9/29/13 Rev. David McArthur
Handle What Is Important With Prayer
Usually when we go into prayer we don’t know what’s really going on. Melissa’s mother had a stroke. The only thing to do was a surgical procedure with only a 1% chance of success, likely leaving her a vegetable. With a tradition of prayer, the family asked their spiritual community to join them in prayer during surgery. It was an 8 hour ordeal. That night, exhausted, Melissa prayed before falling asleep. She dreamed she was in a courtroom, and her mother was asking the judge, God, to let her return to health so that she could continue to aid her family. Upon awakening, Melissa felt a deep sense of peace. At the hospital Melissa found her mother conscious and lucid! Some of the equipment had already been removed because of her mother’s returning vitality. We have a difficult time understanding the spiritual experience, and so we use symbols. I believe that dream was an expression of a real spiritual experience. Melissa witnessed her mom having the experience of choosing to return to her family. I do not imply that every time we pray for someone that they get well. Sometimes they choose to let go of the body.
My belief is different from tradition. I do not try to remind an infinite being out there that they forgot something. Instead I believe we connect in our spirit to the spirit of the other person to support them in their spiritual choice. We never get spiritual control, but we do link to them. Our day to day experience of prayer is not as intense, but as our experience grows, our view of how we see others changes. We begin to see how beautiful and powerful others are spiritually—even our loved ones when they are lost in their pain or how weak they think they are. That’s prayer and it happens every day all the time. Those beings most dear in our lives are important because they keep growing our awareness. See the truth; tell them You are a magnificent spiritual being! You are a magnificent spiritual being! You are a magnificent spiritual being! What a joy to know that! And do you notice how it grows? One or two beings show up at the office—and one over there in line. And even yourself—I am a magnificent spiritual being! –no matter how hard you try to cover it up! I am a magnificent spiritual being! Yes you are!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS