In music,
rhythm is the ordered flow of the music through time, or the pattern of
durations in notes and silences in music. One isolated beat does not make a
rhythm, that’s a sound, but neither does silence – silence comes between notes.
It’s just like that with prayer and prayers. Prayer is rhythm, rhythmic and
offers an infinite variety of rhythms. The rhythms of music are enjoyed or
experienced in private or personal settings and public ones; so too prayer and
prayer’s rhythms.
Praying, talking to and listening
to God are life-practices we can engage in personally/privately at anytime,
anywhere; just like those times when a rhythm drops into your head, you hum and
even add the words. You pick up rhythm and melody by yourself; you are alive in
the music. Praying can be the same. Through and building on known prayers, both
childhood and adult ones like; "When in the morning light I wake,
show me the path of love to take" or “Our Father in heaven
...” which can serve as a rhythm dropping from our heads into our hearts,
as we say the words and add more.
Like music, prayer and prayers
are important public concerts ... we know those concerts as church services.
When you go to a concert, or “gig” you expect music; when you go to church,
expect prayer. We go to public musical events, to hear music and get caught
into the rhythm. Enjoying music privately is cool; yet so true the common
saying, “there’s nothing like going to a live performance.” Getting caught up
with others into the soul of the music, its atmosphere, rhythmic expectations,
its renewing and refreshing, we become part of the music. You leave, and the
rhythm goes with you, it’s alive in you. It can be just like that with our
public prayer and prayers in church. Church prayers are liturgical
prayers; liturgical prayer is changing prayers in changing seasons. Like
concert music the great liturgical prayers are familiar, we hear our Faith in
them, and we can catch their rhythm, and discover refreshing through their
rhythm catching us. (JCD)
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