Spirit of Life, come unto me. Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion. Blow in the wind, rise in the sea; move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice. Roots hold me close; wings set me free; Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me.
The hymn “Spirit of Life” was written by Carolyn McDade as a prayer, and for many years it has been one of the most frequently sung UU hymns. I believe that it opened a door to prayer for UUs across our theological diversity. Today we heard a rainbow of prayers. It is what you hear in multicultural congregation
“Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.” This is a prayer that I learned in 1986 while walking across the country for nuclear disarmament. On another walk in 92, there were many Japanese Buddhists. Every day drumming and chanting all day long. I liked to use our walking time for the sacred UU practice of having intelligent discussions. I felt annoyed, and just wanted them to shut up.
Sawada Shone was the only monk who whenever he saw a dead animal on the side of road, he would break ranks, bow and offer their prayer to the animal. Often, he would remove the carcass from the road. None of the monks would ever translate their prayer, calling only a prayer for peace.
Two years later, I was working in my yard in a terrible mood. My mind was slave to anger and resentment. Peace seemed far far away. Out of nowhere, “that” chant rose up from inside me and brought me a great sense of peace. In the years since then, I’ve gone on many more walks and spent many days at peace pagodas since then. And yes, I participated in countless hours drumming and chanting.
Here’s another prayer that impressed me: Dear Lord, So far today, I am doing all right. I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or self-indulgent. I have not whined, yelled or cursed. I haven’t eaten any sweets. I have not charged on my credit card.
However, in a few minutes, I am going to get out of bed. I will need a lot more help after that. Amen.
I’m not sure why prayers usually seem devoid of humor. Many traditions give specific and detailed instructions for prayer. I guess that has contributed to the phenomenon that prayers are done with a strict and serious tone. It’s like when people go to talk to G*d, they take on a very different persona. Maybe it means that people are getting serious about making a change? IDK.
Years ago, I worked as a package handler for Fed Ex. The guys I worked with cussed all the time. Put downs, offensive jokes and ribbing were the norm. One day in the break room, religion or God was mentioned. A sudden change came over the group. It was weird. They were same tough guys jockeying for position. G*d and religion had become the next game.
Why do people act strangely around religion, and when praying? By strangely I mean seeming to lack authenticity. Must humor, joy or creativity be banned from our prayer life? Perhaps it has to do with the fact that many religions teach of a punishing god. If you were raised Christian, you learn that having a heretic belief, could land you in hell for an eternity of fire and gnashing of teeth.
If that’s what we learned, it could interfere with our ability to approach the topic of prayer with a relaxed attitude and open mind! Please let’s remember the freedom of this religious community. Question, doubt, and discussion and theological diversity are welcome!
Whether your theological belief system is similar or very different from mine, I celebrate your place in this congregation. You might be an extreme theist, extreme atheist or occupy some creative place between. We affirm right of conscience and eschew coercion in religious matters. I hope that you hear today something that enables fresh thinking about prayer. You might even consider trying some on for some size.
If your idea of prayer is the person who asks Sky Daddy to use his superpowers to grant personal favors, this service and this sermon demonstrate that there are other ways to pray and think of prayer!
When I lead prayer, I invite you to enter into a spirit of prayer in whatever way is meaningful to you. And you’re free to decline the invitation. You can decide for yourself what meaning you will give to religious concepts like prayer. You could accept the invitation to join in a spirit of prayer, by reaching for your best consciousness. Or you may substitute the word meditation. Meditation can be considered a form of prayer, and prayer a form of meditation.
When I was in seminary, an Episcopal Priest said “Unitarians pray To Whom It May Concern.” I was excited that he seemed to grasp our humble approach. “Yes!, I said emphatically. Unfortunately, his comment was not intended as a compliment. I guess it doesn’t match the regal quality of Episcopalian religion. Perhaps he thought that “To Whom It May Concern” was no way to address the father of creation!
I do think that reverence in prayer is a good way to cultivate a sense of sacredness. Addressing God as if speaking to a person can give prayer an intimate quality.
Our spirituality is grounded in an awareness of the web of existence of which we are a part. That phrase doesn’t make for an easy and poetic prayer start. However, it can be compared to Native prayers beginning with “all my relations.” We can pray to web of life.”
Prayer can enable us to experience awe and humility by reminding us how much we don’t know and maybe can’t understand. We can pray to Spirit of Life, Spirit of Love, ..Spirit of Justice. We address Great Mystery.
Prayer can be a choice for attitude adjustment. Prayers express how we relate to life. It’s like the way words and names influence our relationships. Do you call your spouse, sweetheart, darling? Do you call them Dingbat or Dummy. Perhaps the worst form of relating is to ignore someone all together.
You do not need to believe in a supernatural deity to pray. When I served the UU Fellowship of St. John in the US Virgin Islands I walked on a trail on morning. I was inspired to pray thus: “Good morning blue sky, good morning green leaves. Good morning tree trunks. Good morning rocks and birds. Good morning, ocean.”
To pray is to extend ourselves. Prayer can be a reaching to G*d if we choose to use that word, whatever it means to us. Alternatively, we can reach out reaffirming “There is more Love Somewhere.”
Fear of appearing or being foolish can be an obstacle to prayer. Maybe we have been suckered too many times. Maybe we resent the stupid and horrible things that superstitious religious fanatics have done. Rather than adhere and conform to outdated traditions we want them to get a grasp on reality. For me revering truth means admitting reality is bigger than I can grasp. That’s why I sometimes pray by addressing “Great Mystery.”
Some people think prayer must sound aristocratic, genteel and polite. Any of you who remember Tevye from “Fiddler on the Roof,” know the Jewish tradition of talking plainly to God. Years ago, a friend Cody received news that his good friend David had been diagnosed with a rare disease, and would be dead within six months. Cody seemed shocked when I said” “One day, God is going to have to answer to for this xxx (expletive deleted).” Cody roared with laughter. He later told me that hearing this from me was freeing. Why not address Life with an authentic voice?! Stand in the place where you live!
Affirmative Prayer is another powerful and time-honored way to direct consciousness. Rather that asking G*d for intervention, it affirms the qualities of the divine that the one praying appreciates. Example, “We thank you G*d because we know you guide your children with love and care.” A new age version visualizes a desired outcome and gives thanks that it is on its way.
By stating what we trust and value, we affirm our faith and generate momentum in a desired direction. We unleash intuition and inspiration. We become confident about what is coming our ways.
Saying grace at mealtime is a simple and powerful way to tune into an attitude of abundance. Doing so we shift from sympathetic nervous system to a parasympathetic response. Our rushing ceases, our fight and flight cease, and we arrive to a state of wellbeing. When we send our bodies a message that all is well, it enables us to digest and assimilate food.
For some of us the biggest hurdle to prayer is theistic language. We hear prayer as an attempt to make us submit to the authority of a god that seeks to dominate us. Or we see human demagogues use G*d language to coerce conformity to their selfish will.
UUs won’t accept prayer that offers an escape from reality or responsibility. We insist that it empowers us to face reality and make difficult changes.
UU tradition invites us to notice what we are doing and choose mindfully how to proceed. We want to cultivate attitudes that serve life. Our religious tradition promotes consciousness. It promotes healthy powerful attitudes toward life. Prayer can be a tool that brings our intention into alignment with our highest values.
Prayer can move us beyond the hurdles, distortions and limitations of our mindset and worldview. We can call this force G*d. We can call it the amazing flow of life that can catapult us out beyond our fear, hate or prejudice.
Here is a story. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It’s taught that on this day God seals fates for the year ahead. For some reason, Rabbi kept the congregation praying far longer than was customary. Finally, he brought the prayers to a close.
He had been having a vision that the congregation’s prayers were trapped in the building and weren’t going up to heaven. He said that fortunately God had been moved by the purity of one person’s heart. G*d reached down to receive the prayers.
The rabbi identified Ovie, as the one who had brought this blessing upon the congregation. The people began to wonder. Who was Ovie? Did he mean Avraham, the wise elder? Rabbi continued. Ovie is a five-year-old boy sitting in the back of the congregation. Ovie hasn’t learned Hebrew. He doesn’t know traditional prayers. He hasn’t been instructed how to pray. Ovie knew how to recite his A, B, C’s. Ovie offered God his recitation of A,B,Cs and asked G*d to make from it a beautiful prayer. The Rabbi said, thank you Ovie for praying with a pure heart.
Chanting is a form of prayer that I have found to break through mental congestion and connects me with a force that moves through me. I chant wordless Jewish melodies. I chant Hindu, Native American, Pagan, and Buddhist chants. I often don’t know the meaning of the words I’m chanting. I feel the spirit of peace coming into me. Doing so brings peace into this world.
A reading in our UU hymnal by Abraham Heschel says, “Prayer cannot bring water to parched land, nor mend a broken bridge, nor rebuild a ruined city, but prayer can water an arid soul, mend a broken heart, and rebuild a weakened will.”
We can pray with the desire and intention to experience connection. We can pray to gain awareness of our interconnectedness, or to come into alignment our deepest held values.
Language and concepts of divinity may be dead to us. Three letters g – o -d may keep us from praying. All of us, however, share desire for connection. We know estrangement. Most of us have experienced times of estrangement from a loved one, our families, our communities, from our sense of sacred and holy. We can become estranged from ourselves.
Prayer can be thought of as an expression of our desire to return to the land of our soul, an attempt to connect with peace and the vastness beyond us. Beyond words or theology, prayer is life inside us reaching out to plug into a realm of infinite possibilities.
Many of you know that this pastor does pray for you and us, especially when you or we are in a difficult part of life’s journey. Typically, I visualize a person filled with healing energy and light, surrounded and guided by unconditional love. I end my prayer by saying “for the greatest good for all concerned. This reminds me that I have a limited perspective. Rather than plead or demand that life conform to my expectations, I affirm my love and my trust in power greater than mine. My personal faith tells me that the Universe is power conspiring for our fulfillment.
We don’t control outcomes. What can we do? We can plug into energy that sustains us and that generates love into the world. These intentions and practices have effects upon those we pray for!
Listen Brothers. Hear me Sisters, life is calling us from a fullness of splendor, glory and power! “Can we hear this call? Can we feel it? Coming before our greatest sense of what is, how do we answer? How do we want our consciousness and our lives to be directed?
May our prayers move us to awe, hope and righteous action. May the words of our mouth and the meditations of heart bring us to a deep and lasting peace. May we access transformative power and be part of the healing of our world!
May this healing begin with us, now!
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