TREE KNOWS ITS NAME
In preparation for the upcoming CenterQuest’s School of Spiritual Direction for Cohort 2, I was asked to offer a prayer of intercession for the cohort members on Zoom. The entire month’s prayer and fasting theme is based on Colossians 2:6-7. “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (NRSV) As I meditated, imagery of a tree and what a tree can teach us arose in me. As I wrote a prayer based on my reflection, I would like to share it. I believe the prayer includes all of us. If you resonate with the prayer, join me for all.
As the root of a tree teaches,
may we know to hold on to what matters most…
Lord, hear our prayer
May we also learn to embrace darkness…
Lord, hear our prayer
As the leaves of a tree remind,
may we know to let go when the time comes…
Lord, hear our prayer
May we also provide shade and rest for the weary…
Lord, hear our prayer
As the branches of a tree instruct,
may we explore and extend beyond the known, beyond our comfort, and into the light…
Lord, hear our prayer
May we also offer birds to perch, gaze into the distance, and build nests…
Lord, hear our prayer
As the fruits of a tree present,
may we produce selfless love that nourishes and saves…
Lord, hear our prayer
May we also multiply goodness and love beyond…
Lord, hear our prayer
As the tree is silent but speaks with eloquence,
may we know how to speak in silence and in words…
Lord, hear our prayer
As the tree only knows the present,
may we also stand in the present during storms, droughts, and sunshine…
Lord, hear our prayer
Finally, as the tree knows its name,
may we also know our name…
Lord, hear our prayer. . . that our name is love…