I'm Praying for You (and Me)

  In our prayers, both personal and corporate, many times we pray for the problems of the world, for there are many.  This week I'm thinking especially of the famine in Africa, the divisive culture of politics in the U.S., and the riots in London.  I pray, and work, towards hope in these circumstances.

But I'm concerned about a trend I've noticed among the pastors (and others) I serve, at the seminary and elsewhere.  They are quick to remember the problems and suffering of others, but reluctant to consider their own needs.  Self-forgetting, even.  This can be problematic for various reasons; in a broad sense it's bad news to take care of everyone but yourself.  Some people call this being a servant, but it's usually because they have had this modeled for them in an unhealthy way.  As children of God we are expected to care for ourselves as well as other people, and God's creation.  This is an important biblical principle, and one Jesus demonstrated during his ministry.  For us to pretend or deny that we do not have wants and needs that need to be addressed, both in prayer and in action, is to deceive ourselves.  And I'm guilty of it, to be sure.  Fortunately I have been learning how to better do this, especially in the past year or two, but I still have a lot to learn about self-care and allowing myself some of the spiritual hospitality that I enjoy sharing with others. 

Last semester I planned a chapel service called "Prayers for the World", which was divided into three parts.  During the first third we prayed for global concerns. and sang a related song.  During the second third we did the same, except we prayed for the local community of KC.  And during the final portion of the service, we prayed personal prayers.  At this point, I broke things up into three sections which looked something like this:

Prayers for the Pain of Illness or Death

John 11:30-35, NRSV

Be Still My Soul, v. 1

Prayers for the Pain of Uncertainty or Transition

Lamentations 1:3-4, The Message

Be Still My Soul, v. 2

Prayers for the Pain of Disappointment or Loss

Psalm 61:1-3, NLT

Be Still My Soul, v.3

During the singing of each verse from the hymn, I invited people to come up and light a candle for whatever personal concern they were lamenting.  Quite a few people came up to do so.  After the service was over, many told me it had been a very meaningful, healing time for them, and that they needed to be given this kind of space to care for themselves.  A couple even said they thought we should have that service every semester! 

I don't have the solution for helping us remember that caring for our bodies and minds is a way of honoring God's creation, but others are helping me learn.  More on this later.  In the meantime, I will do my best to pray and keep encouraging other friends to continue in their self-care efforts.  If we don't take care of ourselves, at some point it will become impossible to take care of others.  I'm going to make little signs that say this and pin them to some of your shirts...you know who you are!