So this is the last week of my class and my last prayer practice for it. Make no mistake, I will carry many of these practices with me from this moment forward both in my own personal prayer life as well as in my professional ministry life.
I have long been intrigued by the stories of monks who tackle daily tasks at their monistaries and turn them into part of their prayer practice. Tending the garden, baking bread, scrubbing the floors and any number of other every day activities are transformed into a meditative or contemplative prayer practice that helps to draw them closer to God even as their hands or bodies are busy with other tasks. For me, engaging my body in some kind of regular activity, whether it is cooking dinner or going for a walk has always allowed my mind to quiet and get out of the way, so attempting some kind of daily activity as prayer sounded like a good next step.
This week I decided to try this as I cleaned my horse's stall. Anyone who has taken part of this incredibly "earthy" task knows that with it comes, on its worst days a feeling of drudgery and on its best a theraputic quality. So as I walked up to the stall, pitchfork in hand and trailing the wheelburrow I began to think about who I should pray for and was once again immediately in my own way. So I settled into the normal rhythem of scooping and tossing and as my body worked my mind let go of all the shoulds, quieted down and started to wander to loved ones and those I have encountered over the past few days and weeks. And with each scoop they were lifted up to God, both with thanks and with requests.
When I was done with the stall I almost felt as though it was too simple, there were no elaborate and flowing words and yet that didn't matter. Through my movement I was able to get out of my own way and the prayers simply flowed without needing to use any words and this is what I learned:
1. muscle memory is key to this kind of prayer so that our minds can let go and wander
2. letting go of the traditional way we have been taught to pray with words is really hard to do
3. when all else fails get moving and focus on the task at hand, the prayers will come and even if they don't you've at least accomplished something, but trust me, the prayers will come
4. we don't always need words, a memory or an emotion means just as much if not more than the words we would try to use to say the same thing
5. this really does take a lot of practice
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