I love this final line: "We must hold the pain of the wounded world while also holding the tenderness of what prayer is—a constant, threaded, gorgeous, tender yet fierce connection to our own spiritual fires and the fire that burns through everything in and around us."
Hi. Thank you so much for this. I've been in the midst of a struggle with the word [it feels so greasy to me as someone who left the evangelical world] and I'm coming to terms with how it looks different for everybody. I've started saying "I'm praying in my way" to the people who value the institution of prayer, and that's helped, too. But this post... thank you for this. It's so good to know the struggle exists among others, too. <3
I don’t know if the link to Facebook song of Lament, listed in my comment above worked. Red Letter Christians alerted me to the link. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Fikzt2xwJ/
I absolutely ADORE the question to the Creator, “how are you doing?” - honestly, THIS is prayer!! 🙏🏼 Contemplating who God is, attempting to think like, feel like, see like the Divine. Excellent essay!
The church speaks of everything about the human experience, but it's exclusively about that. It’s such an anthropocentric view that it turns me off. I don’t want to be judged by whether or not I go to church. I’m in nature every day and my every breath is a prayer. Every living thing deserves our love and attention.
This is so timely and perfectly placed, Kaitlin. As a Christian Minister who also identifies as universalist/Buddhist/Pagan with deep respect and reverence for Judaism, Islam, Bahai’i and so many other spiritualities, the notion and practice of prayer has always fascinated and confounded me. I have always struggled with a case and effect theology of prayer, but resonated with the connective aspect, the dance with the sacred and the mutual interactive nature of love. David Steindl-Rast is a long favorite of mine and whose writing has been so instrumental to my journey, much like yours! Thank you! 🙏🏻
I love this final line: "We must hold the pain of the wounded world while also holding the tenderness of what prayer is—a constant, threaded, gorgeous, tender yet fierce connection to our own spiritual fires and the fire that burns through everything in and around us."
Or? Why are questions often asked as an “or” as if we are trapped into this cosmic consciousness of duality? Maybe harmed by both or neither.
Hi. Thank you so much for this. I've been in the midst of a struggle with the word [it feels so greasy to me as someone who left the evangelical world] and I'm coming to terms with how it looks different for everybody. I've started saying "I'm praying in my way" to the people who value the institution of prayer, and that's helped, too. But this post... thank you for this. It's so good to know the struggle exists among others, too. <3
I don’t know if the link to Facebook song of Lament, listed in my comment above worked. Red Letter Christians alerted me to the link. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Fikzt2xwJ/
Beautiful lament: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Fikzt2xwJ/
Thank you for your words…. I needed to read this
I absolutely ADORE the question to the Creator, “how are you doing?” - honestly, THIS is prayer!! 🙏🏼 Contemplating who God is, attempting to think like, feel like, see like the Divine. Excellent essay!
The church speaks of everything about the human experience, but it's exclusively about that. It’s such an anthropocentric view that it turns me off. I don’t want to be judged by whether or not I go to church. I’m in nature every day and my every breath is a prayer. Every living thing deserves our love and attention.
This is so timely and perfectly placed, Kaitlin. As a Christian Minister who also identifies as universalist/Buddhist/Pagan with deep respect and reverence for Judaism, Islam, Bahai’i and so many other spiritualities, the notion and practice of prayer has always fascinated and confounded me. I have always struggled with a case and effect theology of prayer, but resonated with the connective aspect, the dance with the sacred and the mutual interactive nature of love. David Steindl-Rast is a long favorite of mine and whose writing has been so instrumental to my journey, much like yours! Thank you! 🙏🏻