REV. EVAN ASH’S JESUS PRAYER APPLIED TO CURRENT EVENTS

The Diocesan Creation Care Task Force has divided itself into four working groups. Rev. Ash is a member of the group tasked with the spiritual aspect of creation care., The other working groups deal with land use, connecting with the legislature and the building and work of green teams throughout the diocese. Rev. Ash’s moving prayer is printed in this article with his permission. If you pass it on, please give him credit.

In the past few weeks four events or milestones occurred that were like blinking neon lights to me. These four events were the extreme weather and its effects on people, especially in Texas, the fantastic landing on the surface of Mars, the terrible number of 500,000 deaths from Covd-19, and the one-year anniversary of living with pandemic restrictions and unequal consequences. The question is what do these events or milestones tell us about our fears and anxieties, our belief in caring for all creation, our societal and structural institutions that favor one above the other, our belief or disbelief in the science of climate change, and our frustrations and desires to break free of pandemic restrictions? What do these events tell us about our relationship with others different from us? Do we see God in others that are somehow different from us? Have we begun the challenge of forgiveness our rector has suggested as part of our Lenten discipline?

You have the challenge as EARTH STEWARDS to begin to think about these four events or milestones and to find connections within the heartfelt prayer offered by Rev. Ash. It is a big challenge (usually the Earth Steward Action is to do one or two things per week.) Pages and pages could be written about each even. Tying it to the prayer. However, if you, dear reader, do the work yourselves of applying the prayer to the events, you will gain deep and spiritual rewards. I know you are up to the challenge.

Here is Rev, Ash’s Jesus Prayer:

Jesus Prayer, by Rev. Evan Ash

Jesus – mentor, mediator, friend, brother, savior –

be in my life:

that I may know sanity in this world,

to live beyond the limited view of that world that comes from only me;

to move beyond impatience and worry,

to have a heart that cares and loves, and looks beyond myself, to see what is possible;

to have a spirit that is open to see the wonder around me and not just the needs and frustrations I perceive for myself alone;

to be free to join into the Spirit of your Father and let it strengthen and guide me beyond my limits in the moments when the Spirit’s wisdom reaches far beyond my own;

to see God in everyone and everything and rejoice in His revelation of Himself which stretches far beyond the limits of my soul’s reach;

to know the joy of your Father’s peace in my spirit.

Jesus hear my prayer,

Jesus – mentor, mediator, friend, brother, savior – be in my life.

Amen.