Photo Prayer 2022-02 -- Pray Without Ceasing

Rain falling on water, I could watch it for hours! Or so I say. In reality I have never bothered to watch for more than ten minutes before moving on. Something else comes to mind that seems more urgent but is seldom better. What I do for hours is sleep. Binge watch episodes of “The Expanse”. Read long books like “The Autobiography of Lincoln Steffens” or whole series of books like the Horatio Hornblower saga by C.S. Forester. Saint Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. What is that like? Like eating an entire box of Oreo cookies while watching William Wyler’s “The Best Days of Our Lives” for the 17th time? Like slowly drinking a bottle of Riesling Spätlese while reading the “Showa” graphic histories by Shigeru Mizuki? Like looking for God’s unseen hand while writing this prayer?

Photo of rain falling on Naamans Creek, Arden, Delaware.
Photo and text copyright 2022 by Danny N. Schweers.

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Comments

Craig wrote:
Or, like watching Outlander while wearing my kilt….. and eating hagus! Hey, you never mentioned brie, rosemary crackers, and the Duino Elegies! Add a 1937 Plais d' Boracho chardonnay…. ummmm….. We need to make a list of book/food pairings. Sell it to book clubs....

Audrey wrote:
You are deeper than deep! The photo entrancing, I’d like to get lost in it as well as 🙏🏽 but you’re right, short minded, scatter brained, never developed the discipline and even in writing response to this my mind waiting to transition to me next…

Burley & Helga wrote:
Thanks again for your photo prayer and thoughts. During this season Helga and I watch in the morning flocks of geese flying to new grazing feeding areas. Although we would like to watch them longer, they fly quickly to their destination without ceasing. That's how things happen, so we are happy and blessed to have the good moments.

John J. wrote:
Really great punchline!!! Really makes the prayer!! And I think your exegesis on the famous Paul quote is entirely consistent with Richard Rohr’s (at least with my recollection of it): The goal is to get to the point where you see and live with the “mind of Christ” rather than your “ego mind.” Once you achieve that (though almost no one actually fully achieves it) it’s all “prayer”. (Rohr acknowledges that even he falls short and he can tell he’s slipped out of his “God self” when something annoys him — or he gets a little grouchy.)

Marina wrote:
Like praying the sun and the moon never cease to delight even in the face of COVID, cancer, the everyday drama of the news cycle, denialism, etc. Even in the face of wanting to see beyond the clouds of despair, may the rain wash over us, wash away the hate and the un-loveliness laying claim to our world. May the sun, the moon and the rain remind us of God's love, God's claim on our world and our hearts.

Bill M. wrote:
Aha, a fellow Expanse fan! Looking for God’s unseen hand? Better to just let it do its thing and be grateful. [DANNY REPLIED: In the same sentence Saint Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, in the same breath so to speak, he tells us to give thanks in all circumstances.]

Linda wrote:
Love this one, Danny!

Elaine wrote:
Love this, Danny. Observing, appreciating, enjoying, experiencing Life (pleasant or unpleasant) - that sounds like the constant energy of prayer.

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