The 14th century Christian mystic, Julian of Norwich, once wrote, “The fruit and the purpose of prayer is to be ‘oned’ with and like God in all things.” This body prayer is a wonderful way to bring all of ourselves into the act of prayer, body, mind and spirit.
When we originally released this video we were under the impression it was created by Julian herself. We have learned this is not the case. This body prayer was created by the contemplative Order of Julian of Norwich. Father John Julian developed the four words to describe their silent contemplative approach to prayer. Father Ethan Jewett developed the body positions related to the four words. Learn more about the order at www.orderofjulian.org
We have found this prayer. and body prayer in general. to be a great way to reclaim our bodies as valuable and loved. These days when so many of us have been handed a faith tradition that ignores or distrusts or sometimes even hates the body, and when we live in a society that has made the body a commodity, and has privileged certain kinds of bodies more than others, this prayer can be a way to reconnect with our bodies as gifts from God and refute those messages.
We believe this body prayer can help us resist the idea that the body is something we need to renounce or transcend in order to experience communion with God. Instead, this prayer invites us to be in our bodies, embrace our physicality as a way to ground ourselves, and find oneness with the divine and with all living things. As you pray this prayer it can help you connect your heart, mind and body and to more fully experience God’s love for every part of you.
The prayer has four simple postures. And intentions.
AWAIT (hands at waist, cupped up to receive): Await God’s presence, however it may come to you.
ALLOW (reach up, hands open): Allow a sense of God’s presence) to come …or not…and be what it is.
ACCEPT (hands at heart, cupped towards body): Accept as a gift whatever comes or does not come. Accept that you don’t know everything, that you are not in charge.
ATTEND (hands outstretched, ready to be responsive): Attend to what you are called to, willing to be present and be God’s love in the world, however God calls you to.
EDITING NOTE: This video was originally released in March 2019. This current description of the video and the video itself were edited and updated on July 24, 2020.
Jessica Young, a dance/movement therapy educator, demonstrated the prayer for us. The narration is by Lenora Rand and the music is by Gary Rand, co-directors of The Plural Guild, a music, arts, liturgy collective creative resources for individuals, small groups and congregations. Learn more at www.pluralguild.com