creative prayer
prayer is a great mystery.
It is the way we approach the Eternal, and yet it is not something to be grasped or understood.
We want to experience God, to know and be known, to deeply feel our belovedness, and yet we do not often know where to begin.
“If God is a mighty River in which we are reticent to swim,
true prayer is a letting go of the banks and letting ourselves be carried away.”
We live in and with and through the Spirit. Truly we are never without the presence of God, and prayer is more the removal of obstacles, than the adoption of practices.
Even so, we need tangible experiences of connection. In our humanness we desire practices to do our way into being, and I believe Divine Presence, ever open to our humble offerings and attempts, opens in compassion to our seeking, ready to be found by us.
“The contemplative potential...is the capacity to gradually unfold into intimacy with God.”
To bring ourselves into a posture of prayer, we can engage with art materials, prayer beads, silence, sacred texts and poetry, movement or walking meditation, contemplative practices such as centering prayer and lectio divina, music and singing, journaling, and the natural world. Each prayer practice opens us to the Spirit in a unique way, and no one way of praying is better or more holy than another.
In spiritual direction, workshops, small groups, or retreats, I would love to guide you in discovering the ways that your deepest self wants to unfold.
“The opening circle with poems and language around water and flow and questions to ponder were a wonderful start to the day. I spent most of my time working with found poetry. I came with a very specific focus in mind and one of the books was just what I needed. I did about five activities using the pages. They spoke profoundly to belonging and my identity as one who can extend the boundaries for others.”
