And so often when we sit down to pray,
We sometimes get tangled in a bunch of words that don't belong to us.
Or sometimes the words don't seem to come in the form of prayer as much as they might seem,
But this form of prayer is more like a meditation because it really invites you to slow down.
And so I invite you to get comfortable and notice your shoulders and see if they're hunching forward.
See if you can sit up and feel your chest open on an inhale and feel the sternum rise.
And on the exhale,
Just feel the shoulders falling away as you open your chest and open your heart to the experience that this prayer can offer.
And so you continue just breathing deep as you transition from active state where the where you want the prayer to go into a more contemplative state where God,
The Holy Spirit leads you.
And so we're going to use a passage from Matthew chapter 14 as a starting point for our meditation.
And if you're familiar with this gospel,
You know that in Matthew 14,
Jesus feeds the crowd with the five loaves and two fish,
But after all of them are fed,
Jesus tells his disciples to get into the boat and he dismisses the crowds.
And Jesus heads up the mountain by himself to pray.
So let's experience ourselves here.
So find yourself at this shoreline and it's dusk.
Notice the temperature on your skin.
The air may have a cool breeze to it or warm.
Just notice the temperature here and then the color of the sky.
Notice the beautiful blend of hues in the sky as the sun sets and feel the sand beneath your feet.
Maybe you might take a moment to experience the texture here.
You know,
Sometimes the sand gets stuck between your toes and so you can play around with that for a moment.
But also take in the fact that you knew that this miracle of feeding the thousands with such little food and just notice the magic,
The holiness of this place.
Notice if your legs feel a little tired and heavy from a long journey and the crowd that enjoyed this great feast,
They're beginning to walk away and some people are maybe still a little bit in doubt,
Others are moved by this miracle.
Then you notice the disciples getting into the boat and see them slowly moving from the shore onto the water.
Then you see Jesus there and he too stands at the shore and he says goodbye to his disciples and he also embraces some of the people he had just fed.
So now walk a little closer to him,
Notice his posture,
What is he wearing?
Take this all in.
What does Jesus look like to you?
Then as the crowd is gone,
He turns to you and says,
Let's go up the mountain together.
Although he was seeking solitude,
He asks you to join him as you follow him on this path to the mountains.
As you follow him,
What might this journey look like as you ascend to the top of this mountain?
Notice the change in the terrain from the sand to the rocks.
Notice the smell as the earth truly begins to awaken.
Notice the temperature.
Maybe it's changed a little bit.
Then maybe you notice some crickets beginning to chirp.
So Jesus finds a clearing along this path and this place allows him to look down at the shore,
Look down on his friends that are rowing away and he sits down and he prays.
So what is your response?
Do you watch?
Do you lie prostrate behind him?
So listen to his prayer.
What does this prayer sound like?
Is it silent?
Maybe he sings.
Maybe he recites a psalm.
Just be with him for a few moments.
As you take in this scene,
This simple sentence in the Bible becomes so much more full.
So just as you take in the external details of the scene,
Notice what's going on inside you.
How might you be moved here?
Do you sense what Jesus is feeling?
Just notice any internal stirrings within you and then Jesus turns to you and you begin to have a conversation.
Maybe you begin this conversation or maybe he has some questions for you and if this is hard to imagine,
Consider him asking you perhaps what you're carrying,
What burdens or he might ask you what you might need to let go of,
What needs to be released,
What needs to be dropped.
So when you're ready,
Just imagine Jesus blessing you with this peace or steadiness or courage.
You know that this is a place that you can return at another time.
Take one more look at Jesus and look at the moon rising over the water and maybe you see the disciples in the boat and closing your eyes and drinking in this quiet strength of Jesus with you.
As you exhale,
Just slowly return your mind to the space around you in this moment.
And sometimes it helps to place your hands on the ground or your seat,
Allow some gentle movements back into your body.
Sometimes it's just a simple rolling of the shoulders or nodding your head,
Wiggling your toes.
And just as it took us a while to go into the deeper room of this imagination,
Give yourself a few moments to return to the more active life.
I like to slowly just allow a little bit of sliver of light in my space around me so I just gently open my eyes just a little bit and then kind of stare at the few feet in front of you as you fully absorb the deepening,
The groundedness of this type of prayer.
And if you have a few moments to truly seal the benefits of this practice,
I invite you to maybe jot down some of the experience,
Maybe what you learned,
Or maybe a question or two you would like to revisit later.
And also know that you can take a few moments throughout your active day and turn within and just maybe reconnect with the settling,
The grounded feeling that we've cultivated in this practice.
Take one more deep breath and sigh it out as you may open your eyes and maybe twist your torso left and right to fully emerge.
As you walk with this presence deep within you,
See if it somehow gives you a little bit more clarity,
Maybe a little bit more creativity,
Maybe a little bit more compassion.
So wherever you are,
Just take care of yourself.
