Praying

Acts 1:12-17, 21-26

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

The book of Acts is set after the death of Jesus when the tight-knit community of Jesus followers were trying to figure out what happened. From the joyous entry into Jerusalem on “Palm Sunday” to Jesus’ betrayal at the hand of a close friend, to a trial, death sentence, and crucifixion, his friends weren’t anticipating such a dismal end to the whole Jesus project.

What I find so moving, is that in the midst of what may be a mixture of grief, disbelief, anger, questioning, discouragement, etc., they were "constantly devoting themselves to prayer."

What kind of prayer? Perhaps they were in individual agony.

If prayer was constant perhaps they found a rhthym that brought insight and peace.

Did they prayer in groups separated by gender?

Or, did they gather in communal prayer as people in the town of Ramzan did?

As someone who has prayed for years in so many different manifestations, I have less to say about prayer, and a greater sense of mystery. Prayer can be spoken, silent, walked, run, soft, raging, traditional, progressive, contemplative, justice seeking, listening, communal, individual, sung, shouted, seen, felt, tasted, . . . 

Recently, I have joined prayer and art in a process that is unfolding. I enjoy finding others who have traveled along a creative prayer road such as Hali Karla, a nurse, artist, and earth-centered palliative care companion.

In a sacred painting process she took prayers of 40 women and painted/prayed those prayers to create:

To see Hali at work on this painting go HERE

Our Advent Exploration questions for today are: What is prayer for you? What new prayer practice do you want to explore?