“ . . . the Spirit of God dwells in you. The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according the will of God.”
Rom. 8:9, 26-27
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Paul’s insight about prayer strikes a resounding “wow, he hit the nail on the head for me.” Most of my prayers are inarticulate groans. I struggle with finding words. I struggle to voice heartfelt pain; to clarify my hopes, to ask for healing, for understanding, for solace. And guess what! God’s Spirit dwelling within me so completely understands, accepts my feeble attempts and helps me “in my weakness.” I experience this most often when in the chapel, God’s Spirit always there to help me find healing words for those who seek healing.
Reading again Richard Foster’s book “Prayer,” I thought I would share his thoughts about praying. The idea of middle prayer; that prayer takes place in the middle voice; that we do not have to have everything perfect when we pray.
We often tackle prayer in the same way we tackle every other task – by hard work with an intensity to try, try, try again. Does that ring a bell? The thing is we have to let go of all that intensity; of all that trying harder.
Letting go, we enter into a stillness and silence. And we discover God’s presence in that stillness and silence. We discover God is always already here! God is continually praying along with us. We begin to experience prayer in which God acts and we receive; prayer in which we act and God receives, all at the same time: “middle prayer.”  

 
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there will you be also.” John 14: 1-6

The average life expectancy today for American men like me is 77 years. Any man nearing the end of 90 years as I am would be considered an outlier, living way beyond 77 years.

So, lately whenever I think about my own death, I think about my own resurrection. I believe in the very core of my being that I will be lovingly greeted by the glorified Jesus, by my beloved Bonnie, by family and friends, all who have gone before me. I believe He has a place for me beyond this mortal life and I will share with them the abundant life He promised.

Anticipating death is one of the ways we remind ourselves of the promise and presence of eternal life.  Death is when we claim the promise of the resurrection. I believe we experience the power of the resurrection in a personal way, in a way as unique as we are. I believe it will mean the end of all earthly things for us, the end of the world as we know it. It will be for us Jesus’ Parousia, not in a general or theoretical way, but ultimately in a very personal way.
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“And you know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life’”