Breathe
Dear First Church,
In the waning months of 2016, I stopped listening to NPR on my morning and evening commute. Instead, those long stretches of Houston traffic were traversed slowly and silently, providing much needed space to process and pray over all that the world and our lives held in those days.
Just as in the days and weeks that followed the resurrection, the past few weeks and months have given our community ample to process. In these times I find myself returning to that silence and simple prayer.
I invite you to take a moment to pause with me for the simple, reflective practice of breath prayer. A breath prayer has just two phrases. You inhale as you think the first phrase, and exhale as you think the second phrase. Each breath and each phrase are meant to ground you in the truth and love we have from God.
For example: if your world feels like a whirlwind and you want to be grounded in the beauty of sabbath, you might use a breath prayer like this one by Cole Arthur Riley:
(inhale) I feel my breath deepen.
(exhale) The slowness is sacred.
If you struggle with perfectionism in your work, home life, activism, or relationships, you might use these words from Riley:
(inhale) I was not made to be perfect.
(exhale) I was made to be loved.
If you feel yourself slipping into compassion fatigue or when the arc of justice feels too long, she provides words to ground yourself in this way:
(inhale) I grow weary,
(exhale) but not numb.
Breath prayer is particularly meaningful in seasons of much doing and thinking. In seasons of great change or transition, uncertainty or busyness, the practice of breath prayer interrupts our rushing or ruminations and brings us back to our center.
Take a few moments to breathe whatever prayer is most needed in your soul right now.
In response to the recent events of the postponed 2020 General Conference, a few dozen folks gathered outside the chapel for a Service of Celebration and Healing on Wednesday evening. The service focused particularly on the changes made around LGBTQ+ policy. Throughout the evening, we sung music of protest and praise, including the song Child of God by Mark Miller.
A breath prayer connects short, memorable phrases to our breath. In a similar way, this song connects short, memorable phrases to two simple lines of music, grounding us in the truth and love we have from God:
No matter what people say, say or think about me,
I am a child, I am a child of God.
No matter what people say, say or think about you,
You are a child, you are a child of God.
No matter what the world says, says or thinks about me,
I am a child, I am a child of God.
No matter what the church says, decisions, pronouncements on you,
You are a child, you are a child of God.
Take a deep breath with me, First Church. Let us breathe anchored in the truth and love we have from God, breathing our way toward justice, compassion, and loving kindness for every child of God. As the disciples realized (and we will ponder this Sunday), in the 40 days after the resurrection and at Christ’s ascension, this journey together has just begun!
With love and gratitude,
Pastor Karyn