Prayerful Sabbath Morning

This morning I began a new prayer discipline.  It is part of my growing tool chest (not sure I like that metaphor) of Holy Habits.  This particular resource provides the structure for my morning prayers. It repeats monthly, so over time some of these will become so familiar the book will not be as cumbersome.  As I have explored this resource, I found another gem, a pattern of silently praying throughout the morning worship on Sundays.  I am so excited to lift each movement in worship up in prayer.  The rhythm of worship will have a counter point of prayer.  What joy!  During Lent my plan is to incorporate into the bulletins these prayers for those with whom I worship, that as we lift together these silent prayers, worship is bathed in corporate prayer.  What joy!

So I have been thinking over this tool chest idea.  We use words like arsenal, tool belt, or tool chest to identify our growing skills for sustainable living.  Since my growing disciplines are for my formation as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I think I need a better metaphor and offer this one up for consideration.  I am constructing a labyrinth of stones.  Each new discipline is another stone in the creative process.  As I build this labyrinth in my spiritual imagination the path leads me to my spiritual center, God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the compelling love of God leads me back out into the world.  The stone benches along the path are places to remember to sit and pray, the stones that edge the path may need to be held at times to remember the discipline they represent. 

People who are journeying with me as mentors, as accountability partners, as friends, as fellow sojourners, are represented by stones as well.  These I can bring to those benches to pray with them.  The construction process is underway with new books for my prayer life, new workout clothes for my increasing physical activity, new menus for healthy eating, and old friends as well as new who encourage me along the way.

On this day begun in prayer, I rejoice in the discovery of a metaphor to guide my Holy Habits.  Adding stones.

Allow joy, allow love, allow God,
One of Many