Friends,

The Welcoming Prayer often evokes strong feelings in me, and likely many of you.

Here's what it boils down to:
I let go of my desire
for security, affection, and control,
and I embrace this moment just as it is.

Woof. Frankly: Security, affection, and control are things I'd prefer to hang on to all the time. This prayer is uncomfortable.

We all want to feel safe, to feel loved, and to feel like we have some control over our lives. We take all kinds of steps in pursuit -- so much so that we can easily find ourselves chasing security or affection or control or all three in destructive ways. As the Rev. Anna Broadbent-Evelyn said in her homily yesterday: sometimes things get in the way of our relationship with God, our source, and we need to shuv, repent, return to God.

The Welcoming Prayer grows out of the deep roots of the Christian contemplative tradition, inviting us to become more aware of the Holy Spirit's work in us in the midst of fear, loneliness, and loss of control. Letting go of the ways we chase those false idols, we can say yes to following the Way of Jesus.

In this season of Lent, I invite you to try on the Welcoming Prayer. It isn't comfortable; it is a way to have an honest connection with God in the midst of the incredible instability of life in these times in this place. Get all the information you need and register now here.

With love,
Susan+


Transfiguration Drama!
Last Sunday, members of Grace of all ages presented a drama for us — bringing life to the story of the Transfiguration. You can watch here.

A big thank-you to all those who participated, especially Liz Athorn and Louise Robinson who pulled it all together!

Tags: Rev Susan, Prayer, welcome, Return, Lent

This Lent, join us in a simple daily prayer practice.
The Welcoming Prayer is an embodied, contemplative practice that helps us be with what is happening in the present moment, in the presence of God. Once you’ve learned the practice, it can be a tool to connect with your body, your soul, and your faith anywhere you go, in any moment, no matter what you’re feeling. As we navigate the extraordinary challenges of these days in Minnesota and across the country, the Welcoming Prayer can be a powerful tool to help us ground ourselves in God’s loving embrace so that we can respond, rather than react, to the instability and uncertainty around us.

What’s the Welcoming Prayer?
From ContemplativeOutreach.org:

The Welcoming Prayer is a method of consenting to God’s presence and action in our physical and emotional reactions to events and situations in daily life. The purpose of the Welcoming Prayer is to deepen our relationship with God through consenting in the ordinary activities of our day — “consent-on-the-go.”

How to Practice the Welcoming Prayer:
Three basic movements
1: Feel and sink into what you are experiencing this moment in your body.
2: “Welcome” what you are experiencing this moment in your body as an opportunity to consent to the Divine Indwelling.
3: Let go by saying “I let go of my desire for security, affection, control and embrace this moment as it is.”

To join in:
—Get the booklet (includes 40 short meditations, one for each day in Lent.)
Print copies available at church starting on February 15
Encourage you to get the digital download here
Open the file in the ‘books’ app on your device so that it will save your page/progress from day to day.
—Set aside 5 - 10 minutes each day to read from the booklet and engage with the practice
—Register here to join in a weekly zoom call to reflect on the practice. Tuesdays, beginning February 17, at noon. Anyone can drop in at any time, and if you’re able to make this part of your weekly schedule, you’ll find a kind and curious community of folks practicing together.

Lenten Devotions for All Ages
Another option for you this Lent: journey with Jesus through short, meaningful daily devotions written by Latino leaders from across the Episcopal Church. Available in English and Spanish, the reflections invite readers of all ages to explore God’s Word, shared burdens, and hope in Christ. With discussion questions included, it’s a wonderful resource for individuals, families, and intergenerational groups to share together. Pick up your copy in the Commons!

A prayer for all of us as we enter this season:
God of wandering and wonder, you lead your people through trackless places
And speak in the hush between wind and sand.
Guide us this Lent through deserts of our own hearts, that we may find the springs you have planted there
and walk the path that leads to life, through Christ our Way and our shelter. Amen.
—Many thanks to Bonita LaDuca for writing this prayer and this season’s Prayers of the People.

[ photo credit ]

Tags: Prayer, contemplative, welcome, control

Friends:

Last night, we opened our doors for a vigil. Members, neighbors, and friends came and sat together in candlelight and silence.

The violence in our city in the past few days—gun violence incidents in South Minneapolis and at Annunciation Church and School in particular—hit close to many of us. I offer these prayers below, as you navigate exhaustion and fear and numbness and rage and grief, holding tight to a defiant hope in God's dream for the world: a life of safety and abundance, in right relationship with all our neighbors and the earth. We practice Jesus' way of defiant, embodied, joyful love, even and especially in the wake of profound violence.

Susan+

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Prayers in the Wake of Violence

Adapted from prayers by Bishop Deon Johnson of Missouri
bishopsagainstgunviolence.org

For Victims of Gun Violence
We pray as we as we call to mind the many victims of gun violence, those who have lost their lives, those who have lost their livelihood, and those who have lost life’s passion. We pray for those who have been killed here in Minneapolis, especially at Annunciation Church and School, and we hold their stories and their memories dear. May their loss not be in vain, and may we shape a new story of hope from the broken pieces of grief. Amen.

For Friends & Family of Gun Violence Victims
We pray with those who have been left behind, the families, friends, and loves ones of those taken by gun violence. We pray that in this time of heartbreak, grief, and loss that they might find comfort and hope to face the days ahead, and that their tears may be turned into songs of joy. Amen.

For Communities Torn by Gun Violence
We pray in hope as we tell the story of homes, communities, neighborhoods, cities and town shattered by gun violence. We call to mind the sacred ground around our nation that has been watered with the blood of loss and the tears of grief. Grant that we may work tirelessly towards a vision where all may sit under their own vine and fig tree in safety and security. Amen.

For First Responders
We pray for first responders, those who live with the horror of gun violence in service to the common good. We stand with them and their families as they heal from bearing witness to the aftermath of lives ended in violence. Grant that we, with them, may create a world where all are protected, all are honored and all are seen, valued and beloved. Amen.

For Schools
We pray for our school communities, for teachers and administrators who offer their energy and love for teaching the next generation, and who now also must safeguard the lives of young people with emergency protocols. We pray with them that our young people, growing up in an unpredictable and fearful world, will meet the challenges of violence with the courage to practice peace and reconciliation. Amen.

For Those Demonized in the Wake of Violence
We pray for our queer and trans friends and neighbors, for immigrants, and for all whose identities are weaponized as scapegoats in the wake of violence. Move our society to see the ways division and fear are leveraged for profit, and help us to reject the politics of hatred and fear, so that all can live with dignity and peace. Amen.

For The Perpetrators of Gun Violence
We pray for perpetrators of violence. We pray for their families, their friends, and those who love them. We pray for those who see no other way than violence. We pray for those who suffer from mental illness, social isolation, loneliness, and debilitating fear. Grant that we may reach out in love and transform anger into friendship and fear into hope. Amen.

For those who feel helpless in the face of Gun Violence
We pray in solidarity with those who feel helpless, dejected, or powerless in the face of the gun violence epidemic. We know that gun violence touches all cultures, classes, genders, races, tribes, and nations. We pray that we may not be overwhelmed by gun violence but that we may overwhelm the world with the strength of love. Amen.

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Spiritual Practice

Honoring the Ache | from The Rev. Cameron Trimble at Piloting Faith

This week, choose one grief you’re carrying for the world. Name it clearly. Then, without trying to solve it or suppress it, spend 5–10 minutes each day simply sitting with it.

Place your hand on your heart. Breathe into the ache. Ask: What does this pain teach me about what I love?

Then, write one sentence each day that affirms that love—something you want to protect, preserve, or praise in this world.

Let your heartbreak become a compass.

Tags: Violence, Hope, Prayer, Rev Susan

This week's lede is written by Karen Olson, Canon for Ministry.


Here am I! Send me!

I always get a lump in my throat when I hear this plea in Scripture. There is something so audacious, so humbling, and yet so filled with confidence about it.

You might think back to elementary school, when there were those in the classroom squirming in their chairs, and waving their hand in the air..."Oooo pick me, pick me, pick me! I know the answer!" And then those slinking in their seats, willing the teacher to literally not see them and render them invisible.

What if we take that memory (that I'm guessing many of you can relate to), and picture yourself sitting in front of God?

God: I gave you some significant gifts - have you figured out what they are?

Me: Well, I'm really not all that good at anything. I mean, thank you for giving me gifts, but I'm not really worthy.

God: Do you think I wouldn't have given them to you if I didn't think you could do them?

Me: Yes, ok. I get that. And thanks again! Well, you gave me the gift to see other people as they are and to love them, even when it's hard.

God: Very good. And I need you to do that. Today. Tomorrow. Next week. Next year and as long as you live. What else do you see in you that I need you to do?

Me: There's more?!

God: (light chuckle) Yes, my beloved, there's so much more.

Me: How do I know? I don't want to be one of those people that says, "Ooo pick me, pick me, pick me!"

God: (sigh) My child, I need you. Your friends and family need you. How about if I give you a little homework. I want you to say your prayers every morning and ask, "How can I see Jesus in someone else today?" And then spend the day looking - really looking - because Jesus is absolutely everywhere. Before you go to sleep, tell me in your prayers. "I saw Jesus in..."

Me: (wondering)..........

God: The more you see Jesus in others, the more you will see Jesus inside of you. And then you will see your gifts tucked inside and you will know how I need you to use them.

Me: (with quiet confidence) Ok. Here am I. Send me.

Tags: gifts, Prayer