In our heart we initially are likely to call upon God to fix the situation with speedy observable action in answer to our prayers. God sometimes does use the Divine Energy to break into our circumstances, and mysteriously and awesomely alter them, transcend them, and change them in such a way that what we find ourselves facing is something very different. A biblical illustration would be in Mark 2, where a man is cleansed of his leprosy, and the flesh was restored on his hands, he was made new and fresh. These are times when God acts directly, in ways we might call: Miracle. However, I suggest that God does not always, dare I say often, work in this way, but rather in two other ways.

God often acts in what can be called Collaboration. God comes alongside us and activates the wisdom and courage of ourselves and others. God says, “I will solve the problems you are facing with you, instead of for you, in partnership.” A biblical example of collaboration is the story of Mary. She finds herself in a very difficult position of being pregnant and unmarried. The angel Gabriel comes to Mary with the proposal that she was to be the mother of Messiah. Much was being asked of Mary and when the Divine One proposed that she collaborate with him in the doing of this great saving deed, she said “yes.” God made a proposal and Mary said, in effect, “I second the motion.” In times of trouble in our own lives, God helps us in times of trouble by working with and through our spirit and in interactions with doctors, teachers, sages, spiritual leaders, friends, and others in our lives. In seeking answers to our prayers, we can look beyond Miracle to Collaboration.

A third way God acts in response to prayer in times of trouble is to give us the gift of Endurance. These are the times when the Holy One, for purposes of his own, instead of solving things for us, or even offering to work out things with us, comes to us in our quiet and dark places and says, “What I will do is to enable you to endure what will not be changed. The change that comes will be in your spirit, and in all those who are touched by this event, with the gift of endurance. A biblical example is with the “thorn in the flesh” of St. Paul (2 Corinthians 12:7). We don’t know what the thorn is, but I’m sure that Paul begged God to heal it. He probably sought whatever collaborative medical advice was available that day. However, there came a moment of tremendous revelation, where God says to Saint Paul, “The thorn in your flesh is not going to be removed; the situation is not going to be changed, but I will give you grace sufficient to bear it, and to endure that which will not be changed.” In seeking answers to our prayers, we can look beyond Miracle and Collaboration to Endurance.

“Isaiah 40: 28-31: The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless.  Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted, but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Acknowledgement: This article was inspired by listening to a talk given many years ago by Rev. John Claypool, an Episcopalian priest, at an International Anglican Fellowship of Prayer Conference. 

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This is the fourth of a series of articles exploring the use of our senses in connecting with God.

If we restrict our understanding and the practice of prayer as being an activity only of the head, it can be likened to a bird trying to fly with one wing. We would be missing the richness of the use of the senses that God has given us. To “sense” something is to understand and experience life, gaining knowledge and achieving our potential. As we do with the physical world around in touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing, so, too, we can use our senses to learn about and experience God.

In this article we explore the use of our sense of hearing and prayer.

In prayer, we should spend a majority of our time listening to what God is saying to us. I recently heard an interview with author, Ronald Rolheiser, in which he said that when we are faced with decisions or are searching for direction: our head tells us what we should do: our heart tells us what we want to do: and our gut tells us what we must do. God speaks to our head, our heart, and our gut.

My experience is that God often speaks to me through others when they speak to us. Hearing and listening are two different things. We can hear someone talking, but unless we focus and pay attention, and listen they are just noise. When we listen to what is being said we are engaging our mind and spirit on the content. Some of my most meaningful times of prayer have been prompted by listening to others speaking to me in conversation or in a presentation. I also sense God speaking to me when I listen to the reading of scripture or the words of worship services or podcasts,

Another powerful way God speaks is through listening to music. Most often through the sung words of hymns, songs and chants. However, often instrumental music triggers a closeness to God that I do not otherwise achieve. Prayer and Praise go together. In addition to sung words and music, spoken words, meaningful worship, which is, after all, a form of prayer, is often enhanced by such things as bells and singing bowls, all of which can lead to prayer and a powerful full connection to God.

As we use our sense of hearing to listen to God, may we be guided by the Holy Spirit in all that we do.

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In this article we explore the use of our Sense of Smell and Taste in prayer.

We might not immediately identify the sense of smell with prayer. However, incense, which has distinctive aroma, has been employed in worship by Christians since antiquity. The practice is rooted in the earlier traditions of Judaism. The smoke of burning incense is interpreted by both the Western Catholic and Eastern Christian churches as a symbol of the prayer of the faithful rising to heaven, as in Psalm 141, v2: “Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight: the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice.” For many the smell of incense is an invitation to prayer.

Connecting with God through smell is not restricted to worship practices. As we go through our day we smell may things. When we are outside in nature, we are constantly smelling many things: flowers; vegetation; earth; and trees (I love the smell of pine trees). Sometimes we can smell the presence of animals and birds, although sometimes those smells are not particularly pleasant. Triggered by smells of nature, we can offer prayers in prayer to God, the Creator.

Our sense of taste is connected with our sense of smell. One of my favourite smells is the aroma of food that is being cooked and served as meal, as I anticipate the taste of it. I try and say a prayer of thanksgiving (“Grace”) at least once a day before a meal. But we can also be thankful silently during and after a meal. Triggered by the smell and taste of food, we thank God for the many blessings we have been given. Every time we eat or drink there is an opportunity to offer prayers of thanksgiving.

Eating the bread and drinking the wine in a Eucharist celebration is, in itself, an act of prayer invoking out sense of taste. In some Eucharistic liturgies we are invited to “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” invoking the sense of taste. A useful practice might be to thank God for the bounty of creation or offer thanks for the gift of Jesus, as the bread touches our lips. As we swallow the wine, we might thank God for the sacrifice of Jesus and God’s forgiveness.

Smell and taste can be powerful ways for us to realize that God is in everything and loves us unconditionally.

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In this article, we explore the use of our sense of sight and prayer. Severing a major link with the physical world by closing our eyes is not a precondition of prayer. Reading words is the most obvious and common use of the sense of sight in prayer. Reading scripture, spiritual classics, and articles by Christian authors often leads us into prayer. Many people begin their meditation sessions by reading a written selection before meditating in silence.

Another way of using our sense of sight is the use of visible images to serve as invitations to prayer. Many of us feel the presence of God powerfully when we are in nature with our eyes seeing the wonder of creation. We decorate our churches with objects that should be invitations to prayer. Another form of using our sense of sight in prayer is the use of icons. Sacred icons serve as bridges to Christ. The Eastern Christian churches are noted for their extensive use of icons. When praying with icons it is not the image itself that is important, it is letting the image be the bridge between us and God. It is the vehicle for God to speak to us. Praying with icons is a receiving form of prayer. Most often praying with icons is done in a quiet place, letting God’s spirit connect directly with our spirit.

As we go about our daily lives, we see evidence of God’s work everywhere. We revel in the created works of nature. We see evidence of God working through people to create great works of art and constructed homes and buildings, to name a few.

We are encouraged to see God in everything we see.

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If we restrict our understanding and the practice of prayer as being an activity only of the head, it can be likened to a bird trying to fly with one wing. We would be missing the richness of the use of the senses that God has given us. To “sense” something is to understand and experience life, gaining knowledge and achieving our potential. As we do with the physical world around in touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing, so, too, we can use our senses to learn about, and experience. God.

In this article we explore the use of our sense of touch and prayer.

There are several ways of using the sense of touch in prayer, and most often we are inclined to our hands. Often people will hold on to a small cross, or other small smooth object when they pray. We can also hold a Bible in our hands, either open at a particular scripture passage, or just closed resting in our hands, to connect to the Divine Presence. It is a way of focusing on God and bringing Jesus into the particular time and space of the prayer.

For centuries, people have used prayer beads as an aid to prayer. The action of feeling the beads and moving from one bead to another provides an internal rhythm. Feeling the shape, the texture, the size of the beads, and the spaces around them relaxes and helps focus our attention, which then brings us into greater silence and into contemplation, before God. There is an Anglican Rosary (pictured here) that is a blending of the Marian (Roman Catholic) Rosary and the Orthodox Jesus Prayer Rope.

Our sense of touch is not restricted to our hands. Our sense of touch extends to all parts of our body. Those in need of healing of body mind and/or spirit often find the comfort of God’s presence using a prayer shawl, which has been knitted by hand, blessed by a priest, and given to them with a prayer.

We are encouraged to feel God in everything we touch.

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Regularity and Accountability

In today’s culture, the busyness of life, instant communications, constant interruptions, and seemingly endless choices, make it difficult to establish any sort of routine.  While we can’t control the world around us, we can control our reaction to it.  For our spiritual sanity and growth, we can put some regularity into our prayer life, our way of learning, our fellowship life, and our worship life.  Regularity and self-discipline do not mean rigidity. We need to be accountable to God, to ourselves, to others we know, to the Church, and to the world we live in.

The Way of Prayer

A Christian Way of Life includes a regular time for quiet prayer.  We are all unique; consequently, the ways in which we regularly practise prayer will be different.  Regular times of prayer and meditation are an essential ingredient in a Way of Life.

The Way of Study and Reflection

St. Paul said, “Have this mind in you which is in Christ Jesus.”  A Christian Way of Life involves nurturing our mind, seeking the truth through study and reflection.  Prayerful studying Scripture, and the writings of others, is essential to spiritual growth.  There are many resources available these days, but discipline and care are needed to choose those things that are useful for our inner growth. 

The Way of Fellowship

The Way of the Christian Life is not a solitary endeavour.  It involves the fellowship, encouragement, and companionship of others.  Probably the best way to practise the Way of Fellowship is to be part of a small Christian fellowship group.  Such things as participating in a regular Bible Study, being part of a Prayer Group, belonging to what the Cursillo Community calls a Group Reunion, are good ways of regularly praying, learning from each other and encouraging each other.

The Way of Worship 

The Christian life leads into the whole experience of the Body of Christ; a Way of Life always includes the corporate worship of the Church.  The Christian who establishes a Way of Life comes to the liturgical acts of the Church (worship) with the fervour that makes them spiritually alive and also ignites the faith of others. 

The Way of Christian Action 

The Christian Way of Life is not solely one of belief and trust in God; it is the way of getting beyond ourselves and serving others.  It is a Way of responding to the needs of others and showing the world what the Christian response is to the troubles and needs of those less fortunate than ourselves.  Our Mission is to help others and to bring the Christian message of love, reconciliation, and peace to those whom we encounter. 

One can find a more extensive discussion of “The Way of Life” on the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer website at: https://anglicanprayer.org/index.

A Prayer for Diocesan Synod

Holy God,

the navigator of our souls,

hear us as we hold up before you

the Synod of our Diocese.

Be with us in our yearning

to chart a new course together,

inspired by the presence of your Spirit.

Give courage to our Bishop,

all of our leaders, and each of us,

as we move forward

with your blessing.

For all we do, we do to your glory,

in Jesus’ name.

Paul Dumbrille is diocesan representative to the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer.

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PWRDF invites you into a Lenten Conversation 

As the focus of the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) Creation Care: Climate Action education program moves into its second year, now centering on gender, three women who participated in COP26 have been invited to enter into a Lenten conversation. Join Stephanie (Taddy) Stringer (PWRDF Montreal), Karri Munn-Venn (Senior Policy Analyst with Citizens for Public Justice, Ottawa) and Rev. Alecia Greenfield (Church of the Holy Cross, Vancouver) on this year’s journey to the cross, beginning on Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2022. 

Learn more and subscribe to your daily Lenten reflection at pwrdf.org/Lent2022.

Diocese of Toronto study program

The Diocese of Toronto is kindly sharing its “Ecological Grief and Creational Hope: A Lent Curriculum for All Ages.”  It is posted on its Creation Care page here.   

KAIROS challenge still effective

KAIROS’ Climate Action Month’s 30 day challenge from 2020.

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The prayer is contained within the Sermon on the Mount, and in the lead-in to it  Jesus says, “Pray then this way.” What follows outlines Jesus’ approach to prayer – that is how to pray, not necessarily what we should pray for. The central themes Jesus articulates here are threefold: praise, petitions, and thanksgiving.  It focuses succinctly on two agendas —God’s and ours—and it places priority on the Kingdom message and doing God’s will. Perhaps during Lent, we can use the Lord’s Prayer to broaden how we pray, not just what we pray for.

Our Father in Heaven
This clearly identifies to whom the prayer is addressed: God, who is our parent. We are all children of God. Pray with simplicity, as a child would, for peace and fellowship with people throughout the world.

Hallowed be your name
Here the word “name” stands for God. The ancient English word “hallowed” means “holy.” This phrase in contemporary English might be better said as, “Holy are you, O God.”  We are to recognize the utter difference between humanity and God: only God is holy. Pray with humility to recognize what is false and ask for guidance to reject it. 

Pray with love for those who teach and guide us to recognize truth, and what is holy.

The prayer then continues with five petitions.

Your Kingdom come
This recognizes the priority that Jesus places on the message that he is ushering in a new Kingdom, in which love, compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation are paramount. 

Pray with conviction for a stronger faith to live as God would have us live, and that this message will spread throughout the world.

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
What Jesus means by “God’s will” is indicated throughout the Sermon on the Mount. It encompasses a call to excellence in living: showing mercy; being hungry for righteousness; eager for spiritual nourishment; and striving to make peace among people and parties in conflict.  The sphere of our actions is “on earth.” Jesus asks us to recognize that we have a role to play, working in conjunction with God, to help establish his Kingdom. It is not a prayer that leaves everything up to God, but rather represents a partnership arrangement. 

Pray with trust for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in understanding what God wants us to realize, what actions are required in our own lives to serve others, and what is needed to bring peace and love, growing God’s Kingdom.

Give us this day our daily bread
This segment of the prayer turns to the human agenda. It includes all the essentials that are required to get through the day. 

Pray with expectation for your needs and the needs of others for: spiritual growth; emotional development; intellectual maturity; and physical requirements. Pray with thanksgiving for all the blessings we receive.

Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors
Debts/debtors, in this context, is otherwise translated as sins or trespasses. Whichever word is used, it tells us that there is much that we need to do to be part of God’s Kingdom, and to recognize that we fail short in our tasks, as others will also fail. 

Pray with humility for forgiveness from God when we, and others, have fallen short and have shown prejudice, unkindness. selfishness, and hate.

And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one
This is a plea for help with avoiding despair, desperation, despondency, and-all the things that remove us from vibrant participation in God’s Kingdom and deprive us of the ability to think not only of ourselves, but also of others. 

Pray with confidence for God’s presence when you are tested, when you are tempted to do wrong or fail to do the right thing. 

Pray with certainty to receive God’s strength when tempted to follow ways that dishonour God.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever
Matthew ends the prayer without this ending. However, we usually finish by acknowledging God’s power and purpose.  

Pray with anticipation, acknowledging that what we ask for is God’s to give, and asking for guidance about what we can give. Ask for God’s help when we are in doubt or lose trust in God’s Divine Presence in all things.

Amen
We usually end our prayers with the word that in Hebrew means “So be it; truly”.

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Humility—Prayer is not merely outward. It is not about optics, looking holy, or winning other people’s admiration or positive attention.

Matthew 6:1. Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Internal—Prayer happens inside of us. It has an interior dimension. The “secret place” is a metaphor for the heart.

Matthew 6:5-6. And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Silence—In prayer we need not always “babble on”. More words spoken out loud do not make God hear us better. Prayer is not about “more-words-the-better”. “Less is more” begins to capture the quality of silence in prayer practice. 

Matthew 6:7-8. When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Trust—Prayer is not so much about asking God for things, because God already knows what we need before we ask, but rather sharing what is on our heart. We begin prayer already trusting in the faithfulness of the Divine Presence to us.

Matthew 6:8. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Spirituality—We need to go beyond material wellbeing alone and give priority to the spiritual treasures of the kingdom of God. In prayer and in our discipleship, we need not deny, but learn to value what is not accessible merely by our senses or obtained by our efforts to acquire and amass things.

Matthew 6:19-21. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Peace—We need to learn to stop worrying about the future and to trust in God. Anxiety is not conducive to prayer. Anxiety makes us too self-centred and prevents us from realizing the gift of love already in our hearts.

Matthew 6:25-32, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them ……..Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?…….” 

Attention­‚­­—Prayer is about “setting the mind on God’s kingdom first.” In other words, be present to this moment. Be attentive and mindful that prayer is not about quantity (i.e., saying prayers that sound great) as much as it is about quality (i.e. paying attention to what is on our heart).

Matthew 6:33. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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