I used to believe there was one right answer for every question.
I used to believe there was one God and he was a HE.
In the twenty first century (that phrase sounds dramatic to me) it has become evident that instead of one right answer there are many answers; instead of one God there are multiple ways to relate to our feelings of awe and despair.
In the 80’s, Sunday mornings found me practicing meditation with Zen Buddhists followed by participating in Sunday School Class and Worship Service at Grace United Methodist Church.
One result of this double feature Sunday morning was a personal essay which I shudder to remember I read aloud during a Zen vegetarian potluck. My revelation, shocking to me at the time. was that I often felt connected to Jesus when I meditated.
I shudder because at that time I firmly believed that Christianity was the only way and believed that’s why my mind went there while meditating. I remember nods and averted eyes.
This memory was triggered by reading that Thomas Merton’s prayer was not one of words or intellect or even imagination. His prayer had no form but was a simple attention of the mind.
Do you believe there is one answer? Do you believe in one God?
Tell me about your way of praying.
Thanks for exploring the mystery – NIcky Mendenhall
10 comments
Sometimes I pray for people by concentrating on sending them love and support. Mostly I pray by thinking “Thank you!” when I’m outside and gobsmacked by nature. I don’t believe in a specific god. I do believe in something beyond what we can see.
Margaret Jane
Thank you for responding to my request for how you pray. I bet you prayed for me when I was ill and I bet it helped though I don't think of myself as a betting woman I'm pretty certain of this. I like your other comments too.
As a 64-year-old woman, I remember Countless hours ,days ,months , and years of being Catholic. All that said, there were 6 days going to mass, 7 nights of praying the rosary after dinner, and don’t get me started on Lent! As far as my view on praying now, which is changed in the last few months , I had always prayed, pleaded ,I barter with God, please dear God if you do this or that for me I will give up chocolate for a month. That was a big deal to me. Now I no longer ask God for something, I simply thank him in advance ,”thank you for making sure that we have a safe trip in a couple weeks, thanks for getting my child safely to school etc. etc. I was hoping for suggestive results. I just thought how rude to always ask ask ask ask ask of him. The results are pretty much the same.I don’t know if there is just one God , but there’s something bigger than all of us !!
Anonymous – you sound like a Social Scientist conducting research into prayer styles. How interesting! Thanks so much for sharing with us.
Good questions, Nicky! I believe there is one God, but we worship many gods. The God/Source of All Love and All Creation is to whom I pray. My prayers are quick and pretty much informal and infrequent. Jesus is my chosen ascended master. That's my story until I change it!
Thank you fluteyogi for a very interesting reflection on these questions. I love thinking of Jesus as ascended master – I've never thought of him exactly that way. Your description of prayer life is helpful as is your description of God/Source of All Love and All Creation. Finding words to describe these difficult to describe ideas seems a talent of yours!
Your closing sentence seems brilliant to me – it shows an openness to what is and what will be. Thanks again for checking in. Great to hear from you again.
I’ve been reading your latest blog over and over. A friend once told me that he believed god is your brain. I always wonder what we would believe in if raised alone without any religious teaching. Why do tribes of people seem to attribute life to some higher power..
I feel lacking when asked to pray for someone. Most of my prayers when young were asking god to let me off the hook for some transgression.
Thanks for making me think, as always feel free to post.
Thanks Nolan for your message full of questions and self-reflection all of which are good responses to exploring mysteries. I look forward to hearing more from you as you wrestle with this stuff.
It isn't exactly a prayer, but when I am feeling the pull of the ground every now and then I outstretch one or both my arms and with my middle and ring fingers closed as though I was trying to make a fist I stretch out the sign language hand sign for I Love You to the heavens where I know something more is working and watching. For me that entity is God, and I send my love, faith and my gratitude for the beautiful days I can experience everyday.
Thanks Anonymous Ryan for giving me permission to use your name! I think what you wrote is exactly a prayer. I love how your body is involved in your expression. I want to use my physical self in a prayer as a prayer – thanks for the idea!
I hope you will share more with us.
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