August 31, 2009Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to prayer from this place. 2 Chron 6:40
I love this idea of asking God to open Love's eyes and ears... as if the Holy One is not already attentive to prayer... that's my humanity. I find myself hoping and wishing and praying that the Divine hears the prayers that rise from this place, even while I have faith that I don't need to remind God. I sound a bit loony.
Every morning when we do "Morning Report," the one who was on call the previous night says a brief meditation and follows it with a prayer. It's a wonderful way to start the day - in community, in prayer, bowing our heads in common voice and similar stance towards God. This morning's prayer, offered up by my colleague, spoke in my heart about asking for God's attention to our place.
And even when we are not in formal, on-purpose prayer, I find myself asking for Emmanuel's guidance and attention to prayer that rises from this place. In our class on Pastoral Images, we spoke at length about ways that Chaplains "do" and "be" pastoral ministers. About how we must be a bit loony to do this work, how we sometimes can't really define what it is we "do," and about how sacred this work is when we simply name what is happening in 'this place.'
How about you - right now: How are you attentive to prayer rising from "this place"?
Our neighbor became a grandmother this week. Her grandson was born 6 weeks early. My neighbor left the news as a message on the phone. When I saw that her car was home, I wanted to run over and congratulate her and chat. But I realized she probably has not had much sleep, so I held them in my heart and stayed home. I watched for her to come outside, which she often does on ordinary days, but she didn't ever appear, which makes me think that just being was the right thing to "do."
ReplyDeleteWell, I finally figured out how to respond again, but put the above comment in the wrong spot! It was supposed to have gone with the one with the picture of a pile of stones!
ReplyDeleteWhat strikes me from "A Bit Loony" is that the one who has been working for many hours and through the wee hours is the one to offer a meditation and a prayer! My immediate thought is that someone more rested should do it. But then I realized that the one coming right from having been on call is the most raw and therefore open "place." This is a great "place" from which to meditate and pray !
what gets my attention is the unique language and conversation that each resident brings to the prayer time. Beautiful! And I love your fish picture. I crown you the new google image queen!!
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