The Prayer Thread is a collection of teachings and practical prompts to help as we learn to pray in community. This text was originally delivered on June 1, 2022 as a short teaching at our online weekly prayer sit.
As boring as prayer can be, there are also times when prayer is mystical.
Occasionally, the mystical expression of our prayer is larger than life. All traditions tell of visions, dreams, voices, and out-of-body experiences that people of prayer are prone to have. Many of us have at least one, if not a few, of these grand mystical moments in our lifetime. Our whole being gets swept up in a whirlwind of feeling, an illumination of thought, or a fervor of volition and deep desire.
These big mystical moments often happen while we are asleep, when we are out in nature, or when we’ve gathered collectively for retreats and worship. They can sometimes be overwhelming, but also lovely. They serve as stones in the foundation of our faith and our sacred memory of God’s abiding presence.
More common, however, are the ordinary mystical moments—the ones that appear right in line with the normal continuum of daily life. In these moments, we are not swept up and taken away, but gently reminded and tenderly pulled closer to the Source of Life. We can easily recognize the quality of Life: a sense of immediacy, directness, aliveness.
These smaller mystical moments show up in flashes of insight, a sense that all is well in the world, fullness of joy or inspiring gratitude, a smile and ease that come to our face and our body from Beyond. More often than we might credit, prayer is mystical.
