Practices of Prayer

This post is by Rev. Aniko Olah, pastor at Novato UMC:

Dear Lenten Pilgrims,

Greetings and blessings to you and yours!
What are you doing this year as a special Lenten discipline, I wonder? Did you "give up" something for Lent? Did you "take on" something for Lent? Maybe both? I am glad that you are part of our online group, and the Saturday gatherings at the Aroma Cafe in San Rafael will be great opportunities for fellowship.

At this time I would like to invite you to "take on" a prayer practice for a few minutes every day at Noon during Lent. At the Novato UMC this is our second annual Lenten prayer discipline: no matter where you are or what you do, you are invited to pause just for a few moments at Noon to pray.

You could imagine these few prayer moments at Noon as sending a Face book status update to God: "I am here eating lunch and I pray for all those, who are in need of food." Or you could imagine these few prayer moments at Noon as sending a tweet to God: "Just checking in, asking for guidance for this difficult conversation at work". Or you could imagine these few prayer moments at Noon as sending a text message to God: "Thanks for the great book I am reading."

You could pray the Lord's Prayer if you wish, or the Serenity Prayer. Or you could be in absolute silence... only listening... You could carry a small journal with you and write your prayers down, if you wish. How about singing a song or a hymn one day at Noon? Drawing a picture maybe?

I close with the well known and beloved Lenten commission so many of us use: "Go forth, in Christ's name, to transform existence, to bring consolation to the desperate, hope to the hungry and homeless, reconciliation to a community and world divided. And in Christ's name, find a cause you can live for, a self you can live with, and a Redeemer for whom you can die." Amen!