World Prayers – Prayer Collective.

Pearl Continental Hotel Bombed, Stormed By Gunmen In Pakistan.

Wounded Pakistani men are seen after an explosion in Peshawar, Pakistan, Tuesday, June 9, 2009. Suicide attackers in a truck launched an assault Tuesday on a luxury hotel commonly used by foreigners in Peshawar, firing guns as they stormed past guards and then setting off a huge blast that killed at least five people and wounded 65 more, Pakistani officials said. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

God, please soothe and comfort those who were injured or lost loved ones in this attack. Please touch our hearts as well, that we take a stand for love and peace in our daily lives and in our world. Teach us how to disagree peacefully and how to meet conflict with love. Thank you and it is done. Amen.

Regardless of your personal opinions of Obama and his policies, this is profound on so many levels. I immediately compare it to his “A More Perfect Union” speech, which he gave during the campaign, in which he boldly, eloquently and respectfully explained both sides of the race question in America. He’s done it again in terms of U.S.-Muslim relations.

A few notes, for perspective:

•  The common ground for Islam, Judaisim and Christianity, actually goes back to the very beginnings. All three religions are literally brothers — born in the same area of the world, from the same traditions. In a manner of speaking, the schism between the three religions is quite literally a family feud.

•  Obama called for us to look beyond stereotypes. And just as many Christians oppose abortion rights but were still horrified by the murder of Dr. Tiller in Kansas, so too, there are Muslims who oppose American policy, but are horrified by acts of violence committed in the name of their religion. Now there’s a common ground: the majority of Christians and Muslims don’t like to have acts of violence carried out in the name of their respective religions.

Of course, everyone — including Obama — knows that 50 minutes of flowery words won’t replace actions on the ground. Much of anti-American sentiment in the Middle East is rooted in the simple concept that many there don’t like the U.S. interfering in their affairs, period. It’s kind of like having an argument in your family, and having someone barge into your living room and start ordering people around. So there will need to be significant policy changes.

But as I watched news reports of everyday Muslims reacting to the speech, I still have great hope. Just as my daughter will grow up in a world where having an African-American president is the norm, there will be children in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran and Pakistan that will grow up inspired by an American leader, instead of reviling him. Maybe a Christian and a Muslim can sit down over a cup of coffee and talk calmly about the principles of their respective faiths — peace, love, understanding. Or better yet, stuff like raising kids, problems with in-laws, stuff like that — things that are common regardless of religion.

Hope and change, indeed.

So check it out: Jesus tells his boys, “Hey, let’s go over to the other shore.” They hop in the boat and row out. While they’re out a big storm comes up, starts rocking the boat, water splashing all over the place. The disciples start freaking out, all like “Oh snap! We might not make it out of here!” So they do what they always do: They look over to see how Jesus is dealing with all this.

Jesus is taking a nap. We’re all about to die, and JESUS IS TAKING A FREAKING NAP. Not only that, the storm hasn’t even woken him up. AT ALL.

So the disciples shake him to wake him up (I wonder if he was snoring?). “Teacher! Do you just not even care about us? How can you sleep at a time like this?” So Jesus sighs and thinks to himself, “Haven’t these guys learned ANYTHING yet?” and he gets up and looks at the storm, puts his finger on his lips and calmly goes, “Shhhhhh . . . .”

Then the sea gets calm, the clouds clear up and the storm goes away. THE STORM GOT QUIET.

So now, the disciples are freaking out for a whole different reason. This guy told the storm to settle down, and IT DID. And then Jesus turns to them and says, “What were you afraid of in the first place? Where’s your faith? And where’s my pillow?”

In case you’re wondering, yes, that was fun.

There’s a lot one can take from that story. But given the storms I’m dealing with these days, I’m going with the tremendous sense of inner peace Jesus had. Clearly, he knew something his disciples didn’t, and that made all the difference. It’s literally beyond belief — it’s a deep KNOWING that God is with you (and me) in the midst of these storms we’re dealing with. And perhaps more to the point, that we can tell the storms to settle down — and if our faith is true, the storm will listen!

Meditate upon this:

BeliefNet’s got some neat affirmations for inner peace. Work with them.

Also, I ran across this rather interesting analysis of the “Jesus Calms the Storm” story. The author, a man named Austin Cline, is an athiest and a scholar. This piece is insightful and well-thought out, so I recommend reading it. If you are indeed a believer, you know that we often encounter God in unexpected places — even in the writings of one who does not believe in God. More importantly, you know that God’s Voice inside you will guide you, and you’ll trust it.

I’m gonna go tell this storm to be quiet now. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

On April 29, one reader submitted this:

Prayer request for my 19 year old son who doesn’t reply to my emails, phone calls, or text messages. I have no idea where he is, what he is doing, or if he is okay. Please pray that God will send someone to watch over him and keep him safe.

There’s no telling how many silent prayers there were, but I posted this in response:

Heavenly Father, speak to this young man in his heart, let him be aware of your presence and love. Guide and protect him, keep him safe. And touch this mother’s heart and soul — give her peace. In Christ’s name, Amen.

About a week later, she posted this:

Thank you. It worked. He is coming home.

And in gratitude, I responded:

Heavenly Father, thank you for deliverance and wisdom. Thank you for your continued guidance and healing for this mother and her family. Remind them that you are always with them and have always been with them. Touch their hearts with grace and a spirit of forgiveness. Open their minds and hearts to hear Your voice as it speaks The Truth — and may that Truth make them free. In Christ’s name, Amen.

———-

So we extend the offer again: If you have a prayer request, make it known in the comment section below. Not that my prayers are any more special than anyone else’s, but I’ll post my prayers in response — hopefully other readers will too. And again, it’s important to pray with your whole being.

One more footnote: As I’ve mentioned here before, I’m going through an extremely painful divorce right now. I’ve never doubted whether The Author is walking with me on this path, but I have wondered exactly what He wants me to do along this road. Suffice to say, when I learn that this blog/project has helped reunite a family . . . well, it’s humbling, hopeful and it helps me see more clearly. And I thank God for that!

Wayne Dyer, in case you haven’t heard of him or seen his profound specials on PBS, is one of our great modern spiritual teachers. I’d seen his books long before I ever heard him speak or saw him on TV. Suffice to say, his quiet and humble teachings inspire me, always giving me a different and more empowering way to look at things. If you have 10 minutes or so, check out this short clip from his PBS special, “The Power of Intention.” You’ll probably want to see more:

In fact, it was while listening to one of his cassettes (yes, that relic of audio recording from last century) that I first heard of the Tao Te Ching (pronoucned Dow Deh Ching).

The Tao Te Ching is a book of ancient Chinese wisdom, written probably about 6,000 BC by Lao Tzu. Having read it multiple times now, I can see how its language and poetry might seem nonsensical to some people; for me, I always feel like its wisdom bypasses my logical mind and implants itself directly into my soul. I always feel peaceful when I read it — which, for me, is plenty reason enough to read it over and over again. For instance, from the Gia Fu-Feng/Jane English translation:

Eleven
Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore benefit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.

So anyway: Not long ago, Dyer published his own teaching guide of the Tao Te Ching. And I found this short sampling of it over on BeliefNet. I hope you like it, and I hope it brings some calm to your life as it does to mine. Here’s the link again:

Wayne Dyer’s 10 Ways to Go with the Flow

http://barbfroman.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/gods-addressbook-includes-hope/

Remember this very important fact on those sleepless and seemingly hopeless nights: No matter what, the Sun’s coming up tomorrow. A new day . . . a new hope.

Lee

Tight harmonies + positive message + enthusiasm + a hook from Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” = A Funky Good Time!

One of the things I like about an inclusive, all-encompassing image of God is that the concept eliminates an “either-or” outlook on who God is and how God works. This isn’t new thinking either: See John 1:3 –  “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” In short, nothing exists without God.

Case in point: the so-called rift between science and spirituality. Usually when someone wants to disprove the existence of God, they point to scientific principles and evidence. But why can’t God be the scientific genius behind those principles and evidence? This possibility means expanding our idea of God, which, let’s face it, can be very uncomfortable. This is true for the devout believer as well as the scientific purist.

But the choice between science and religion has always been a false one. Both represent avenues to explain why things happen in our lives and in our worlds. One does not invalidate the other. Quite the opposite. A deep sense of faith, combined with a critical and curious scientific mind, broadens our understanding of God. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said it this way:

Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power; religion gives man wisdom which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals. They are complementary.

All that’s a long setup for a new book called “How God Changes Your Brain.” The authors are Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman. Newberg is a neuroscientist; Waldman is a therapist. They both are associated with Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania, where they study . . . well, how God changes your brain, among other things. I also recognize the author from a stimulating movie I like called “What the Bleep Do We Know?“

Anyway, take a peek, let us know what you think . . .

How God Changes Your Brain by Andrew Newberg, M.D., and Mark Robert Waldman (sneak preview)