Grateful for taking the time it took to write this piece, one I will return to. My prayers revolve around what I call ensoulment—soul in body. Dancing, art, and nature center me in a wordless prayer life. Stillness is in there, too. The physicality of grace, the receptive channels of spiritual intelligence attune in me. I sync up with guidance and am often rewarded even in discomfort. Writing and words bring order to my experience of life, goodness, and mystery. Unfortunately, my Christian upbringing and its impacts on U.S. culture idolize words. We think prayer is about words. Indigenous wisdom reminds us that words are the last place you go to pray. Dancing is a global gateway of prayer, a technology that syncs people up to earth and heaven. Perhaps this is why in the Apocryphal Acts of John, in the Hymn of Jesus, Jesus on the night he was betrayed, gathered his people in a circle and chanted as they danced, "Who does not dance, does not know what comes to pass."
"Who is worthy to enter my heart?" That is so beautiful and thought provoking. Thank you for this reflection, it gives me lots to ponder going into the rest of Lent.
Yes, "little miracles happen all the time", it is just that when we are atuned to prayer we start to notice them! - Like the little synchronicity that brings an article like this into my inbox when I am myself meditating about the meaning of prayer! Thank you
I wanted to share my own insight (literally 2 days ago) about the formative effects of prayer and the consequent spiritual impact on one's whole life.
I have for a few months now been diligently making the Daily Office my bedrock for daily prayer - Morning Prayer and Office of Readings are now my consistent friends via the excellent app Universalis (I pay an extra few dollars a month for the upgraded audio version, so I can listen at the same time to the prayers being read by a small group of human beings).
It is a literal revelation to prayerfully attend to the psalms as a middle aged adult, and my "favourites" when they come around again like a new moon, are the "cosmic" psalms - psalms 8, 19, 29, and 104. I rejoice to find myself in harmony with the psalmist who more than 3 thousand years ago, and without the benefit of Hubble images, obviously feels just the same way about the majesty of the night sky, and becomes meditative on the majesty of our Creator God, and our place in creation.
So my insight pertinent to your excellent article, was a reflection prompted by these psalms, and some lines of St Paul -
"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known" 1 Cor 13:12; and again,
"And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" 2 Cor 3:18
- we are being "transformed into the same image" (Christ!) I think in the same way that modern telescopes create the wonderful images we have come to know and admire - literally image by image, stacking the photons over multiple exposures, perhaps for hours or in some Hubble shots, like the famous Deep Field image - 840 orbits focusing at the same dark patch of sky over 3 years! - and revealing thousands of unseen galaxies from deep time.
So our practices of prayer, it seems to me, are focusing our gaze on Christ and through Him on the mysteries of the Trinitarian God, and gradually, though repeated exposures stacking onto the image plate that is our soul, we bring into being a truer image of Christ than we could have imagined is hidden in the dark places of our life and soul.
I often don’t have words in prayer and turn to the Book of Common Prayer for words or just tell God you know me to the innermost part of my being, and the outermost as far as relationships/community, you handle it. I know walking and practicing still prayer have had a powerfully healing effect. Thank you for this wise post. Your phrase who worthy to be in my attention (not quoting it right) is a helpful phrase to hold onto.
Thank you for overcoming your resistance on this one, it wonderfully navigates some of those internal roads. Though not Christian, I benefit from a prayer practice modelled on Christian prayer. It helps me clarify my values, reinforces my connection to other people, and accelerates the processing and integration of my resistance to events in my life.
I enjoyed the telescope analogy, not least because my studio is currently working on a monumental sculpture which features a man, kneeling before a telescope, but leaning aside to look past, rather than through it. The message here is parallel to yours I think, with the telescope playing a different role in the metaphor - he is setting aside the mediating technology in order to engage directly with the view.
A beautiful meditation on prayer, Peco. I'm particularly moved by the needle and thread analogy of "stitching together the inner and outer person, the spiritual and physical dimensions of our being, while being healed in the process." Lovely, and reminds me of the origins of the word "yoga," which comes from Sanskrit "yuj," meaning "to yoke" or "to unite."
I’ve heard a similar etymology for the word “religion”, from the Latin word religare for "to tie, to bind” (not sure if it’s exactly true, so don’t quote me).
"Lord, teach us to pray..." I wonder if this isn't a kind of New Testament parallel to Solomon's request for Wisdom in 1 Kings when God tells him he can have whatever he wishes from Him. Solomon doesn't ask for riches, fame, the subjugation of his enemies or anything in that vein, but he asks for wisdom/understanding. God is so pleased with this that He grants Solomon not only his request, but all the other, lesser, things he might have asked for as well (riches, honor, etc.) "Teach us to pray" feels like a request very much on the same level of Solomon's prayer. Our deepest need and desire is for God, even if we don't always realize it. So asking for the means of communion with Him is the highest thing we could request. I think God honors that above all the lesser things we might ask for (not that it's wrong to ask other things as well) and if we can pray well and truly, we've gained everything else we truly need besides.
Language…human words, communication, thoughts forming to sounds, symbols, letters and even body motions…what a fascinating and amazing thing when one stops to think on it. Your post helped to ponder this and I’m thankful. As image bearers of God, should it not be seen as a gift from Him? And if so, what of our fiduciary duty?
I’m thinking you’ve hit on this before, but it seems to me our information/knowledge saturated culture cheapens all of it. What should be used to glorify our Creator, love Him, know Him and to love our neighbor is commoditized and even weaponized. Something so core to our humanity as image bearers is being corrupted in a such an amplified and powerful way. This is one of many aspects of AI that “creeps me out” and why I believe we are naive (to be generous) and even perpetuating evil (to be less generous) in thinking we can “handle” this god we have and are creating or even presenting that is “it is good.” I will reread this post again for sure as I consider my prayer life. Thank you for your time to share this…very encouraging in pointing my “telescope” rightly. As I reread my comment here, I wonder how care-ful I have been with my words. I’ll pray about that going forward! Peace.
A timely piece for me to read. I work with a college ministry and will be sharing a message about prayer this very week so I may reference a few quotes from this piece! 👀 Prayer is both mystery and simplicity. In preparation for my talk I read through N.T. Wright’s book “The Lord and His Prayer” and this paragraph stood to my attention -
“We live, as Jesus lived, in a world all too full of injustice, hunger, malice and evil. This prayer cries out for justice, bread, forgiveness and deliverance. If anyone thinks those are irrelevant in today's world, let them read the newspaper and think again.”
I believe our hearts tend to cry out in prayer more often than our lips do! But I think that if our Lord and Teacher prayed, we should too.
"Some might interpret the brain science as evidence that all mystical experiences, and spiritual experiences more broadly, can be entirely reduced to brain processes."
I used to think that the response to this should be "no.. it isn't... it isn't a brain process!" But when you think about it, every experience involves brain processes. And we can always kill the meaning (life) of a thing by tearing it apart into its components without the proper safeguards (purification).
Incredible article. My personal favorite out of all of your stuff (which is all already extremely high caliber stuff).
That's high praise, Griffin! Thank you!
Grateful for taking the time it took to write this piece, one I will return to. My prayers revolve around what I call ensoulment—soul in body. Dancing, art, and nature center me in a wordless prayer life. Stillness is in there, too. The physicality of grace, the receptive channels of spiritual intelligence attune in me. I sync up with guidance and am often rewarded even in discomfort. Writing and words bring order to my experience of life, goodness, and mystery. Unfortunately, my Christian upbringing and its impacts on U.S. culture idolize words. We think prayer is about words. Indigenous wisdom reminds us that words are the last place you go to pray. Dancing is a global gateway of prayer, a technology that syncs people up to earth and heaven. Perhaps this is why in the Apocryphal Acts of John, in the Hymn of Jesus, Jesus on the night he was betrayed, gathered his people in a circle and chanted as they danced, "Who does not dance, does not know what comes to pass."
I dance my prayers, too, Cynthia!
Thank you for the focus on prayer.
"It's not up to the universe to turn its volume up, but for us to turn our racket down." - Michael Tsarion
And thanks for that great quote!
"Who is worthy to enter my heart?" That is so beautiful and thought provoking. Thank you for this reflection, it gives me lots to ponder going into the rest of Lent.
Yes, "little miracles happen all the time", it is just that when we are atuned to prayer we start to notice them! - Like the little synchronicity that brings an article like this into my inbox when I am myself meditating about the meaning of prayer! Thank you
I wanted to share my own insight (literally 2 days ago) about the formative effects of prayer and the consequent spiritual impact on one's whole life.
I have for a few months now been diligently making the Daily Office my bedrock for daily prayer - Morning Prayer and Office of Readings are now my consistent friends via the excellent app Universalis (I pay an extra few dollars a month for the upgraded audio version, so I can listen at the same time to the prayers being read by a small group of human beings).
It is a literal revelation to prayerfully attend to the psalms as a middle aged adult, and my "favourites" when they come around again like a new moon, are the "cosmic" psalms - psalms 8, 19, 29, and 104. I rejoice to find myself in harmony with the psalmist who more than 3 thousand years ago, and without the benefit of Hubble images, obviously feels just the same way about the majesty of the night sky, and becomes meditative on the majesty of our Creator God, and our place in creation.
So my insight pertinent to your excellent article, was a reflection prompted by these psalms, and some lines of St Paul -
"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known" 1 Cor 13:12; and again,
"And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" 2 Cor 3:18
- we are being "transformed into the same image" (Christ!) I think in the same way that modern telescopes create the wonderful images we have come to know and admire - literally image by image, stacking the photons over multiple exposures, perhaps for hours or in some Hubble shots, like the famous Deep Field image - 840 orbits focusing at the same dark patch of sky over 3 years! - and revealing thousands of unseen galaxies from deep time.
So our practices of prayer, it seems to me, are focusing our gaze on Christ and through Him on the mysteries of the Trinitarian God, and gradually, though repeated exposures stacking onto the image plate that is our soul, we bring into being a truer image of Christ than we could have imagined is hidden in the dark places of our life and soul.
Peace to you all!
Wonderful reflections, Peter -- thank you!
I often don’t have words in prayer and turn to the Book of Common Prayer for words or just tell God you know me to the innermost part of my being, and the outermost as far as relationships/community, you handle it. I know walking and practicing still prayer have had a powerfully healing effect. Thank you for this wise post. Your phrase who worthy to be in my attention (not quoting it right) is a helpful phrase to hold onto.
Thank you for overcoming your resistance on this one, it wonderfully navigates some of those internal roads. Though not Christian, I benefit from a prayer practice modelled on Christian prayer. It helps me clarify my values, reinforces my connection to other people, and accelerates the processing and integration of my resistance to events in my life.
I enjoyed the telescope analogy, not least because my studio is currently working on a monumental sculpture which features a man, kneeling before a telescope, but leaning aside to look past, rather than through it. The message here is parallel to yours I think, with the telescope playing a different role in the metaphor - he is setting aside the mediating technology in order to engage directly with the view.
Thank you for writing.
A beautiful meditation on prayer, Peco. I'm particularly moved by the needle and thread analogy of "stitching together the inner and outer person, the spiritual and physical dimensions of our being, while being healed in the process." Lovely, and reminds me of the origins of the word "yoga," which comes from Sanskrit "yuj," meaning "to yoke" or "to unite."
I too have come to appreciate the necessity of prayer as the first resort, not the last, and wrote about it in essay called "Pray First:" https://marypoindextermclaughlin.substack.com/p/pray-first
Thank you for your insights!
I’ve heard a similar etymology for the word “religion”, from the Latin word religare for "to tie, to bind” (not sure if it’s exactly true, so don’t quote me).
Thanks for sharing your piece!
"Lord, teach us to pray..." I wonder if this isn't a kind of New Testament parallel to Solomon's request for Wisdom in 1 Kings when God tells him he can have whatever he wishes from Him. Solomon doesn't ask for riches, fame, the subjugation of his enemies or anything in that vein, but he asks for wisdom/understanding. God is so pleased with this that He grants Solomon not only his request, but all the other, lesser, things he might have asked for as well (riches, honor, etc.) "Teach us to pray" feels like a request very much on the same level of Solomon's prayer. Our deepest need and desire is for God, even if we don't always realize it. So asking for the means of communion with Him is the highest thing we could request. I think God honors that above all the lesser things we might ask for (not that it's wrong to ask other things as well) and if we can pray well and truly, we've gained everything else we truly need besides.
Language…human words, communication, thoughts forming to sounds, symbols, letters and even body motions…what a fascinating and amazing thing when one stops to think on it. Your post helped to ponder this and I’m thankful. As image bearers of God, should it not be seen as a gift from Him? And if so, what of our fiduciary duty?
I’m thinking you’ve hit on this before, but it seems to me our information/knowledge saturated culture cheapens all of it. What should be used to glorify our Creator, love Him, know Him and to love our neighbor is commoditized and even weaponized. Something so core to our humanity as image bearers is being corrupted in a such an amplified and powerful way. This is one of many aspects of AI that “creeps me out” and why I believe we are naive (to be generous) and even perpetuating evil (to be less generous) in thinking we can “handle” this god we have and are creating or even presenting that is “it is good.” I will reread this post again for sure as I consider my prayer life. Thank you for your time to share this…very encouraging in pointing my “telescope” rightly. As I reread my comment here, I wonder how care-ful I have been with my words. I’ll pray about that going forward! Peace.
Wise reflections, Chris. Thank you. And totally agree with, "what a fascinating and amazing thing when one stops to think on it".
A timely piece for me to read. I work with a college ministry and will be sharing a message about prayer this very week so I may reference a few quotes from this piece! 👀 Prayer is both mystery and simplicity. In preparation for my talk I read through N.T. Wright’s book “The Lord and His Prayer” and this paragraph stood to my attention -
“We live, as Jesus lived, in a world all too full of injustice, hunger, malice and evil. This prayer cries out for justice, bread, forgiveness and deliverance. If anyone thinks those are irrelevant in today's world, let them read the newspaper and think again.”
I believe our hearts tend to cry out in prayer more often than our lips do! But I think that if our Lord and Teacher prayed, we should too.
Thank you -- and it's an honor to be referenced in your teaching!
"Some might interpret the brain science as evidence that all mystical experiences, and spiritual experiences more broadly, can be entirely reduced to brain processes."
I used to think that the response to this should be "no.. it isn't... it isn't a brain process!" But when you think about it, every experience involves brain processes. And we can always kill the meaning (life) of a thing by tearing it apart into its components without the proper safeguards (purification).
“…every experience involves brain processes”
Yes – even writing this sentence, or reading it!