July 31, 2009
Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "be opened" and immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released and he spoke plainly. Mark 7:34-35
One of my clandestine learning goals is to learn to pray spontaneously, out loud, in front of others, and comfortably. It's a tall order for me, an Episcopalian, to pray without a book! I read through the Book of Common Prayer, the Ministry To The Sick, and the Enriching Our Worship liturgical books... and I attempt to commit the beautiful language of the collects to memory.
Ha! Memory for me is becoming more elusive every year, so perhaps I need to simply write the prayers on my arm in ink. I could do it the same way my sister wrote our mile-splits for the Chicago Marathon on her arm, guiding us to meet our anticipated qualifying times. Okay, maybe not.
Maybe I can just accept that Jesus sighs and says to me, "Ephphatha," as I enter the patient room. Maybe I can learn to accept what plain speak comes off my tongue then?
How are you "Ephphatha" right now?
The day where the family member was wearing a Jesus T-shirt was certainly a time of Ephphatha for you!
ReplyDeleteI am trying to be more open to affirming that where I am and what I am doing is exactly what I am supposed to be doing. I have a tendency to lay "shoulds" on myself, rather than being open to more possibilities. Today I was a mix of both. I was happiest when I allowed the flow of the day to make the choices for me.