Do you ever find yourself wondering why prayer seems to be so hard? It is hard oftentimes to quiet your mind enough to be prayerful. I have even, in desperation, squeezed my eyes shut as if it would help me concentrate on God! To be centered in prayer takes practice. We are all competent at intercessory prayer; in fact, it is probably the easiest kind of prayer to do daily. It is easier to confess our sins, give thanks for our blessings, and lift up the concerns of people we know. But to be still and shut our brains down long enough to listen to God? Much more difficult. Our restless senses ping-pong through our thoughts.

Sadly, many of us just give up when it comes to centering or contemplative prayer. Unless we spend time at an abbey or monastery, do we really have a chance? Maybe we try too hard to impress God with our faithfulness and piety. The answer, in my humble, flawed opinion, is to simply be who you are, where you are, and trust in God’s ability through the Holy Spirit to filter out our “stuff.” We can safely say that he appreciates, welcomes, loves our effort. When you experience God quieting you down, you feel the weight slip off your shoulders, the monkey slide off your back.

I love the random nature of wind. I also love spending time at Luther Springs, our synod’s outdoor retreat center. The two are related, especially in the hot month of June! I went there to put in a day’s work last Friday. It is so peaceful, even as sweat trickles down your back. To feel the random summer breezes cooling that sweat, and hear the wind blowing through pines and oaks, is a remarkable gift; a return to serenity. The world must be hushed on a regular basis, lest we completely lose our grip on what’s real and essential. We come back to our God-senses, savoring the refreshment of His unconditional love.

Pastor Art