Lent – Week 1 - Prayer...
Why do we do this?
“There are as many ways to pray as there are moments in life. Sometimes we seek out a quiet spot and want to be alone, sometimes we look for a friend and want to be together… Sometimes we want to say it with words, sometimes with a deep silence.
In all these moments, we gradually make our lives more of a prayer, and we open our hands to be led by God even to places we would rather not go.” Henri Nouwen
"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord of my soul to keep. If I should die, before I wake, I pray, Lord, my soul to take.”
This is one of the first prayers I was taught. Scary! Every night, I would remember that I might not wake up in the morning and if I didn’t, I needed to pray that God would take my soul. Made sleeping a little difficult!
Of course that prayer was closely followed by the route learning of “Our father who art in heaven…“ Both of these prayers offered quick lessons. Some prayer is private and some prayer is communal.
We are naturally drawn to the idea of prayer. We seek a calm space that gives us a moment to reflect on our own life with God and remember the people who have asked us to pray for them.
Ways to pray are as diverse as there are people in this world. One can pray with words, with beads, while drawing, focus on your breath or in silence.
There are no right or wrong ways to pray even though we easily put pressure on ourselves that there must be a perfect way to pray and we must achieve it.
This quote on prayer from Henri Nouwen simply describes the diversity of spiritual practices. His words are a welcome reminder and he makes no promise of an easy journey, yet neither does he offer little concern of failing a Lenten resolution.
Each of Lent’s 40 days presents opportunities to learn and grow. The path taken is neither smooth nor straight. That is the way to Jerusalem.
May we take the road’s crooked path with curiosity and courage.