Capturing Kitchen Prayer Moments
>> Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Today's Guest Post is by Katie from Kitchen Stewardship.
I will be the first to tell you that everyone needs time for silent prayer during the day. I will also be the first to admit that this is oh! so hard for me to accomplish! Therefore, I am a huge advocate of what my friend calls “moving prayer.” For mommies and other people on the move, it is essential to remain connected to God throughout the day, even as you engage in other tasks.
I am especially aware of the available mental energy for “moving prayer” as I work in the kitchen. The multitude of mundane tasks that I work my way through while making a meal include: chopping vegetables, setting the table, gathering ingredients, storing leftovers, washing dishes…and the list could go on. I make it a point to harness some of my surplus intellectual space during these times, and I pray.
How often do you find that you have something repetitive “in your head”? If you’re a parent, it’s likely to be the ABCs or “Elmo’s World” theme song, and if you’re a normal person, perhaps the song you last heard in your car is stuck in there. Your head, I mean, not the car.
When I find my mind doing something repetitive, that’s my cue to switch over to the prayer station: I convince my mind to pray a repetitive prayer instead. We Catholics have lots of them. Honestly, the Hail Mary is a bit long for me while I’m working. I get distracted! My favorite is, “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us, and on the whole world.” It’s from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and it has just the right rhythm to chop food by. I don’t count ten of them, I just go until I have to focus my brain on dinner again.
If you’re not Catholic and not comfortable with these prayers, I would encourage you to try something like this:
~ A favorite praise song
~ “Lord, have mercy”
~ “Christ, have mercy”
~ “Jesus, remember me”
~ Repeat the Name of Jesus
~ “Bless my family, Lord”
~ Any phrase that you feel is worthwhile to tell the Lord rather than your ABCs!
I want to challenge you to be prayerful in the kitchen. If you can harness your repetitive mind and turn it towards God with this method, please try it! The world needs our prayers.
Katie blogs at Kitchen Stewardship about being good stewards of our time, money, family's nutrition and the environment, answering God's call in the kitchen and sharing tips to help you find the balance and integrate prayer into your cooking.
