A CONTEMPORARY SPIRITUALITY

January 2020

Sister Wendy Beckett was a Roman Catholic contemplative who knew a great deal about art. You may have seen her on tv talking about it, or you may have read one of her many books on the subject. She also wrote about prayer, and there is a quotation that I attribute to her that has stayed with me.  “If God is love, and prayer is important, then it cant in principle be difficult.”   Certainly, she was convinced that “prayer is simple.” 

One of the problems with organised religion is that it tends to give the impression of the opposite, that prayer is difficult, and that only a small group of people do it well.  As a consequence most people feel that they’re not much good at prayer, and often feel guilty about it. My experience is more in line with Sister Wendy, that prayer is simple, and what’s more, that most people are better at it than they give themselves credit for. The reason is also simple: we have bought into a far too narrow a definition of prayer.

I’ve learnt over the years that its best to define it broadly: “Prayer is whatever nourishes the relationship between you and God”. This definition affirms two things.   The first is that it is God who does most of the praying.  God called us into life, created us for this relationship and invites us into it, and has given us everything that we need to explore it. God is the primary nourisher of the relationship, the primary prayer.  

The second is that prayer embraces a far wider range of activities than might have previously been thought. Crucially, its not mainly a matter of saying words.  I sometimes ask people a question. ‘If you needed to pray, but you couldn’t use words or enter a religious building, where would you go, and what would you do?’  The answers vary of course, some go for a walk in a green place; others make or listen to music; some sit quietly and light a candle, while lying in the bath or sitting in a favourite chair; some just sit in silence; my wife gardens; I might smoke my pipe and mull; I know someone who goes dancing.  If this is how we might sometimes pray, then it seems reasonable to assume that other people who choose to do these things may also be praying, whether or not they would name it as prayer.  It is the engaging in the activity not the correct naming of it that is key. Its not all those who say “Lord, Lord…..”etc

In my experience when people begin to consciously use these ways of praying without words, their prayer life & spiritual well-being often take off quite dramatically, and prayer becomes an enjoyable & deeply nourishing experience that they look forward to.  Not least because common to all the answers is that people are doing things they enjoy.   We have here an exciting vision of humankind actively engaging in nourishing their relationship with God by praying through doing things that are pleasurable. What could please a loving God more, than seeing human beings enjoying nourishing their relationship with Her/Him.  Religion would be better served affirming people in their natural joyful pray & aiding them to deepen it, rather than trying to teach them something that they find difficult.