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From the Pastor- March 2024

How do you pray? Many of us were taught very little about how to pray. It is something that we picked up along the way as we encountered prayer in worship services. We may have learned a few spoken prayers for bedtime and meals.  If we were lucky we had someone who taught us some different ways of praying. But if we are honest, a lot of us feel rather limited in this area.

Some of you may have heard me say before that there is no one right way to pray. There are so many forms of prayer. It is simply how we open ourselves to come near to a God who is already near to us. One way to pray that I have been appreciating this Lenten season is the prayer of Lectio Divina or Divine Reading. St. Benedict is often credited with this sacred form of encountering scripture. But even in Paul’s writings, we have recognition that the Holy Spirit is present in our comprehension.

The goal of Lectio Divina is not to read the text so that it can be studied and the correct interpretation extrapolated. The goal is to read, to meditate, to contemplate, and to integrate the text.  It is a way of experiencing the text that allows you to experience the text in a personal way.  During our Lenten Wednesday services we engage in a modified form of Lectio. Here I would like to offer to you a more traditional format for your devotional reading.

There are four stages to Lectio Divina.

Prepare for prayer
Before entering into the prayer, prepare yourself physically and mentally. Begin by sitting comfortably, placing both feet on the ground, with posture upright and hands open on your lap as if waiting to receive a gift from God. Then, abandon any agenda, worries or thoughts you bring to this prayer and entrust these things to the providence of God. Ask for the grace to be receptive to what God will speak to you through this Scripture reading.

Read (lectio)
Begin by slowly and meditatively reading your Scripture passage out loud. Listen for a particular word or phrase that speaks to you at this moment and sit with it for a time.

Meditate (meditatio) – Read the same passage a second time. As you re-engage the text, let the word or phrase that stood out become your invitation to dialogue with God. Allow the word or phrase to wash over you and permeate your thoughts and feelings.

Pray (oratio) – Read the text a third time. What is God saying to you in these words? What do you want to say to God? What feelings do these words raise up in you? Share your answers with God.

Contemplate (contemplatio)
Read the text a final time. As you do, release the word or phrase you have been praying with. Be still and rest in God’s embrace. What gift has God given you to take away from this prayer? To what action might God be inviting you? Thank God for this gift and invitation as you conclude your prayer

Holy Week Schedule

Maundy Thursday -March 28th at 7:00 pm:  This is the day when Christians remember the Last Supper.  At the close of the service the altar and the sanctuary will be stripped in preparation for Good Friday

Good Friday-March 29th at 7:00 pm: This is the day when Christians around the world commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Easter Sunday –March 31st at 9:30 am:  This is the day that we as Christians celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

From the Pastor- Feb. 2024

What if I told you that I have a clinically proven way to improve the quality of your life, and you will be given those tools for free over the next 8 weeks? Already, I can feel those wheels turning.  “It sounds too good to be true.”  “Surely, if it works, it must cost something.”

And I wouldn’t blame you for having those thoughts. Every aspect of our well-being has been commodified, convincing us that we must put our well-being into someone else’s hands as though it’s a problem to be diagnosed and solved.

Our bodies and minds hold great wisdom. In this season of Lent, you are invited to tap into that great wisdom. In Sunday worship, you will be called into this practice, and notice that worship will have a slightly different pace. We will deepen this practice on Wednesday evenings as we gather around the cross. On Thursdays at 11:00, we will engage in holy conversations around encountering God, and you will be given practices to enhance your internal wisdom. These sessions will be available on our YouTube page as a live stream.

So, what is this clinically proven method for improving our lives?

Prayer

There are many benefits of prayer. Ancient prayer and meditation practices offer spiritual benefits and profound effects on mental and physical well-being.

Mindfulness, meditation, or prayer, when practiced for as little as 13 minutes every day over eight weeks, has shown a difference in several brain regions that control learning, emotions, memory, and the fear response. These regions include the amygdala and the hippocampus, which control the fight/flight/freeze/fawn response.

Stress Reduction: One of the most well-documented benefits of prayer and meditation is reducing stress. Chronic stress has been linked to various health issues, including cardiovascular problems, compromised immune function, and mental health disorders. Engaging in prayer and meditation activates the body’s relaxation response, leading to a decrease in stress hormones like cortisol.

Improved Mental Health: Prayer and meditation have been associated with improved mental health outcomes. Regular practice has been shown to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. These practices’ focused, mindful nature encourages self-awareness and self-compassion, fostering a positive mindset and emotional resilience.

Enhanced Cognitive Function: Research suggests prayer and meditation can positively impact cognitive function. These practices have been linked to attention, memory, and executive function improvements.

Neuroplasticity and Brain Structure: Recent studies utilizing neuroimaging techniques have provided insights into the structural changes that occur in the brain due to regular prayer and meditation. These practices have been associated with increased gray matter density in self-awareness, compassion, and introspection areas. Neuroplasticity suggests that the brain can adapt and reorganize itself, and prayer and meditation play a role in this process.

Lower Blood Pressure and Improved Cardiovascular Health: The relaxation response triggered by prayer and meditation reduces stress and positively affects cardiovascular health.  Studies have indicated that regular practice can lead to lower blood pressure, improved heart rate variability, and a decreased risk of heart disease. These physiological changes contribute to overall heart health and longevity.

This is just scratching the surface of the benefits of prayer and meditation. What is remarkable now is that we have science to back up what we have always known to be true in our spiritual practices. So, will you join me over the following weeks and try this? Who knows, you might just change your life for the better.

Sources:

Benson, H., Wilcher, M., Greenberg, B., Huggins, E., Ennis, M., Zuttermeister, P. C., … & Friedman, R. (2000). Academic performance among middle school students after exposure to a relaxation response curriculum. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 33(3), 156-165.

Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature Neuroscience, 15(5), 689-695.

Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., … & Ranasinghe, P. D. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357-368.

Masters, K. S., & Spielmans, G. I. (2007). Prayer and health: Review, meta-analysis, and research agenda. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30(4), 329-338.

Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213-225.