From Without to Within to Without – The Cycle of Prayer – Part Two

The hurricane

• turbulent, thundering, and turning
• our daily lives.

The eye of the hurricane

• serene, soothing, and still.
• an invitation to enter.

The hurricane dynamic

•  motion, movement, and mileage.
• the motion of life.

The hurricane – a metaphor of prayer, a mysterious movement from without, within and without.

The Spirit calls from the turbulence

To go Within – Within the eye, then

To go Without – back into turbulence.

Turbulence

Turbulence is smarting, scary, suffering

• It’s death.
• It’s crucifixion.

The eye – the tomb

It‘s dark, not dangerous, a mysterious space

• a space of surrender, surrender of the ego,
• a space of Grace, 
• acting like intravenous medicine moving within,
• to heal.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12: 10).

At an opportune time,

Grace moves to return without 

• a return to turbulence, thundering, and turning.
• It’s resurrection.
• It’s new life.

Every moment of prayer

• is a movement from without, within, and without.
• a movement directed and guided by the Spirit.
• a cyclical daily movement necessary in the spiritual life.

The daily call – 

To move from without, to within, to without.