Walking Together, Hearing the Holy

THIS WEEK AT FIRST PRES 9-25-08
Since the beginning of the year, the Session has been reading a book about various prayer practices by Daniel Wolpert. It’s a lovely book, accessible but not lacking in depth. This month our chapter was on 'walking prayer'.
Generally, we talk about what we have been reading, perhaps we share stories about how this practice has (or has not) been useful for us. This time, I invited them to actually engage in the practice we were discussing. I encouraged them to leave the table and our meeting room, and to go out into the semi-darkness to walk and pray.

I gave them 3 suggestions: they could let the buildings of the church campus guide their prayer, or I suggested they might want to pray for the neighborhood. Or, I said, they could concentrate on being present, and try to notice what it’s like for them to slow down and walk at a measured pace. (I also said that they could trust the Spirit, and do ‘none of the above’ if they wished.) I turned them loose for just over 10 minutes to walk silently.

When they came back, it was so lovely to hear their reflections, to listen to where they had been led and spoken to.

One of them, who is a hard-facts, bottom-line kind of guy, recalled taking his trash out the week before, and being stopped in his tracks by the incredible moon as it hung there in the sky, reminding him of the presence of the Holy.

One of them found herself thinking of all the saints whom she had known in this congregation who were no longer with us, the great cloud of witnesses encouraging us in our ministry.

One of them found herself praying for the neighborhood and its families- and one of them crossed the street before her, children jostling and giggling as happy children do, while grownups shepherded them safely to the other curb. She sensed God’s love for such families.

One of them began by wishing he felt more of God’s presence in prayer, but then remembered God is always present, and ended up praying for awareness- for his ability to recognize and respond to God’s presence.

One of them became aware that this place which is our spiritual home is a gift to the neighborhood just by being here, that our presence (and God’s presence among us) is a gift.

And one of them prayed for the people who lived in the houses across the street. Are we doing enough, he wondered, to invite them to join us? Have we walked across the street to ask them?

I was touched by how connected I felt to these people. We were out there alone, walking independently, not speaking to one another, yet it was clear to me that we were deeply connected as we listened together for the Voice that gives us life and gives meaning to our work as a Session.

Words of beauty and of reassurance, reminders of our heritage and our call.
Words of comfort and of challenge and of discovery.
It was a powerful gift to recognize the voice of God speaking to each of us differently,
And to all of us as a community.

Surely God is in this place.
Holy Ground.

See you on Sunday~

Sandy