And the Winner Is...

There are so many different lessons coming together right now. There are the CDs I've been listening to, the chapter in our Prayer book, together with practical lessons from life. We have such a desire to rate things: who is on top, which is better, who is right, and who is the winner? It's built into our competitive culture of sports and ratings, and without even thinking we create our own hierarchy and choose sides. On Sunday our class studied the Prayer of Relinquishment and many of us had a hard time endearing the idea. It comes diametrically opposed to our American bravado and the qualities which make us unique and strong. We are raised to appreciate the self-starters, the self-made man, and those with self-control. In the chapter, similar words are called "hyphenated sins." The image that came to my mind was a rock climber belaying down at a right angle to the mountain. It's the only way to make it down assuredly and safely, otherwise you hit the rock again and again, but first you have to lean back and negate your inclination that it is certain disaster. Or another image is the rafter who may fall out amid the turbulence of a white water rapid; you are told to put your feet ahead of you, lean back, and ride with the current instead of fighting it. I have a personal experience that proves that is sound advice! We win, no, we survive by letting go. When asked which is most important at the center for Contemplation and Action, Richard Rohr replies "and."

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, Relinquishment sounds like defeat to our selfish ears. Help us to find that relinquishment brings us closer to your will and further from our desires to retain power and familiarity. We admit we treat this prayer or relinquishment like a battle of competition, one side winning and another losing, and we are not accustomed to setting aside our defense and leaving ourselves vulnerable for submission. O God, let us grow more comfortable with this open stance of exposure to you and your direction. Let us set aside the ideas of "either, or" and replace it with "and." Oh the places we can go when we fall back into the stream of your living waters. Amen