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| Prayer Chaplain Program |
The beginning and ending of all events is prayer. . .
A few Saturdays ago, the music team was fortunate to host a visit by Richard Burdock,
a Unity Music Director. Seven of us gathered in the cozy manse bathed in sunlight
through the windows. As we waited for all to arrive, there was a sense of nervous
expectancy. When would we begin? Should we wait a little longer? Who would arrive
next? These questions were asked aloud and silently. Our guest Richard Burdock sat
patiently until we were assembled. Then he invited, “Let’s begin with prayer.” As he
spoke, anxiety from the past week like heavy curtains pulled back and like sunlight
pouring through a window, my mind was clear.
It is often surprising how swiftly and completely prayer can prepare us for the events of
our lives. At Christ Church Unity, we ‘pray in’ and ‘pray out’ for every event affirming
each time that the highest intention of all participants will be made manifest. It is by
letting go and surrendering one seemingly cluttered frame of mind for a clearer one
that we demonstrate openness to our good.
In Come Apart for Awhile, Reverends Robert and Janet Ellsworth discuss four forms of
contemplative prayer the first of which is letting go andsurrendering. In “A Prayer of
Surrender,” they offer. . .
Dear Lord,
Help me to release my need to control.
Help me to let go and to accept Your will.
I now place this situation lovingly into
Your hands.
I pray for the highest and the best of all concerned.
Thank you, thank you, thank You.
Amen
Consciously releasing the cares of the day or week makes room for growth. The
Ellsworths explain that “Practicing surrender softens our insatiable need to be in
charge.” The Ellsworths report that research of Larry Dossey suggest that prayers of
surrender “harmonizes the outcome with what is best for the organism.’ Our music
team experiences this outcome on that Saturday morning. After the opening prayer, we
all felt lifted in spirit and prepared to be open and receptive to new ideas.
The second form of contemplative prayer is being present. It is easy to convince
ourselves the we are present when we consider the lists of tasks we complete in a day
like answering 50 phone calls, responding to 100 emails or collecting and delivering –
and let’s not forget feeding a group of children. After all, if we were not ‘there,’ the
work wouldn’t get done! Look at all we accomplish in a day! The truth is that it is the
prayer said quietly just as a sun is rising and the whispered ‘Thank you, Gods’ offered
between phone calls and emails that bring us back to ourselves in this present
moment. Each prayer can remind us that right here right now is with this breath and the
next is where God is. Our Prayer for Protection by James Dillet Freeman that we say at
the end of each Sunday service is an affirmation of our presence infused with God’s
grace:
The light of God surrounds me
The love of God enfolds me
The power of God protects me
The presence of God watches over me
Wherever I am, God is!
Now that we have surrendered our thoughts and concerns from the day, we move our
attention from our head to our hearts and become aware of our presence and the
presence of God within us, now we are ready to enter the silence. This is the third form
of contemplative prayer.
Theologian and Mystic Meister Eckart said, “To the quiet mind all things are possible.”
And we practice entering the silence not only in church on Sunday, but throughout our
days. Here is a prayer that can be found at www.unityonline.org :
Prayers for Inner Peace
I open my heart to You, dear God, and let Your peace fill my being.
In Your presence, I am peaceful, poised, confident, and strong.
I relax in Your loving care, dear God, and release all my cares to You,
knowing that You are upholding me and sustaining me in all that I do.
As I keep my heart and mind centered in You, God,
I feel Your peace infusing my entire being and keeping me serene and
secure.
To You, beloved God, I release all sense of turmoil.
In the comfort of Your presence, I am content and peaceful.
God, Your presence calms me, quiets the storms around me,
and leads me to a place of perfect peace. As I center myself
in Your peaceful presence, I let go of every concern and relax
in the safety of Your love.
The fourth form of contemplative prayer is honoring the sacred in everyday life. The
Ellsworths remind us in Come Apart for a While that it is by honoring our essential
selves – our soul, our higher self, our spirit that we are able to feel truly connected to
others. They remind us that by following ‘spiritual wisdom’ instead of ‘conventional’
wisdom we are able to fully appreciate our oneness with all beings.
As I consider my own practice of honoring the sacred, I am reminded of Liam Neeson’s
role as the Baron of Iberlin in the movie The Kingdom of Heaven. As he lies dying, he
shares his vision of oneness with his son played by Orlando Bloom. He says that his
vision of ‘the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of consciousness’ in which all people
honor the sacred in each person they meet.
So, I extend the same invitation that the Ellsworth’s offer in Come Apart for a While. I
invite you to take a few minutes each day during your meditation time to consider
contemplative prayer in its many forms and how the practice of contemplative prayer
may enhance your life.
Namaste, my sisters and brothers! I honor the sacred within you!
Melissa Hudson
Prayer Chaplain Co-ordinator
A few Saturdays ago, the music team was fortunate to host a visit by Richard Burdock,
a Unity Music Director. Seven of us gathered in the cozy manse bathed in sunlight
through the windows. As we waited for all to arrive, there was a sense of nervous
expectancy. When would we begin? Should we wait a little longer? Who would arrive
next? These questions were asked aloud and silently. Our guest Richard Burdock sat
patiently until we were assembled. Then he invited, “Let’s begin with prayer.” As he
spoke, anxiety from the past week like heavy curtains pulled back and like sunlight
pouring through a window, my mind was clear.
It is often surprising how swiftly and completely prayer can prepare us for the events of
our lives. At Christ Church Unity, we ‘pray in’ and ‘pray out’ for every event affirming
each time that the highest intention of all participants will be made manifest. It is by
letting go and surrendering one seemingly cluttered frame of mind for a clearer one
that we demonstrate openness to our good.
In Come Apart for Awhile, Reverends Robert and Janet Ellsworth discuss four forms of
contemplative prayer the first of which is letting go andsurrendering. In “A Prayer of
Surrender,” they offer. . .
Dear Lord,
Help me to release my need to control.
Help me to let go and to accept Your will.
I now place this situation lovingly into
Your hands.
I pray for the highest and the best of all concerned.
Thank you, thank you, thank You.
Amen
Consciously releasing the cares of the day or week makes room for growth. The
Ellsworths explain that “Practicing surrender softens our insatiable need to be in
charge.” The Ellsworths report that research of Larry Dossey suggest that prayers of
surrender “harmonizes the outcome with what is best for the organism.’ Our music
team experiences this outcome on that Saturday morning. After the opening prayer, we
all felt lifted in spirit and prepared to be open and receptive to new ideas.
The second form of contemplative prayer is being present. It is easy to convince
ourselves the we are present when we consider the lists of tasks we complete in a day
like answering 50 phone calls, responding to 100 emails or collecting and delivering –
and let’s not forget feeding a group of children. After all, if we were not ‘there,’ the
work wouldn’t get done! Look at all we accomplish in a day! The truth is that it is the
prayer said quietly just as a sun is rising and the whispered ‘Thank you, Gods’ offered
between phone calls and emails that bring us back to ourselves in this present
moment. Each prayer can remind us that right here right now is with this breath and the
next is where God is. Our Prayer for Protection by James Dillet Freeman that we say at
the end of each Sunday service is an affirmation of our presence infused with God’s
grace:
The light of God surrounds me
The love of God enfolds me
The power of God protects me
The presence of God watches over me
Wherever I am, God is!
Now that we have surrendered our thoughts and concerns from the day, we move our
attention from our head to our hearts and become aware of our presence and the
presence of God within us, now we are ready to enter the silence. This is the third form
of contemplative prayer.
Theologian and Mystic Meister Eckart said, “To the quiet mind all things are possible.”
And we practice entering the silence not only in church on Sunday, but throughout our
days. Here is a prayer that can be found at www.unityonline.org :
Prayers for Inner Peace
I open my heart to You, dear God, and let Your peace fill my being.
In Your presence, I am peaceful, poised, confident, and strong.
I relax in Your loving care, dear God, and release all my cares to You,
knowing that You are upholding me and sustaining me in all that I do.
As I keep my heart and mind centered in You, God,
I feel Your peace infusing my entire being and keeping me serene and
secure.
To You, beloved God, I release all sense of turmoil.
In the comfort of Your presence, I am content and peaceful.
God, Your presence calms me, quiets the storms around me,
and leads me to a place of perfect peace. As I center myself
in Your peaceful presence, I let go of every concern and relax
in the safety of Your love.
The fourth form of contemplative prayer is honoring the sacred in everyday life. The
Ellsworths remind us in Come Apart for a While that it is by honoring our essential
selves – our soul, our higher self, our spirit that we are able to feel truly connected to
others. They remind us that by following ‘spiritual wisdom’ instead of ‘conventional’
wisdom we are able to fully appreciate our oneness with all beings.
As I consider my own practice of honoring the sacred, I am reminded of Liam Neeson’s
role as the Baron of Iberlin in the movie The Kingdom of Heaven. As he lies dying, he
shares his vision of oneness with his son played by Orlando Bloom. He says that his
vision of ‘the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of consciousness’ in which all people
honor the sacred in each person they meet.
So, I extend the same invitation that the Ellsworth’s offer in Come Apart for a While. I
invite you to take a few minutes each day during your meditation time to consider
contemplative prayer in its many forms and how the practice of contemplative prayer
may enhance your life.
Namaste, my sisters and brothers! I honor the sacred within you!
Melissa Hudson
Prayer Chaplain Co-ordinator
| Christ Church Unity 2301 Central Ave. Augusta, GA 30904 706-738-2458 augustaunity.org augustaunity@knology.net |
| Christ Church Unity The Metaphysical Center of the CSRA Rev. Sheryl Padgett, Minister |