My bus drops me off about 1.25 miles from my school, so I have a little bit of a walk. I love this walk. It affords me the opportunity to feel my city, I encounter some of its people, walk by some of the places where people work, I get my coffee from one of my favorite coffee shops, (usually Caffe D’arte) , and whether its windy, rainy, sunny or cold I get to experience the weather too.
Regardless the weather I almost always pause for a few moments on the Pier 66 Skybridge which runs over Alaskan Way. This has become a place of prayer for me.
My pattern of prayer begins leaning against the railing looking to the North. From this vantage point I can see the beautiful red brick building that is the physical home to the learning community where I will spend my day teaching & learning. And I hold our school in my heart and lift it up to God; this is a time of wondering, and imaging about our future.
Next I typically turn to the South. Looking in this direction gives me the opportunity to hold my city in prayer. With each passing day, I find myself loving Seattle even more than the day before. I find myself wondering about what it is to pray and live for the common good of our city, state, and country.
It used to be that that was the end of my prayer. But not long ago, I was engaged in a conversation about prayer with some young pastors, and as we talked together it became clear to me that there were two directions I hadn’t been paying attention to . . . so more recently I’ve begun to turn to the East and the West.
To the West is the gorgeous Puget Sound, linking to the Pacific Ocean and the rest of the world. So turning to the West has been an intentional way for me to hold global concerns in prayer.
And finally I turn to the East; the direction from which I just came. Looking East I’m looking back on my home, my family, and my family of origin. I take some time to hold my son, and my life partner, and other friends and family as they come to mind.
I treasure these few moments at the beginning of my day. A small pattern of prayer which, at least for this season, seems to be rooting me in narrative history, relationship, place, and future as I presence myself with our Creator and Redeemer.
Peace, dwight
