3. In art, symbolism, movies, and maybe in the human psyche, fire is seen as a living being, of sorts.
For example, witness lines of the film, Backdraft, 1991.
Robert De Niro’s character- Donald ‘Shadow’ Rimgale: It’s a living thing, Brian. It breathes, it eats, and it hates. The only way to beat it is to think like it. To know that this flame will spread this way across the door and up across the ceiling, not because of the physics of flammable liquids, but because it wants to. Some guys on this job, the fire owns them, makes ’em fight it on it’s level, but the only way to truly kill it is to love it a little. Just like Ronald.
Many times we function in life as if God is an idea. God may be getting frozen in our mind. Static. Stiff. Or maybe we think of God in relationship to things past: Bible stories, fixed doctrinal positions, the holy and immovable One.
Yet God is the only Living God. The Highest. All the other things we worship are dead, or they can make us numb, dead-like. Getting our fix of whatever…people, gossip, technology, gadgets, velocity, power, status, (etc. maybe you can think of others) are all tertiary distractions, fool’s gold. They don’t bring life, or growth, but instead more craving.
Let’s share a bit, shall we? Please list a dead god you’ve worshiped. (If you can, include some adjectives about it.)
I’m curious to know if you’ve ever been on a prayer walk? Would you please tell me in the comment section/link below?
The weather (in North America) is changing to mild temperatures, and the beauty of Spring is here.
I’d like to inspire you to carve out 20-45 minutes, (or more, if possible) within the next few days from the time you read this, to absorb the beauty of creation, and the God of it.
This beautiful picture gave me the kick to write this post. Let’s both do it. Go to your calendar now, check for a spot, and mark it down. Morning time, evening, weekend, whatever. You truly have 20 minutes, I know it. Go ahead, I’ll wait. We both know-once you mark it down-it’s quite likely to happen.
With this time, you can allow yourself the experience of a guided prayer walk, using some, or all of the guidelines I’ll lay out below. It will help create a place in your heart to experience the presence of God within and around you. It’s really the perfect Rx for the spring season.
Some suggestions for your walk time:
Items to bring along-
– Comfortable, durable, Shoes
-(if needed) Sunscreen/basic first aid kit
-Water
-Snack
-Notepad and pen
-Camera
(Some of you may want to bring a Bible. If you feel this is important, I am suggesting that you read Scripture before you go on this walk, and if you’d like, bring along a passage, or verse that is on your heart.)
First, allow yourself to acclimate to your environment. Notice your surroundings. Walk deliberately, and also wait, sit or rest, once in a while, and take in your surroundings. Put hurrying aside.
Second, as issues, or chatter run through your mind, push them gently aside, or if they are quite intrusive, jot them down, and give yourself permission to think of them, at another time. (You may may find it helpful to briefly lift those things to God in prayer, and purposefully “hand them over,” before you continue your walk.)
Third, continue until you feel like you’d like to find a comfortable place to sit, or rest, for a little while. The jot down something about your surroundings, and associations that may come to mind about God, and God’s character. Note your response to God, or his creation. Or, record other thoughts you feel are meaningful, or maybe things you would like to explore further, at some point.
Fourth, enter into a time of prayer. It can be any length of time. This is a time of conversation, and also worship. Worship involves adoration of God. Speak, but also listen.
Fifth, be where you are.
Sixth, Continue your journey until you are ready for it’s conclusion. During this time, you may want to spend more time in prayer, engage in vigorous exercise (walk at a rapid pace, for instance), gaze appreciatively at nature, or sit in quiet, or a bit of each. It’s a free-play, or freeform period of the hike/walk, where you can have all the freedom to enjoy it in the way which makes the most sense for where you are right now in your life. Sense God’s love for you, and his delight in you. If you cannot, ask him for the grace to do so. Forgive others, and forgive yourself.
Seventh, when done, offer a brief prayer of thanksgiving, and accept God’s grace. Receive from God. After a few minutes, write down noteworthy thoughts, experiences, ideas, sensations, or insights that happened along the way, or during your prayers.
Eighth, Later, share some, or all, of your notes with at least one other person.
You may want to walk with another friend, a spouse, or in a small group etc.
How rewarding this is!
For this, I suggest that a period of prayerful silence be observed during the whole time,
and conversations between people be postponed until after the walk is through.
Group discussion after the walk may prove very fruitful.
If you give this a try, I’d love to hear how this goes.
Will you please share your experience here?
(Photos you’ve taken can be sent to ovationeneterprises (at) verizon (dot) net)
Today I woke up at 6:22 a.m., and even though I didn’t want to I felt I must take a walk. It was still dark outside. I dressed into the first things I could find, and couldn’t locate my glasses, so I put on my husband’s prescription sunglasses. I looked like a bug creature.
I felt like I should go back to a nearby hillside were I walked earlier this week. I had gone there to see the sunrise then also. I had gone a bit too early, and by the time came for dawn, dense cloud cover blocked a good view. Still, it had been a nice experience.
This time as I crouched on the dewy hillside overlooking the tree-covered town of Cressona, dotted with lights, I looked up at the stagnant bluish cloud cover again. But interestingly, if I waited about 15 seconds I could sense cloud movement eastward. It made me realize that even when I’m waiting, and it seems nothing is happening, it is. Sometimes I just have to be more perceptive, and patient to notice it. The morning turned beautiful with the new light, and the dark prescription sunglasses intensified the hues, especially the reds, making the scene even more brilliant.
It was an introspective start to me day. Worshipful, pondering, astonishing, and encouraging. Surprises are at every turn.
I changed the header photo on the home page to one from this a.m. Hope you like it.
