Advent Word 18 - Pray
One of the ancestors said:
“Pray without ceasing.”
It’s not an invitation to speak without taking a breath.
It’s more of an invitation to take a breath.
It’s a challenge to allow the heart to break open,
And to make the world safe enough for people to allow their hearts to break open.
Pray without ceasing-
Let there be an inward and outward flow of the heart
To and from God
To and from others
To and from not just the deepest singular self,
But all the selves of time past and times to come
The child who wasn’t listened to
The body that wasn’t honored
The successful one who will or won’t be praised
The visionary one who still dreams
The hopeful and frightened ones together
Prayer makes room
In that sense it is the deepest form of trust
That what will enter in will not ultimately harm
But will reveal a path to more healing.
Won’t you invite it in?
"It’s a challenge to allow the heart to break open"
In these times this feels like a courageous step as so many people's hearts are heavy and breaking.
It feels like the prayer should be the courage to allow your heart to break open, the courage to not be afraid, the courage to name what makes you weary this season.