Judgment, No. Compassion, Yes.

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Sunday, December 6, 2015

Judgment, No. Compassion, Yes.

Today’s reading seems—at first glance—to be somewhat disturbing. Why on earth would I want to die to my neighbor? Great question!

Fr. Nouwen explains that the Desert Fathers say that solitude gives birth to compassion because “it makes us die to our neighbor.” [1] In other words, “in order to be of service to others we have to die to them; that is, we have to give up measuring our meaning and value with the yardstick of others.” [2]

This is so profound. Compassion comes through service. And, service is necessarily self-less. Thinking of self less and less, and concentrating on the other more and more. I have a great desire to give service to others. To help, and to be kind to others. I tried to do this, intentionally, each day in the year 2014. (And, I blogged about it, at A Year of Being Kind )

Another way of viewing this is when I judge others and cold-heartedly evaluate and look down on others, I am thinking of myself (and my Self) more and more. If I really want to be with others, to be a companion and a friend to them, I need to hang out with others on a regular basis, and not isolate. Not be all alone.

I really appreciate the Advent Action for today: “A follower of St. Anthony, Abba Moses, gives this instruction: ‘Do not let dislike dominate your heart.’ Make a short list of those whom you dislike, even surreptitiously. Choose one person to expunge from your negative thoughts.”

This is excellent advice. Since I am familiar with the Twelve Steps of Recovery, this action goes hand in glove with a large part of the Recovery program. Dislike is close cousin to resentment. It’s always hurtful and harmful to maintain a resentment and a dislike.

Dear God, help me lose my resentments and dislikes. Please. Help me be more loving, giving and serving to others. So, help me, God.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er

[1] Advent and Christmas: Wisdom from Henri J. M. Nouwen (Linguori, Missouri: Redemptorist Pastoral Publications, 2004), 16.

[2] Ibid.

Day #4 – Surprise! A Day to Be Generous! Prayerfully.

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Saturday, February 21, 2015

Day #4 – Surprise! A Day to Be Generous! Prayerfully.

When I checked my email this morning before I left the house, I saw this generosity suggestion from #40acts. Hmm. I remember commenting to God—not specifically praying, mind you—“Gee, I wonder who I might be generous to, today?”

This suggestion is similar to times I blogged about in my daily blog last year, A Year of Being Kind (at wordpress.com). Many of the situations I saw as I looked over the kids’ 40acts calendar for Lent 2015 were similar, actually. I look upon that as a wonderful thing! Yes, I’ve done today’s particular generous, kind deed several times last year. Except, I sort-of, kind-of made it all up as I went along, last year.

This year, it is decidedly different. Being involved with 40acts and doing Lent generously this year gives me a sense of the unexpected. Not knowing what sort of generous, kind suggestion will come my way the next day. As in, today.

I went to my regularly scheduled yoga class at the YMCA this morning. (My teacher is marvelous! The attendance at her classes testify to that fact, too.) I grabbed two mandarin oranges from the bowl on the kitchen table as I went out the door. I ate one after yoga, while I changed in the locker room. The other? I gave away.

These were not just any old pieces of fruit. No, they were special, super-sweet mandarin oranges! Fantastic in flavor and texture. Absolutely perfect, in my opinion. And the woman I gave the orange to? A lovely employee at the Y. A member of the janitorial staff. Always cheerful, pleasant, with a friendly smile on her face. Which brightened and got even wider when I handed her the orange. She thanked me for the orange. I returned her bright smile. She and I exchanged a quick hug in the hallway, and that was that.

Except for the grace. The surprise. A spontaneous, kind, generous act. I’m so glad I thought of it as I left the locker room and happened to meet this lovely lady. I hope she felt special today, through something as small as an unexpected gift of a fantastic orange. God bless her, today and every day!

(Check out #40acts; doing Lent generously at www.40acts.org.uk )

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blog, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza

How to Show Fruit. Prayerfully.

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – January 30, 2015

How to Show Fruit. Prayerfully.

We are nearing the end of this slim, little book, The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray. The topic of today’s chapter is on fruit. Or more specifically, fruitfulness. One of the outworkings of prayer is fruitfulness. Or, service.

Rev. Howell tells us about several people of stature who strove to lead lives of not only prayer, but also lives of fruitfulness, of service. Service to others, as well as service to God.

I was intrigued by this quote from Dorothea Day, that committed follower of Christ who was also a committed social activist. She asked, “Does God have a set way of prayer, a way that He expects each of us to follow? I doubt it. I believe some people—lots of people—pray through the witness of their lives, through the work they do, the friendships they have, the love they offer people and receive from people. Since when are words the only acceptable form of prayer?” [1]

As someone who feels strongly and deeply that I ought to be of service to others, be kind and helpful whenever and wherever possible, I strive to do this, on a regular basis. Of course, I have the spiritual gifts of helps and mercy, so the Holy Spirit especially helps me in this effort. But that is not an excuse to shirk and hide! Certain people don’t have those special spiritual gifts, but that is no reason why they cannot be of service. Be kind. Be helpful. It’s as simple as holding the door open for someone with their arms full. Or giving someone you don’t know a friendly smile—just because.

I believe God is pleased when I get out of myself, off this hamster wheel of internal dialogue inside my head. God is even more pleased with me when I use my work, or my friendships, or my love to express the love of God to others.

In fact, I tried to be of service every day last year. My blog, A Year of Being Kind: 365 Days of Service is a testament to that fact. I successfully blogged every day in 2014. I have a plan set for the rest of January 2015, and the beginning of February, up until Ash Wednesday, midway through the month.

I was also moved by the prayer that Rev. Howell uses to close this chapter. I take the liberty of closing with these words from English bishop Launcelot Andrewes, too. Such moving, heartfelt words.

Lord Jesus, I give You my hands to do Your work. I give You my feet to go Your way. I give You my eyes to see as You do. I give You my tongue to speak Your words. I give You my mind that You may think in me. I give You my spirit that You may pray in me. Above all, I give You my heart that Your may love in me, Your Father, and all human kind. I give You my whole self that You may grow in me, So that it is You, Lord Jesus, Who lives and works and prays in me.

Amen, and amen!

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blog, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.

[1][1] Robert Coles, Dorothy Day: A Radical Devotion (Reading, Mass., Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., 1987), 28.

A Look Back at 2014, in matterofprayer

A Year of Being Kind blog – Wednesday, December 31, 2014

A Look Back at 2014, in matterofprayer

Thanks to all my dear readers! I appreciate you and your faithfulness.

I know that it helps to check the numbers from time to time. I’ve been following the daily readership on this blog, but it also helps to look at the big picture—the macro view. Just to let all my dear readers know, here are several facts and figures on matterofprayer.

In 2014, this blog was viewed about 1,700 times. That’s a lot of views! My viewing audience per day—on the average—ranged from between the low teens to the mid twenties. The busiest day of the year turned out to be November 29th, with 37 views.

Two representative posts with a high number of views were Think About—Talk About—Preach About Prayer, posted July 2, 2014, and Prayer—and Walking the Labyrinth, posted September 29, 2014.

How did people find my blog? People came from a large number of different website, but the top referring sites were Facebook, Twitter, and dailyoffice.org. (Thanks for including matterofprayer in the blogroll, Josh!)

The sands of the hourglass are running out. 2014 is quickly slipping away. But before it completely disappears, I do have a few things to say. I have learned so much through blogging regularly this year. I was fairly quick to come up with writing or an article before 2014 started, but now? Even more so.

I am not sure whether you are familiar with my sister blog, A Year of Being Kind. I started this second blog at the beginning of January 2014. Yes, I succeeded in writing every day. Quite an accomplishment. I have been even more encouraged by the response to my service, my being helpful and kind. So, I am going to continue, except in a slightly different vein.

I posted to matterofprayer about once a week to every ten days throughout 2014, Starting tomorrow, January 1st, I will shift the main focus back to matterofprayer. I’m making an addition to the name, too: matterofprayer: a year of everyday prayers.

So, this will be my primary blog! God willing, I will see what God has in store for me in 2015, as far as prayer is concerned. I wish my dear readers the very best. And, a happy, healthy and blessed new year.

@chaplaineliza

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Showing Up—Faithful in Prayer

matterofprayer blog post for Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Showing Up—Faithful in Prayer

For years, I have been struggling with being faithful in prayer. It’s not that I find prayer a drudgery. Or, a task I would rather not do, but feel I ought to do. I do enjoy prayer. Really, I do!

However, for years (for decades, even), I have had difficulty with the showing-up-part. God and I have had lots of conversations about this. I have come before the Lord, metaphorical hat in hand, and said “sorry” more times than I can count. Sorry that I was not more regular in prayer. Apologized that I let the whole day (and evening) slip away again, and only came to God really late at night, when I was half asleep on my feet.

Thank goodness something changed. I still don’t know quite what, but it was something I can’t really put my finger on. It was last fall. A really turbulent time in my personal life. Not that I haven’t had other turbulent times in my life before that, because I have. Many. I am no stranger to stuff happening. All manner of trauma, from all kinds of directions.

God has seen me through several decades of this drama. Or, trauma. Or, what have you. However we describe it. Yes, I have been an intermittent pray-er. I love prayer! I have felt so close to God—in such a warm, intimate relationship that I could hardly wait to get back to prayer! But . . . I could never be anything near consistent.

Until last fall. I was using a prayer guide, and doing well. Most days in the week. And then, it got to be almost every weekday. November slipped into December, and I continued with another prayer guide—an Advent reading book of devotions.

Then, 2014 started. I felt led to begin my other blog, A Year of Being Kind (365 Days of Service). On those days that I didn’t pray, I began to feel as if something were missing. Seriously. Yeah, this is me saying this, God. Remember our previous conversations, years ago? When I would come before You, asking forgiveness about my sporadic prayer life? (Yeah, I thought You might remember.)

What do I think about my prayer life right now? I need to suit up. Show up. And whenever, wherever I come into the Lord’s presence, God will be there. God is faithful. I am heartily glad that God is not as sporadic as I have been. Or still am.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for being faithful. Your faithfulness is not only to me, but it is to all generations. Thank You for being there for me—for us. Even though I am so often sporadic in attendance, You aren’t. Help me to continue in regular prayer. Regular conversation and communion with You. Thanks for letting us know how important it is to suit up and show up. In Your grace, mercy and love we pray, Amen.

@chaplaineliza

(also published at www.matterofprayer.net