Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, bending them slightly. Open your lips a little as if you were starting to smile. Let all your muscles relax, breathe fully, and let your gaze “go inward” so you are looking straight ahead while looking at nothing. Remaining firm on your feet, raise your arms on the in-breath, and lower them on the out-breath. Be mindful of each inspiration and expiration. Then hold your arms about shoulder level, but rounded, as if you are holding a large beachball – leave about twelve inches space between your finger tips. On the in-breath, close your arms till they come almost around yourself, like a hug; on the out-breath, open them again.
Breathing in, I calm my body.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment.
I know this is a wonderful moment.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
At the church where I am currently doing supply, each service begins with something like the above exercise. We do it for two or three minutes and it is part of the worship. The community’s life, announcements, are all left until almost the end of the service. We focus on our own breath and being, our connectedness to the earth, to the air, to each other. We enter a state of being more open to the Spirit in worship. The community prayer is this:
As I live every day, I want to be a channel for peace. May I bring love where there is hatred and healing where there is hurt; joy where there is sadness, and hope where there is fear. I pray that I may always try to understand and comfort other people, as well as seeking comfort and understanding from them. Wherever possible may I choose to be a light in the darkness, a help in times of need, and a caring honest friend. And may justice, kindness and peace flow from my heart forever.
This prayer does not change, because everyone now can say it without reading – even the children. Most clergy – if honest – will tell you they don’t often feel like they have worshipped when leading a service – because of being too busy thinking about how things are going, sermon, whatever. I’ve discovered, in a short month at this church, that when we begin with this exercise and prayer, I enter and participate in worship and it becomes much more a ‘together’ of leadership and congregation. It’s a wonderful feeling to come away having participated in worship instead of just leading.
So we pray: God we thank you for your gifts of life. Help us in this day, and all days, to work to make your creation a place of beauty and good life, and worship, for all people. May it be so.
