More on Prayer

In learning to pray, I've been reliant on some saints from the past. This week, two in particular.

The writings of Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, have been peeling back the skin of my God-directed petitions, showing that it's actually my response to God's action (or perceived lack thereof) that forms the basis of prayer. We recognize our nothingness in the presence of God's everything:

"Prayer is inspired by God in the depth of our own nothingness. It is the movement of trust, of gratitude, of adoration, or of sorrow that places us before God, seeing both Him and ourselves in the light of His infinite truth, and moves us to ask Him for the mercy, the spiritual strength, the material help that we all need." (Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island, 43)

Julian of Norwich, a Middle Ages ascetic, has opened my imagination to see myself in relationship to the Trinity. She received "showings" (visions) from God and writes about them and her reflections on them. I've found her depictions helpful as I envision what dwelling "in" God or God "in"dwelling me looks like:

"We ought to take great joy that God dwells in our soul, and even more joy that our soul dwells in God. Our soul is made to be God's dwelling place, and the dwelling place of the soul is God, that is unmade." (Julian of Norwich, Revelation of Love, Chapter 54)

Slowing Down and Learning to Pray

I recently reconnected with a Spiritual Director who helped me during a challenging season of ministry. The last few years, as I finished my PhD and worked as a pastor/chaplain, I worked too hard without enough rest. Now, I'm slowing down and starting to learn healthier work/rest rhythms. As I described this to my former Spiritual Director, she pointed me to some authors. One such writer was Martin Laird and his book, Into the Silent Land. Unfortunately, it wasn't part of my library. However, that evening I went down to my daughter's room to say goodnight and I noticed a book on her bedside table: Into the Silent Land. Coincidence? More like God's provision. It's one of the textbooks for my daughter's mindfulness course and I'm grateful she let me borrow it.

Laird's text is just what I needed. I've been slowing down and implementing his practical tips for contemplative prayer. It has also provided grounds for stimulating conversations with my daughter.  

If you need to slow down and rest, I recommend Laird's book. His practical tips are simple and helpful: find 20-30 mins per day; sit in a quiet place; choose a short key word or phrase (such as, "Lord Jesus, have mercy"); link the word(s) to your breath and breathe slowly and deeply. You'll find distractions surfacing but just keep coming back to your breath and keyword(s). There is so much more to discover but this is a good start.