Create a Prayer Altar at Home

Because of the pandemic, we continue to pray in our homes, cars, and other places—but not the pews. But if you’re sitting in the same spot on the couch whether praying or watching TV, you’re not helping yourself to enter a prayerful space.

“Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks.” Philippians 4:6

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

In this anxious time, our relationship with God can be one of our central pillars (along with mental health, community, etc). One way to draw closer to God in our daily lives is to have a dedicated prayer space at home.

In a couple weeks, we’ll build prayer altars in our houses. You’re welcome, of course, to start now.

The easy part:

You don’t need a whole room, or even a whole table. Any dedicated space can become a prayer altar: a window sill, an end table, the top of a short bookshelf.

You also don’t need to leave it there forever. You could start with a Lent prayer altar. Maybe you can’t always spare one part of your kitchen counter, but it seems doable for 40 days?

The hard part:

There is no hard part! You already have everything you need, probably scattered across your home. The idea is that we’re gathering it together in an intentional way.

Here are some suggestions for "ingredients," all of which are optional:

• Something alive: a plant or fresh flowers

• A candle with matches (not if little ones can reach them)

• Something to that reminds you of God

• Something to represent your family or community

• Something to hold/touch

• Fabric for underneath everything, maybe in a liturgically appropriate color

• A Book of Common Prayer

• A Bible

Gather these ingredients, and join us after 10:15am Zoom Morning Prayer on February 14! We’ll talk about the practice of building a prayer altar, discuss how to use our altars, and then start putting them together.

Conversion of St. Paul

Today the church usually celebrates the Conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus. Since this is a Sunday, it will get pushed to tomorrow...but I figure we can at least talk about it today. Here is what the Book of Acts (9:1-22) has to say:

9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

(The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 9:1–19). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

(Straight Street in Damascus...)

Paul had an intense, life-changing encounter with Jesus. But he did not endure it alone. God sent someone to help Paul through the strange and disorienting time after his encounter.

This time in our life together is intense, and strange, and disorienting. Yet we are not in it alone. As we sit in our own Straight Street houses, trying to make sense of what has happened, God will send someone to help us along the way (or a few). Look for those messengers of the Lord, because they are angels in our midst! And also...and here's the really crazy part... be ready for God to send you as an angel for someone else. We are in this together. Peace to you this day, my friends.

Whom Shall We Be?

“Whoa, something's happening,” my husband said, looking at his phone. We turned on the news. A monument to democracy was being breached by a violent mob.

An Axios poll this week showed that 4 in 5 Americans believe the country is falling apart. For too long, we've ignored the gaping wounds that plague our nation and originate in white supremacy. These wounds prevent us from achieving the ideals set out by our founders: that we are all created equal, free and beloved by God.

Luckily, our faith can offer guidance through challenging times like this one—and even some hope.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, as usual, speaks the truth our world needs to hear. He reminds us to choose community. Chaos, violence, and hatred are not God’s way.

Disciples of Jesus are called to work for justice and healing in our world. We're compelled to seek love. But the love Jesus teaches is not a squishy, sentimental love; we can only understand this love in the context of the cross. Bishop Curry's explanation of what "love" looks like at a time such as this is poignant:

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry addresses the nation on Jan. 8, 2021.

He reminds us: “In moments of danger, a decision must be made.” What decision will we make? Whom shall we be? Will we be healers, givers, builders of community? Or will we sow seeds of division and anger?

The latter is certainly easier. But Jesus calls on us to choose the former.

The prayer that keeps coming to my mind is one attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. You can find it in many places, including page 833 of our Book of Common Prayer. Say this prayer with me this week. Let’s be the beacons of God’s love—the only thing that can heal our world:

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

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You can read more about The Episcopal Church's response to last week's events here.

Read the Episcopal Church in Connecticut's 2020 resolution "Acknowledging & Confronting Systemic Racism, White Supremacy, & Anti-Black Bias" here.