August 30, 2004

The summer sermon series at our church has been poetry and faith. This was the poem of the day, matched with scripture readings about the nature of prayer, and the focus of WCUC’s The Rev. Merrie Allen’s sermon (Thanks! Merrie) Two lines (highlighted below) struck me: “I do know how to pay attention” and “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

 

The Summer Day Mary Oliver   Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean – the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down – who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don’t know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

 

Last time I reflected on paying attention to scripture readings. I’ve often seen humorous booklets on “How to Survive the Sermon.” Never have I seen the suggestion: Pray the Sermon. That’s where my thoughts led me after today’s sermon. Prayer is paying attention to God. And even though we do know how to pay attention, it is a skill that always needs refining, especially in worship. Praying the sermon . . . that would involve not just looking for the good and the bad in the sermon, what applies to me and what is irrelevant, but instead listening for God’s unique words to you in both scripture and sermon.

I’ll be at our denomination’s “Executive Start-up Training” in Louisville this week, continuing the life-long journey of learning about my “one wild and precious life.” Just paying attention will be my goal, reflecting on effective leadership through the mentors and spiritual directors who will be guiding our learning this week. One of my favorite authors, Annie Lamott, describes prayer as “Help! Help! Help!” followed by “Thanks! Thank! Thanks!” I want to make that my prayer for the week. Until next time, Keep the faith, . . . and let the faith keep you.

shalom

rwp 8/30/04