AdventWord, Qf&P, Quakers, Spiritual Practice

AdventWord 2022: Thirsty

"Prayer is not just a matter of the feelings, but of the will. When we least feel like praying and when prayer seems pointless because there appears to be no one to accept it – when God indeed seems absent, then is the time to call our will into action and refuse to give up. There will be occasions when our desert will seem only dry and barren. But refreshment is not far away, and we must persevere, holding on to the promise that the parched ground shall become a pool and the thirsty land springs of water."

Jack Dobbs, 1984 - Qf&P 2.33 Tweet

Quakers often don’t use the word “prayer”. Instead, you’ll hear someone say “Can we hold xxxx in the light”, or “I’ll hold you in the light”. But as each person has their own understanding of the divine, so will describe and define the divine in unique and personal ways. Likewise, they will have different actions or expectations associated with the concept of “prayer”.

For me, I see holding someone in the light as promising to pay attention to them and their needs. To setting aside my ego and expectations, opening myself up to being a conduit between that person/circumstance and G-D, the divine. When I have asked to be held in the light it is usually from a place of confusion, of feeling uncertain, thirsty to be connected to the divine. Knowing that others are also acting as a conduit helps me continue to hope and hold trust that my thirst will be refreshed.