-
Prayer
I went to a Lutheran church on Sunday and the minister’s sermon was about prayer. I was raised on prayer. It is the part of my early faith that I keep with me and treasure the most. In my mind’s eye, I can see my father rising early to pray before breakfast followed by work. The door to his room was shut, but I imagined him on his knees for that is the way I believed he prayed. To me prayer is private, profound and very powerful. My father had a love for prayer and I share this. Prayer is also related to communities of worship and can be both…
-
Being Present
I’ve been listening to a wonderful podcast called Art and Faith: A Theology of Making by Makoto Fujimura. It is about creating and painting as a discipline. Even when one is experiencing grief and trauma one can create. Fujimura’s book shows how making art can help us better understand God’s work in our lives. It may even show us how our own creativity can reflect creation itself. I have always been a listener and an observer of the arts. My brief introduction into the world of painting was a disaster. My imagination was willing, but my mastery of the tools was weak. I was also impatient. But I have always…