Ever wonder about this word “prayer” that people toss around so recklessly?

Sometimes it’s a cue to take a quick nap in the middle of a church service, or sometimes it’s like a hot potato at the dinner table – someone else do it! Sometimes it is long and eloquent and frilly and not really meant seriously, like prayer invocations at graduations and weddings and presidential inaugurations. Sometimes it is kooky, and makes you wonder about people who claim that God tells them strange things.

Maybe you have wanted to pray but don’t know how, and you aren’t sure who to ask about it or how to ask them without sounding odd. Plus, maybe you’re worried that you’ll have to become religious in order to pray.

Or maybe you’ve tried praying but God has been aloof, distant, maybe not even there at all, and you wonder what’s the deal because you hear others describe the wonderful prayer times they’re having.

Perhaps it’s best to just let religious people handle it after all – they must be experts at prayer, right? After all, God seems to always answer their prayers … right?

Or is there more to it … ?

Over the next two months a few of us ordinary unwashed folks will be gathering together to explore and experience prayer. Whether you are a longtime prayer fan or just recently curious about prayer, please do come join us! We will explore different ways of prayer, by trying out different forms and different settings, but always with a focus on seeking God and experiencing the Jesus-life conversation. We trust and pray that these two months will introduce you to a surprisingly reckless aspect of prayer, even if you are a prayer veteran, and we know that you will find you have something valuable to teach us about prayer, even if you are a prayer novice!

We will meet in the chapel room at the Belchertown UCC’s parish house, exact times and dates to be determined based on your availabilities. If you are interested, please contact Hari Kumar (413-303-9772).

About your facilitator: Hari and his wife Alexis live near the bustling “downtown” area of Belchertown, where they moved shortly after they got married in 2005 in nearby Florence. Originally from India, Hari has been on a journey of exploring prayer and faith in wildly different cultures and religions ever since his family moved to live in Islamic Yemen when he was a young Hindu boy in 1983. He writes about his Christian faith life on his website at www.recklesspassion.com.