“Playful prayer”

Prayer is often seen as something to be taken seriously, that needs working at, and indeed it is and it does. After all, the motto of St Benedict was Orare est Laborare, Laborare est Orare – to pray is to work, to work is to pray.

But whoever said prayer has to be serious all the time? Prayer is the essence and expression of a relationship, and what sort of a meaningful relationship is always -well- Meaningful? After all, we’re talking about a relationship with the creator of the puffin and the platypus, and the caterer at the wedding in Cana. With the one who, like the father of the Prodigal Son, throws dignity to the winds and with robes flying runs to meet us whenever turn towards home.

When we take ourselves too seriously, we tend to become more like the Pharisees. Prayer is not something that is just ‘worthy’. Playful prayer – being light-hearted, spontaneous, simply enjoying God – helps us avoid ‘worthiness’ and ploddery (this may be a made-up word). To pray is to work, rest and play.

So how to play in prayer? It won’t do to be prescriptive, but here are some ideas.

• Last month I wrote about occasionally trying out a different prayer method, asking ‘what if?’ and cultivating the spirit of experimentation.
• Use your imagination. Trevor Dennis wrote a wonderful story featuring God as a woman playing the saxophone.
• Use your body, dance, sing hymns at the top of your lungs in the shower.
• Fly a kite.
• Have a nice cup of tea and a sit down with your knitting for a proper chinwag with God.
• Bask in a hammock in the sun.
• Simply do anything you enjoy, and enjoy it in God’s company.

It’s August, the holiday season. An amen a day helps you work, rest and play.

-oOo-

This is one of a series of articles appearing in Exeter Cathedral’s monthly news, complementing the material I contributed to the “Explore Prayer” section of the Cathedral website. I hope you find them helpful.