Faith Fridays: Prayer Space

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Since coming back from the monastery in Santa Barbara, I've been doing the Daily Office (well, morning and evening prayer, slightly modified from the lectionary because hey, when have I ever followed the rules?) ...

But since coming back from Washington DC and seeing the Tibetan Shrine, I've been inspired to take the Marvellous Madonnas from last year's Silver Bella and do something like that (but not a whole room obviously). I need to lay out the pieces on the dining room table to figure out layout, but I also need to figure out where to put it.

In researching online, I also rather liked this Eastern Orthodox icon corner. (Not sure if the blogger is Eastern Orthodox, might be Russian Orthodox.)

Right now I pray the morning office either on the couch in our master bedroom, or sitting cross-legged on the bed. The evening office is always on the bed. I have the bible my great-grandparents gave me, the Anglican Church of Australia's prayer book, and the Episcopal Church's lectionary calendar (so it's all spelled out for me, not that I'm completely following it.)

I originally thought of placing the Madonna Montage + shrine here in our formal living room:

It'd be the first thing you see as you walk into the house. But I'm kind of reminded of some scripture about Jesus saying we should pray in secret. Oh, here it is. Matthew 6:5-7. (I love Bible Gateway). So perhaps not in such a public place. It feels weird even talking about it in public.

But I forge onward! :) So there's the master bedroom which is where I do my set prayers now and have even sat and attempted contemplative prayer. But given that relies on us not piling up books, read and unread, from here to well, kingdom come.... and that there seems to be no natural place for the eye to rest...

And I thought of here in the "TV room":

(Yes, that's an exercise bike with the hubby's ironing hanging off of it.) Although what I'd do with that cabinet, I don't know. It does already hold such "relics" as a family bible and the chalice and plate used at my wedding.

Or here in the guest room, which would make it off-limits when we had a guest.

(The water colors are done by a local artist whom we just adore.)

What do you think?

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 2, 2010 at 5:42 PM

    I'm thinking on it, what about the corner in your lounge by the windows you could put a bookcase to hold the Madonnas and get a wicker chair to sit on?shall keep thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 2, 2010 at 5:43 PM

    That's me love it's playing silly buggers again the other way

    ReplyDelete

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