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 May 28, 2024 as a short teaching at our online weekly prayer sit.
The earth is composed of many layers. From core, to mantle, to crust, to topsoil, to atmosphere, each concentric layer serves a distinct purpose in supporting life. Similarly, prayer is complex, with many layers. From the layers of a specific form of prayer, such as lectio divina, to the layers that accumulate over a lifetime, prayer also sustains the flourishing of life.
The earth is diverse. Under, on, and above its surface, millions of species form bio communities, each distinct in its location and make-up, dependent upon the particular set of interactions in each given place to balance and renew the face of the earth. Similarly, prayer is diverse. From the changes that occur over the period of one lifetime; to the myriad of forms found in any single tradition; to the cacophony of rituals, places, and actions that are found across religious traditions all over the world; the variety of sound and color and taste and touch in prayer also balances and renews the human spirit.
Earth is ordinary and tangible. Even in its complexity and diversity, its singular, simple task is to sustain life. Though the forces at work in it are amazing, they are also natural and normal. Similarly, in prayer, the supernatural and para-normal, while maybe interesting, are not necessary daily ingredients. The life of prayer keeps on through the ordinary, repetitious and tactile as it may be.
Like earth, may we, in our prayer, become sacred vessels for sustaining and renewing life!
