Mtr Taylor Devine

Dear Friend,

When we pray morning prayer with the Beloved in the Desert Corps Members or with Saint Philip's colleagues and parishioners, we have a few practices that we share up front when we are learning how to lead Morning Prayer.

Firstly, in the Monastic-influenced pattern, the prayers are read really very quietly, you can hear your fellow pray-ers and your following along with their pace. Secondly, when reading Psalms we leave space, a full breath at the asterisk. This little space really allows the Psalms to resound in your ears. The Psalms hit all of the points of our shared life. Deep despair, soaring heights of joy, the absence and palpable presence of God. Perhaps this pause helps because it engages your mind in a new way, with fresh breath, perhaps it slows us down, but that pause at the asterisks really allows the Psalms to settle in to you, and you to settle into them.

The kind of quiet characterized by the Daily Office in Monastic communities is in part because of its daily character, no need to pray loudly if you are praying this every single day, everyone knows you know it, everyone knows you are here, and is worried if they don't hear your voice. There’s also a kind of character of listening, listening to to your neighbor and listening for God. May we practice this kind of listening and responding day by day.

In Christ,
Taylor