I know it will come as a shock to you, dear reader, but occasionally I run out of words. Sometimes too, I just find it just plain awkward to express myself properly. One of these areas is in praising God. I am pretty good at the “Thank you God” prayers, and have an Olympic medal in the asking/venting stakes. However, I go all British when it comes to the praise and worship bit. “Well done, God. Good show.” Or “I hold you in high esteem, God” Or “God, I like the cut of your jib.” None of these really feel appropriate somehow. Sometimes, using my body helps. I was given a set of simple yoga exercises which I do from time to time. At the end of the routine, I kneel and bow my body to the ground. I recite a prayer from my childhood “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and for evermore shall be. Amen.” If I am feeling imaginative, I will address each of the Trinity in turn and praise them individually. Somehow, actually kneeling and bowing adds to the sense of praise and adoration.
As adherence to my exercise routine is somewhat ‘flexible’, most times I am just sitting in my prayer chair, trying to think of something worshipful to say. I don’t think that God is in need of my praise, any more than Usain Bolt needs me to tell him that he runs fast. It is just there is something in me that needs to express it somehow. This is why we have poets, musicians and artists. They capture the essence of what we are trying to say. Sometimes, I just sit in my prayer chair with my candle lit and just really focus in on the words that someone else has written – perhaps an ancient psalmist or a 21st century singer. I recently found an acoustic version of “Great is thy faithfulness” which I absolutely love. Because it is so stripped back, I am able to really appreciate the lyrics, rather than feel the power of the song which is conveyed when we sing it in church, accompanied by the organ.(Hear the acoustic version at http://tinyurl.com/zwuzqju)
“May I have this Dance?” the reflection book that we are using this year, offers a bible reading for every day, related to the monthly theme. This too has been very helpful in finding words or phrases that convey so much more about my relationship with God than I am able to express. It is fascinating to remember that those words were written hundreds of years ago, in another time, culture and place. Yet they have the power to resonate with each of us, here and now. Perhaps it shows that the human condition has not changed so much over the years. Do you have a current favourite hymn, praise song or poem that speaks of your faith? I invite you to share it with me, or with someone else this week. Best of all, share it with God.
God bless
Cecilia
As adherence to my exercise routine is somewhat ‘flexible’, most times I am just sitting in my prayer chair, trying to think of something worshipful to say. I don’t think that God is in need of my praise, any more than Usain Bolt needs me to tell him that he runs fast. It is just there is something in me that needs to express it somehow. This is why we have poets, musicians and artists. They capture the essence of what we are trying to say. Sometimes, I just sit in my prayer chair with my candle lit and just really focus in on the words that someone else has written – perhaps an ancient psalmist or a 21st century singer. I recently found an acoustic version of “Great is thy faithfulness” which I absolutely love. Because it is so stripped back, I am able to really appreciate the lyrics, rather than feel the power of the song which is conveyed when we sing it in church, accompanied by the organ.(Hear the acoustic version at http://tinyurl.com/zwuzqju)
“May I have this Dance?” the reflection book that we are using this year, offers a bible reading for every day, related to the monthly theme. This too has been very helpful in finding words or phrases that convey so much more about my relationship with God than I am able to express. It is fascinating to remember that those words were written hundreds of years ago, in another time, culture and place. Yet they have the power to resonate with each of us, here and now. Perhaps it shows that the human condition has not changed so much over the years. Do you have a current favourite hymn, praise song or poem that speaks of your faith? I invite you to share it with me, or with someone else this week. Best of all, share it with God.
God bless
Cecilia
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