As a matter of fact, a prayer meeting should be the most exciting thing we could go to.
--Ernest Holmes, Ideas of Power, page 131
We find that prayer is essential to happiness.
--The Science of Mind, page 178
Prayers and Circuses
Ernest Holmes once wrote of a young boy who went to the circus. He loved the clowns, acrobats, high flyers. Then his grandmother took him to a prayer meeting. His Dad asked if he enjoyed it. He said, "Well, I’d say that if Granny ever went to a circus, she’d never go to a prayer meeting again!" I understand that boy because Cirque du Soleil, a circus without animals, captivated me. The show expanded my understanding of what individual humans can do. Feats of strength, balance and grace enthralled me as I watched them climb and fly, lift up themselves and others, all in vividly colored, glamorous costumes.
In Ideas of Power, Holmes continues to talk about the boy and the circus. He says, "A prayer meeting should be…the most exhilarating experience we could have. It should unleash all the creative ability and imagination we have… There should be a light…that everyone would be aware of." Recently, I’ve attended prayer circles as exciting as circuses. Praying with dear friends at church, on retreat or in a small group, expands my understanding of what individual humans can do. Feats of spiritual strength, balance and grace enthrall me as we climb and fly, lifting up ourselves and each other, all in vividly colored, glamorous costumes. Well, that’s not all true. Vividly colored costumes are optional.
A prayer meeting is a circus anyone can run off to join. It’s not just for elite athletes. It takes no special talent, for we are all born with a unique internal connection to Spirit. With some practice and intention, each one of us can fly in consciousness.
Today I intend to gather, either physically or in my imagination, with others who thrill to Spirit, who love to pray. Together, we allow the joy and exuberance of God within us to expand our capacity to connect to the divine, demonstrating spiritual strength, balance and grace.
Connee Chandler, RScP
Published August 27, 2001, page 65
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