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CHAPTER 1
Crooked Path Prayer
I talk funny. Not as funny as some of y'all do, but my flat Southern I's may fall crooked on some of your ears. I grew up at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, where we learned from an early age that crooked is good.
I'm not talking about the raving racist crooked that hides in dark hollers, but the crooked of muddy mountain trails that teach us to be aware and pay attention. Attention to flowers, to the wind, to our direction.
I pray my Southern voice might keep you aware of the beauty of your own crooked, mountainous path. Aware that slow is good — especially when it comes to growing a camellia or making a coconut cake.
Let me say that one more time: Slow is good.
I pray that while you read this book, you embrace your belovedness as a wandering child of God.
Both lost and found.
Amen.
Beginnings
Definitions
Noun:
The point in time or space at which something begins. The first part or earliest stage of something. The background or origins of a person or organization.
Beginning of Beginning — Ha!
What words and emotions come to mind when you hear the word beginning, beginnings, or begin?
Throughout the Torah of Judaism is the maxim All beginnings are hard, with the explanation that enduring these difficult beginnings leads to transformation. What are examples of this truth?
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth ...
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.
Wisdom of Solomon 6:17
The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction, and concern for instruction is love of her ...
1 John 2:24
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father.
* * *
... to begin a new life afresh ... I replied: we must become somebody who seeks and finds God in all things and at all times, in all places, in all company and in all ways. — Meister Eckhart (C. 1260–1327/8), Christian mystic
A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.
— Amy Tan, The Bonesetter's Daughter
You've got a chance to start out all over again. A new place, new people, new sights. A clean slate. See, you can be anything you want with a fresh start.
— Annie Proulx, The Shipping News
I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them, as I used to spoil my copybooks; and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end. (Jo March)
— Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
For it is only by accepting and solving our problems that we can beginto get right with ourselves and with the world about us, and with Him who presides over us all.
— Alcoholics Anonymous, Step Twelve
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.
— Seneca
* * *
When we consider beginning, we invoke possibility and transformation. No matter what the dark night brings, every morning when we arise, each time we celebrate the Eucharistic feast with the body and blood of Christ, every Easter, we begin again.
What have been the significant beginnings of your life?
How have those beginnings transformed you?
Are there ways you experience endings differently as a result of that transformation?
What are the identifying marks of the many new yous that have been born?
What are ways you have guided others in their beginnings?
* * *
Now is a good time to listen to Semisonic's song "Closing Time," with a nod to Seneca, from 1998.
Ending
Eastering
It was early in my Eastering that day I looked within. Shroud cloths lay discarded round me, Mute evidence — marking end of real time And new beginnings.
Now I stood Naked before the tomb of who I'd tried to be, of who I thought I was.
And tasted the bitter fact I was no longer me.
That diligent, industrious, ever-busy me saw her fibrous web of self-deceit torn away piece by painful piece. Each piece held up for mocking, flogging, self-derision By a self who knows her own truth — Each tattered shroud mocked for the flimsy mask each had always been.
It has been insidious. Shroud upon shroud, layer after layer, year after year. Muffling me, Entangling me, Until that Holy Saturday I gasped for breath God's Breath Holy Breath Praying her inspiration to fill my soul.
I then entombed myself with proper care and purpose until the sound of rolling stone brought me to reality.
Then I fell against my yesterdays, mourning and beating my breast at the falling of each winding cloth, For each proclaimed mask of the person who would never again be me. When I awoke I was empty-tombed. God had drawn me into Resurrection reluctantly, fearfully.
All I could hear was God's soft voice, asking me to yield. In giving my obedience to her will I find myself Rising free from tattered shrouds Rising free from fear Rising free from falseness, As I yield.
Arisen I now awake revealed. Naked, vulnerable, No protective masks separating me from thee.
My tomb lies empty in my Eastering As I move to share Jesus' Resurrection reality.
— The Rev. Diane moore, Women's Uncommon Prayers
Hope
Definitions
Noun:
A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. A person or thing that may help or save someone. Grounds for believing that something good may happen. A feeling of trust.
Verb:
Want something to happen or be the case.
Beginning
List the words, thoughts, emotions you associate with the word hope.
What are the ways hope has, or has not, been active in your life this week?
Hope can be distinguished from other psychological vehicles, such as self-efficacy and optimism.... In contrast to both self- efficacy and optimism, people with hope have both the will and the pathways and strategies necessary to achieve their goals. — Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, Psychology Today (ONLINE)
Havel had said that people struggling for independence wanted money and recognition from other countries; they wanted more criticism of the Soviet empire from the West and more diplomatic pressure. But Havel had said that they were things they wanted; the only thing they needed was hope. Not that pie in the sky stuff, not a preference for optimism over pessimism, but rather an "orientation of the spirit." The kind of hope that creates a willingness to position oneself in a hopeless place and be a witness, that allows one to believe in a better future, even in the face of abusive power. That kind of hope makes one strong.
— Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy (EMPHASIS ADDED), WRITING ABOUT VACLAV HAVEL, First President of the Czech Republic, 1993–2003
* * *
Have you had times of feeling little or no hope? If so, what helped you the most during those times?
In those experiences, how did your relationship with God, the Gospel of Jesus, or your faith sustain you?
Considering the state of politics, job losses, troubling weather patterns, rise of overdoses, and other factors of society, many express increased feelings of hopelessness. What are specific ways the Christian narrative can guide us in being present for people who have lost hope?
* * *
Psalm 39:7
"And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
The language of the psalm associates waiting and hope.
How have you experienced this association in your own life?
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Draw your own Tree of Life. What are the branches of hope that sustain you?
* * *
Ending
God Is Our Hope
God is our hope and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof rage and swell, and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same. There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
— Book of Common Prayer 1979
Fear
Definitions
Noun:
An unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.
Verb:
Be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or harmful.
Archaic:
A mixed feeling of dread and reverence.
Beginning
What are your physical reactions when you hear the word fear?
What are thoughts, emotions that come to mind when you read or hear the word?
How do you differentiate between healthy and unhealthy fear?
There are 524 references to fear in the Bible (bible.oremus.org), so this is not a word easily cast aside. How does fear work in our understanding of the Christian narrative?
Matthew 28:1–10
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
* * *
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
— Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles
You must do the thing you think you cannot do. — Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life
The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear.
— Mahatma Gandhi
Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.
— Yoda, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Storytelling becomes central to conquering fear. It's a way of naming and making sense of fear and imagining different routes out. Storytellers expand the consciousness, waken the sleeping self and give their hearers the words and motifs to use for themselves. Jews tell the story of the Exodus each generation to understand the fears they feel at that moment. Stories create new ways of seeing, which lead to new ways of feeling and thinking.
— David Brooks, New York Times Editorial, April 3, 2015
* * *
Write down ways storytelling and stories have been used to deal with fear in your family of origin, your immediate family, or the tribe you identify as your family. Choose one of those stories to elaborate and share with your group or someone else reading this book. Rewrite your story on pretty paper and save it with other treasures to share one day with your own child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or any child who might cherish your words of strength.
* * *
Ending A Prayer for Today | John Philip Newell November 9, 2016
Be strong, O my soul, Be strong this day To face this moment and feel its pain To cry with our mothers and weep for our daughters To stand by our fathers and sons of colour And defend our true brothers and sisters of the Qu'ran To serve compassion rather than fear To invoke wisdom instead of ignorance To elect humility over false pride Be strong, O my soul, Be strong this day Be strong this day for love.
— HTTP://HEARTBEATJOURNEY.ORG/2016/11/09 /A-PRAYER-FOR-TODAY-JOHN-PHILIP-NEWELL/
Peace Definitions
Noun:
Freedom from disturbance; tranquility. Mental or emotional calm. A state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended. A treaty agreeing peace between warring states. The state of being free from civil disorder. The state of being free from dissension. A ceremonial handshake or kiss exchanged during a service in some Churches (now usually only in the Eucharist), symbolizing Christian love and unity.
Beginning
What are words, phrases, emotions that come to mind when you hear or see the word peace?
List the people, places, things, experiences that bring you peace. What are characteristics or qualities of these people, things that you find peaceful?
How important is peace in our relationships with ourselves, with each other? To what extent should we go to maintain or seek peace?
John 20:19–23
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
* * *
This is not learned by flight from the world, nor is it learned by one who runs away from things, who turns his back on the world and flees into the desert. One must learn to find the solitude within wherever or with whomever he may be.
— Meister Eckhart
1. Universal humanitarianism is essential to solve global problems;
2. Compassion is the pillar of world peace;
3. All world religions are already for world peace in this way, as are all humanitarians of whatever ideology;
4. Each individual has a universal responsibility to shape institutions to serve human needs.
— Dalai Lama XIV, HTTPS:// WWW.DALAILAMA.COM/MESSAGES /WORLD-PEACE/A-HUMAN -APPROACH-TO-WORLD-PEACE
* * *
Using colored pencils or markers, draw your own personal pathway to peace. What does your path look like? Is it convoluted, swirling, straight? Who are the people along your path? Include and describe the parts of the path most meaningful to you — spiritual, relational, professional, social, cultural, environmental, political, educational, psychological. Share your path with someone and discuss what might have surprised you. Are there places on your path that need a Dead End sign, a Yield sign, a big round green light?
* * *
Ending
O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Book of Common Prayer
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O, God, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Joy
Definitions
Noun:
A feeling of great pleasure and happiness. A thing that causes joy.
Beginning
With some joyful crayons or markers, list the people, places, moments, things that bring you joy.
What is the difference between joy and happiness?
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 16:11
You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment; his favour is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 98:4
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Luke 2:10
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people ..."
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Our One Word"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Martha Johnson Bourlakas.
Excerpted by permission of Church Publishing Incorporated.
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