The Where of Prayer: Finding Sacred Space

Whenever we are in prayer with God, we are in sacred space, whether in the middle of the grandest cathedral, the most awe-inspiring natural wonder, or the loudest, crowded megamall? Our challenge is to see the holiness in the space where we are. If that is impossible, it is then to seek out a space where we see the holiness.

Too often, we get this backwards. We think we have go looking for a place to pray, as if some places are holier than others. We are conditioned in this. If we are in a church sanctuary, we expect that we will pray. If we are in Wal-Mart and someone starts praying, we don't expect that -- in fact, we're probably afraid, wondering why they're praying.

Over the centuries, the wealthy have built sanctuaries in their lavish homes, little chapels where they could pray while at home. The less wealthy have made shrines in corners with art, crosses, and candles -- an image we often associate with Italian or Hispanic Catholics.

You probably don't have a religious shrine or private chapel in your home. But you still have clear ideas about what space you can pray in is like. It must almost always be very quiet. It must be in private, except in specific circumstances.

There's nothing particularly wrong with these ideas. Chapels are sacred space. Quiet places are sacred space. The family dinner table can be sacred space. The beautiful hills of West Virginia are sacred space.

But any space can be sacred. Regardless of where it is, how clean it is, how quiet it is, or how private it is. As you grow more comfortable in your prayer life, you should be able to pray in more places and more contexts. You should learn to pray in crowds and in noisy places. You should learn to pray in public, as well as in private. You should learn to pray at home as easily as you pray in a church building.

All it takes if for you to see God in the place where you find yourself -- God's presence is what makes it sacred. And once you've recognized God in these places, you might as well spend a few moments in prayer; after all, it would be rude if you saw God and you didn't say anything.

Today's Prayer Prompt: When you find yourself in a noisy place today, look for God and say a prayer.