both blogs.

How do I pray about this? Is it even worth a prayer? For whom do I pray? For whom do I ask forgiveness? Myself? The dog? The driver of the car? Is this worth all the energy I’m putting into it?

After sitting in silence, I’m hearing, most clearly, to let it go. But why was I attacked? I’m also hearing that I may be startled again, maybe by the very same dog, in the very same car, on the very same road. Many none of the above will happen.

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Thy, not my, will be done~

8/17/2015

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Although I believe that the best intercessory prayer is some version of Thy will be done (such as Here it is God), I admit that it is difficult to get myself to a place where I can let go of all my judgments that get in the way of praying with purity of heart. In other words, how to pray Thy will be done with really meaning my will be done. It is a challenge that all of us have, that even Jesus had. How to remove the human me and pray from my divine self!

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Needing Julian of Norwich~

8/13/2015

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With all the activity surrounding Very Grateful this week, I share this message from Julian of Norwich in the hopes that I will pay attention to it. Maybe you don’t need Julian right now in your life, but I do.

“God is nearer to us than our own soul. For He is the Ground in whom our soul stands; and He is the Means which keeps substance and sense nature together, so that they shall never part. For our soul sits in God in very rest, and our soul stands in God in sure strength; and our soul is kindly rooted in God in endless love. And therefore, if we want to have knowing of our Soul, and communion and loving with it, we need to seek into our God, in whom it is enclosed.”

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Prayer and faith~

8/10/2015

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The other day I spent time with a prayer friend. We talked about this and that and then we touched on prayer. I had wanted to talk with her about it because she is one of my few friends who admittedly and unequivocally believes in the power of prayer.

it turns out that our conversation was brief. We had only three things to say; that we know and believe that prayer works; that there are no adequate words to explain it, and; that there is no rational ways to convince others of our belief. Faith is faith!

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Praying for a peaceful election~

8/8/2015

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I’ve posted the following on my cottage by the sea blog. Here are a few comments specifically about faith and prayer. As a Christian I try to respond to all situation with love, not critique. So my prayer is that love will surround the candidates, the issues and the election itself.

     I’ve mentioned before that I’ve pretty much chosen to stay away from the news, and particularly from politics. It isn’t easy as the presidential primary in the state just north of us is heating up, and as the debates have started. I watched the other night, telling myself that I needed a ‘visual’ of what was going on. I was disappointed on two levels.

     I was disappointed at the cynicism, rancor, rudeness, and negativity of some of the candidates. I was disappointed that the needs of the poor and disenfranchised were dismissed or framed only in legal terms. I was disappointed that these privileged men (and one woman) couldn’t show compassion, empathy or understanding for what it is like to be without health insurance, or the means to earn enough to live on. I was disappointed that there was no talk about gun control. I was disappointed at the subtle, and not so subtle racism and sexism.

    Although I wasn’t disappointed in my opinions, I was disappointed that I allowed my buttons to be pushed. How do I, who longs for silence, solitude and simplicity, want to respond as democracy plays itself out in the next fifteen months? For a start, and perhaps a finish, I don’t want to make cynical, rancorous, rude, or negative comments about a candidate. How about taking the log out of my own eye, and then, if I can’t speak politely, lovingly, and positively, keeping silent.

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Prayer, the path to humility~

8/5/2015

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If you want practice praying with ceasing for a day, just start praying for a friend’s fourteen year old grandson who is in the midst of fourteen hour brain surgery. You just don’t’ stop praying.

Is there such a thing as practicing prayer? Practice implies getting better and maybe even becoming an expert. But prayer isn’t that way. We don’t get better, and I doubt that anyone can be considered an expert in prayer. We just keep praying and then praying some more until it feels like we are praying without ceasing. Prayer is God lead, not human directed. It is a path to humility.

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