PeaceBang
The manic mind of the minister -- Auntie Mame Meets Cotton Mather. Blogging about Unitarian Universalism, UU Christian spiritual practice, occasional cultural and political ravings, and the inner life of ministry. PeaceBang is the alter ego of a small town pastor serving an historic New England Unitarian Universalist congregation.
Prayer Falls Like Rain
July 22, 2007 on 11:24 pm | In Liturgy, Spiritual Practice |I’m such a Jesus freak that I went to church TWICE today: to a United Methodist Church in the morning and to an evening service at a UCC/Disciples of Christ church.
I got to sing “It Is Well With My Soul” and “Blest Be The Tie That Binds” and “In the Garden” and “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” and the usual Halle, Halle and “Thank you Lord” responses. Both of the services use a lot of music and I’m getting inspired with some ideas for my own congregation.
At the morning service I went up to kneel at the altar during the prayer. I haven’t done this yet but I felt drawn to do so today and was glad I did, as Sister Chantal brought down the Holy Spirit in a fierce manner and just about knocked me over. Some people have the words for prayer, and some people have the spirit for prayer, but rarely does someone have both the words and the spirit together in a passionate, authentic, poetic and powerfully invocational way. That’s a gift we rarely get to see in the Unitarian Universalist tradition, where we mostly compose our prayers (if we indeed call them that or give anything like a prayer in our worship services) ver-ry carefully and with much forethought.
I thought, man, if I’m having a bad week in the faith department, it sure does help to know that someone like Chantal is out there believing hard enough for both of us.
And I realized that her faith was an act of love. I had never thought of it like that before. It had never occurred to me that when you or I show up to church feeling like “meh, I’m just not feeling anything particularly god-like in the universe lately,” someone like Chantal might also show up and not just suggest, but TELL you that God is a Father who loves and cares for you, will never forsake you, who has made us promises about justice and mercy that He will never break, and that we are yes we ARE living in a creation that God hath made and has pronounced GOOD.
The little hamster wheels in your head finally stop turning for one blessed Sabbath moment as she claims that yes God leads you paths of righteousness and anoints your head with oil and that you WILL dwell in the house of the Lord forever, amen, and amen. Something in your remembers this. Something about this sounds eminently logical, in fact.
There is such love in naming reality in this way for a community of people who come seeking spiritual bread for the journey. What generosity, I have to think, in pouring forth the convictions of one’s own heart with such fervent inclusion; i.e., “I know I am living in the embrace of the Holy and I know that you are, too. I know that God is blessing all of us today.”
There was a time I would have listened to that prayer with critical ear, wondering “how much of this do I believe?” But I have changed. Now I simply bow my head and let the words fall like rain on my parched head that is so often bone-dry from all the thinking, thinking, thinking.
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Way to listen in tongues, sister.
Comment by Carmelita — July 23, 2007 #
Thank you for such a moving piece, Peace Bang.
I remember reading a book by Robert Fulghum called Uh-oh where he discusses his own spiritual awakening. Oddly enough, it came, of all places, in a grocery store in Pocatello, Idaho.
As he walked the length of the store, he saw prophetic messages in the otherwise banal and sublime.
That story has always stuck out to me because there have been times like you discussed where I have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit so powerfully. Mere words cannot express the feeling of calm that washed over me.
It doesn’t happen all the time, but it happens enough for me to never question its authenticity.
Comment by Comrade Kevin — July 23, 2007 #
I know that some will take your experience of prayer as an unfortunate, religion driven, suspension of your critical thinking faculties. (Or at least this is what I anticipate them saying, based on my experience with the hard-core secular humanist types). But I often find that powerful prayer is kindred to both powerful poetry and powerful artwork, and both are not exactly rational. They are both subjective, provocative, emotional and rooted in a kind of very human experience that is not exactly rational. Therefore over thinking the experience misses the point of many of those prayers, poetry, and artwork.
I once had an experience VERY simmilar to yours, while visiting a mostly African-American UCC congregation in Ohio that was also about one-third gay/lesbian. It was a baptism of the Spirit in many ways, and an act of compassion for those of us who came to church feeling overwhelmed by the worlds injustices and sufferings.
Comment by Derek — July 23, 2007 #
Ah, Amen.
That is perhaps one of the things I find most comforting in my Episcopalian tradition, most of our prayers say “we” and even on days when I’m not sure I believe, I know that “we” do, and that’s enough.
Comment by Tandaina — July 23, 2007 #
This is gorgeous. I could use a good visit with Sister Chantal myself.
Comment by Mrs. M — July 23, 2007 #
Amen, sister. What a beautiful reflection.
I was just talking at our little summer worship service last evening about the power of remembering that we can offer blessings, and how much we can renew our own spirits in offering blessings to others. Wouldn’t it be great if we all could find a little Sister Chantal in us and spread that glory around?
Comment by Pastor P — July 23, 2007 #
I’m such a Jesus freak…
Ironically I’m listening to “Jesus Freak” by DC Talk. A very catchy song.
I just got back from the UU Midwest Leadership School at Beloit College, and that experience was not without much conflict for me. I boycotted the theology lecture twice because of, what I consider, excessive “Us vs. Them” language and I was asked to consider toning down a guided meditation I conducted at my Worship Groups service. Of coursed I didn’t tone anything down, and it was very well received. *Sigh*
I love “God Language,” and I wonder when people are going to be sensitive towards me with their “Atheist Language.”
Comment by David Kling — July 29, 2007 #
Oh Amen to that, Pastor P! PeaceBang, Found my way to you via Mrs. M’s comment on Grace-thing’s blog. I’m thinking for us Episcopalians, the “we” is good but I find myself wishing we were a bit more willing to be that sure and outspoken in our proclamations of the Spirit. And not worry so much about what the neighbors think.
Comment by RevDrKate — July 29, 2007 #
I love this post.
After a CPE summer ministering to mostly Pentacostal and Baptist patients from Harlem and the Bronx, I have learned a great deal about faith and prayer that I could not have learned in my Episcopalian world.
Sometimes you just have to drop the prepared and carefully analyzed language and JUST SAY IT already!
Comment by Sophia — August 3, 2007 #