Letting go of words in prayers has been a large shift in my prayer life. So often I have no idea what to ask for, but I take comfort in the promise in Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.”
Hearing your honest thoughts about your faith is such a boon to mine. Thank you for putting this out in the world for us. I know it must leave you feeling at least a little vulnerable each time.
Beth, I love your embrace of questions... One of my mantras — advice I often told my preaching students — is the following: "There is more truth in a well-phrased question than in any number of so-called answers."
Questions open us up to new insight and growth. Answers keep us tied to the past.
I’m a hymn cryer these days- something about singing with people really beautiful words just wrecks me. And I honestly can never get through this one “Kyrie Eleison on our world and on our way
Kyrie Eleison ev'ry day
That we may live out
Your impassioned response
To the hungry and the poor
That we may live out
Truth and justice and grace
Let us pray to the Lord
Let us pray to the Lord”
Also it cracks me up that my husband nudges me every time “grace” is said during a service.
I feel the same way about church services. "It’s good to participate in rituals that have endured throughout time and space." Hits very close to home. And the same way about prayer. I often think about the line in Little Women where Jo says, "I could only say ‘I’m glad, I’m glad!’ and didn’t that do just as well as a prayer? For I felt a good many in my heart.” I *feel* a great many prayers far more often than I *traditionally pray* actual prayers. Always have.
I heard from a church leader that he had never attending a boring Sabbath meeting. He suggested that we don't wait upon the sermon or the service to be not boring, instead bringing ourselves and our love for each other and for God to add to the service. Thanks, as always, for your words!
The Catholic tradition refers to attending Mass on Sundays as an obligation. I suppose that word "obligation" could seem heavy, but I've thought of it in the terms you are using here, Beth. It takes the decision off the table, making sure we spend at least one hour a week focusing on larger meaning, with people we didn't choose.
Thank you for this Beth I am going to print and paste in my journal for daily meditation 🩵 (and now I don’t feel so guilty about not loving Sunday worship service but doing my best to get there anyway)
Hi Beth. I love the Thoughts and Prayers. I just listened to David Frum interviews his wife about her new book, How to Survive Losing a Child. You ans Sarah have touched on grief before. Would you consider trying to have David and Danielle on?
Letting go of words in prayers has been a large shift in my prayer life. So often I have no idea what to ask for, but I take comfort in the promise in Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.”
It’s my favorite verse
I think too many of us discount Holy Spirit- and I have always loved how raw this verse is.
Hearing your honest thoughts about your faith is such a boon to mine. Thank you for putting this out in the world for us. I know it must leave you feeling at least a little vulnerable each time.
🫶 I so appreciate this and am so glad it connects with you
Beth, I love your embrace of questions... One of my mantras — advice I often told my preaching students — is the following: "There is more truth in a well-phrased question than in any number of so-called answers."
Questions open us up to new insight and growth. Answers keep us tied to the past.
I’m a hymn cryer these days- something about singing with people really beautiful words just wrecks me. And I honestly can never get through this one “Kyrie Eleison on our world and on our way
Kyrie Eleison ev'ry day
That we may live out
Your impassioned response
To the hungry and the poor
That we may live out
Truth and justice and grace
Let us pray to the Lord
Let us pray to the Lord”
Also it cracks me up that my husband nudges me every time “grace” is said during a service.
I feel the same way about church services. "It’s good to participate in rituals that have endured throughout time and space." Hits very close to home. And the same way about prayer. I often think about the line in Little Women where Jo says, "I could only say ‘I’m glad, I’m glad!’ and didn’t that do just as well as a prayer? For I felt a good many in my heart.” I *feel* a great many prayers far more often than I *traditionally pray* actual prayers. Always have.
I heard from a church leader that he had never attending a boring Sabbath meeting. He suggested that we don't wait upon the sermon or the service to be not boring, instead bringing ourselves and our love for each other and for God to add to the service. Thanks, as always, for your words!
The Catholic tradition refers to attending Mass on Sundays as an obligation. I suppose that word "obligation" could seem heavy, but I've thought of it in the terms you are using here, Beth. It takes the decision off the table, making sure we spend at least one hour a week focusing on larger meaning, with people we didn't choose.
Thank you for this Beth I am going to print and paste in my journal for daily meditation 🩵 (and now I don’t feel so guilty about not loving Sunday worship service but doing my best to get there anyway)
Hi Beth. I love the Thoughts and Prayers. I just listened to David Frum interviews his wife about her new book, How to Survive Losing a Child. You ans Sarah have touched on grief before. Would you consider trying to have David and Danielle on?