I have a basket full of prayer beads.  The basket itself is a treasure because a dear friend knitted (or is it crocheted?) it for me.  Over the years I’ve bought a variety of prayer beads and quite a few more have been given to me–some of those hand made especially for me as well.  I am abundantly blessed.

As I get older, I feel the need for less and less new things.  I’ve got piles of books I haven’t read, and enough stuff to fill a large house.  In fact, I find myself trying to give away more than I take in.

However, a week or so ago I bought some new prayer beads.  I’m going back to Iona at the very end of September with my best friend for a week of praying and walking the rhythm of that Holy Island.  I was perusing the Wild Goose website, the publisher of the religious community that lives on the island, and came across Pearls of Life.

Each of the eighteen beads or “pearls” on the bracelet represents a prayer.  This litany of prayer was created by Bishop Martin Lonnebo of the Swedish Lutheran Church while stranded on a Greek Island.

As I prepare for my pilgrimage to Iona, I’ve been praying one bead each day as part of my centering prayer practice.  I traveled to the desert today.

Each bead is called a pearl because each prayer is that precious.  The beads in my bracelet are actually glass and ceramic beads handmade from India through a fair trade company.  I’ve been thinking that it might be fun to create my own.

Because I wanted to share the whole scope of this prayer circle, here is the entire prayer litany:

The God Pearl
     You are boundless.  You are near.  You are light, and I am yours.

The Silence Pearl
     In God’s silence may I be–quiet, still, craving nothing.

The I Pearl
     I am a drop in God’s sea that reflects the sky.

The Baptism Pearl
     I am your child, my God, help me grow, help me mature.

A Silence Pearl
     In God’s silence may I be–quiet, still, craving nothing.

The Desert Pearl
     Cleanse me so I will be clean.  Heal me so I will be whole.

A Silence Pearl
     In God’s silence may I be–quiet, still, craving nothing.

The Serenity Pearl
     Help me really live, not only exist.

The First Love Pearl
     Open me now to the strength of love I long for.

The Second Love Pearl
     God, help me love.

The Mystery Pearls (there are three of these)
     Large or small, I entrust the secrets of my heart to your care.

The Night Pearl
     Be close to me in darkness so that I find the light.

Another Silence Pearl  
     In God’s silence may I be–quiet, still, craving nothing.

The Resurrection Pearl
     Every breath me in you you in me.

A final Silence Pearl
     In God’s silence may I be–quiet, still, craving nothing.

I’m not doing my usual 5 AM first leg home from a Grandboy trip today since my flight doesn’t leave Redmond until 3.30, and my Centering Prayer word this morning was God’s peace.

Austin and I have begun practicing centering prayer at his bed time. Before our very first time on Thursday evening, we chose the sound to begin and end our Quiet Time (three deep gongs), and set the amount time for silent prayer (one minute) using the Centering Prayer app. 

Before we began, we decided what our prayer word would be. Friday night there was an incident while Austin was waiting for me to read him his bedtime stories. I was getting his younger brother, Jonas, to sleep first, and Austin was reading quietly in his room. A big bug flew into his room, and Austin got scared. We talked it through, and he was proud that he was brave. His prayer word that evening, not surprisingly, was Brave God. 

I think that Austin is enjoying watching the prayer time clock decrease on the Centering Prayer app more than he’s actually getting the concept of centering prayer, but he’s had three nights now where we’ve had lovely time of quiet prayer together before bed. 

Friday night, after our Quiet Prayer, Austin asked for Prayers (his mom and dad have always done bedtime prayers with the boys), and that’s a first. After all the God Blesses, when we talked about what else he wanted to ask God for, he wanted us to pray that the big bug not come back (a bug, by Austins’s estimation, as big as his hand with wings, a little stinger, and a name, Sewer). 

God said yes. 

Happy fourth birthday, Austin. 

Back when I decided to do something about my crankiness, I decided a good solution would be to make Centering Prayer a daily practice.  To hold myself accountable, I’m using the world of technology. Since I started July 15, I’m posting a photo each day to the Day One Journal of the place where I pray. 

 I’m using another app, Centering Prayer ( from Contemplative Outreach) that allows me set a practice with prayers, chimes, and a timer. 

I’m on my way to Oregon to celebrate me grandson Austin’s fourth birthday. I’ve decided to invite him to join me. He loves technology, so that will be a little incentive.  He and I can set the app up for a prayer time.  More importantly, I’ve found most little people take to the quiet of centering prayer with more ease than those of riper years.