Ship of Fools: How do you pray to a great and loving Mystery?

Thread: How do you pray to a great and loving Mystery? Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :

How do you pray to a God who is not an Old Testament patriarch, nor a micro-organiser, nor anything but a great and wonderful and loving Mystery?
Not in words, but in connecting...
I have settled on a body prayer, nightly in the garden, based on Julian of Norwich but somewhat different to her intention.
Mine goes something like this:
Hands together in prayer – acknowledging the holiness of Creation
Hands upraised and apart – I am part of creation, aware of both the nearby sounds, scents, what I can see and what I feel – there is almost always a stirring of air on my face – and the immensity above and beyond.
Arms crossed on my breast – bringing myself into the wholeness of creation.
Hands wide apart at elbow height – this is where I hold in my consciousness those for whom my concern has been aroused during the day, from people I know who are ill or in distress, to those suffering in places of famine or war, to distant or nearby friends and neighbours and family.
Namaste gesture – greeting to those in my thoughts – known or unknown, you are loved and cared about.

When it is my turn to offer intercessions, I write a prayer using words as I would a in poem, but rather than ask god to send help or care, I ask rather that there will be someone to bring comfort, peace, healing.

St Francis' prayer 'Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace...' appeals because instead of asking god to do something it acknowledges that it is in our hands to make a difference.

GG

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :

Sometimes meditating in nature helps for me.

Posted by Martin60 (# 368) on :

Nice one GG. That's part of the jigsaw for me, I'll be putting in to practice again tonight at the soup kitchen. The intercessory prayer that we be God's ears, hearts, minds, wallets, encouragement.

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