The Simple Prayer

simplicity // 26
the Simple Prayer

St. Francis of Assisi would spend whole nights praying the same prayer, over and over: “O God, who are you? And God, who am I?”

Such a prayer cuts, of course, to the heart of our identity. I prayed it yesterday, while on retreat with a wonderful group from Kent. Walking across a field – barefoot, as it happens – in the gorgeous spring sunshine, I repeated the prayer for some time. And caught almost unawares, the smell of sun-warmed grass and earth returned me, vividly, to the days when I would walk home from primary school joyful, trusting, uncomplicated, loved. It was a simple place to be, and to be me (and I am grateful to have such memories); complete, before any extra layers of personhood built like sediment around me.

I glimpsed, in that field, a small part of the answer to the question, “Who am I?”; for I am still that person, that boy, and I am learning, in a sense, to become him again: joyful, trusting, uncomplicated, loved, and this time, in relation to God.

It was an unexpected answer, provoked, not by words, or a verse, but by smell and touch. We all learn in different ways, and we “hear” in different ways, and we respond in different ways to the signs of God around and within us.

Ultimately, the way God sees us is the way we truly are. That’s why it’s worth praying St Francis’ prayer. It makes good sense to seek at least a glimpse of that person for ourselves, and, where necessary, to welcome them home.


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Action point:

Pray the prayer today – try to repeat it, for 5 or 10 minutes – and don’t think too hard about an answer, just let it come.


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rsvp:

“Amen, amen, amen to the words today. I thank God for his grace and mercy as each day he forgives and loves me despite my imperfections and sends me out to show his love, compassion and light to others. From 'one cracked vessel'...” Barbara

“Imperfection: today I had to drive over 200 miles to attend a work-related one-day conference. However, the location was fabulous – a large restored manor house set in beautiful countryside. During the lunch break I took a solitary walk to drink in the beauty. The footpaths around the house were bordered with rows of blooming daffodils. Then I noticed that the perfection was marred as I came across a solitary severed daffodil flower lying on the path. Immediately the words of the chorus ‘Above all powers’ sprung to my mind – ‘Like a rose, trampled to the ground, you took the fall, and thought of me , above all.’” Dylan

“So interesting that many of us who started off doing so well have found the going tougher in the last week or so. I am not alone - look, for a start I'm on the computer in the middle of the afternoon - and it's so encouraging to know I am not alone - I am not the only failure. We are all in need of grace...” Jemma

“We are currently refurbishing an old warehouse into an arts centre. Its image bases itself around its patched-together nature. All of the new parts that go in are made of salvaged parts of the building or new bits that seamlessly fit with the old. It is lovely to be able to think of today's message whilst I draw these new old parts of the building.” George

“The reflection today made me smile as I see the light through those cracks often, especially in myself.” L

“Today’s rings a particular bell with me. Years ago a friend of ours told us: ‘If a thing is worth doing it’s worth doing badly!’ The comfort that twist has been to me when I’ve felt I had neither time nor energy to do things that mattered to the quality I wanted! Faced with the choice of either doing something at the level I could manage or just putting it off, remembering the worth of the thing, even if it’s ‘half done’, has often got me into action. It isn’t always true, but many times it’s been a help. And God does seem to be able to cope… Leonard Cohen sings it much better though!” Wendy

“LIBERATING! While everyone else, it seems, is still managing to avoid sweet things for lent, I managed only the first week. But the one very important issue that I prayed would be behind me before lent ended, God has miraculously and beautifully spoken to me, healed me, delivered me from. Perhaps I thought I could do the first thing in my own strength. The second I knew I couldn't as I had already struggled with it for a year. So God's power was made perfect in my weakness.” Sam

“Thank you! Today's reflection couldn't have been more appropriate. It arrived on a day when I feel far from perfect. There are so many cracks that the walls sometimes seem in danger of collapsing. It also came off the back of a church talk on Sunday about that very passage from Paul, with a reminder that 'we have this treasure in jars of clay'... I'm working in a room with one window overhead, so I will try and take time to see how the light comes in from above.” Philippa

“Today I sought beauty in the washing pile! For the first time (ever?) I put an un-ironed t-shirt in the airing cupboard. Is God's grace sufficient? We'll see. I LOVE ironing.” Daphne

“On the ‘Silence’: I re-read it a couple of days later. I’d woken very early. I heard three things in succession: first, loads of birds singing their dawn chorus, making me think of Jesus saying that not one of them falls to the ground without his Father being aware of it; second, the wind was blowing through the trees and I thanked God for the movement of the Holy Spirit in our church; third, my wife breathing as she slept at my side – I thanked God for giving me such a great wife. Does this seem too flowery? It’s honestly how it happened.” John

“I did an assembly on Monday to 250 year-10 students without my shoes and socks on. Great reactions - some didn't want to look as if they had seen something they shouldn't have. One kid walked past on the way in, just looked down, carried on walking and said 'Shoes are overrated anyway'.” Ben


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May you discover more of who you are,
and may you discover more of God, today.
Go well!

Brian