'Stories and Other Things Holy' Episode 5:

What Does It Mean to
Become a Prayer?

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A Reflection from Joshua

This week we grapple with a profound question: What does it mean to become a prayer? Inspired by a story from Sister Joan Chittister, TNJ challenges us to move beyond simply saying prayers and instead to embody prayer with our whole being—mind, body, and soul.

I’m reminded that there are moments when words fail us—times of desperation, uncertainty, or deep connection. In these moments, our bodies, emotions, and very essence can express a prayer far deeper than words ever could (Prayer in the Spirit). This is the invitation of the Christian imagination: to live into the integration of our embodied lives with the presence of God, recognizing that grace flows through our most vulnerable and authentic moments.

Referenced briefly in this week’s episode, James Finley said:

Grace-ercises

1. Reflect on Your Response​
   Did any part of the story—or the discussion that followed—move you? Comfort you? Surprise you? Awaken something within? Take some time to rest in, or wrestle with, this feeling as part of your experience of the story.
2. Ponder Becoming​
   How might you let your life—not just your words—become a prayer? Are your values guiding your choices, relationships, and priorities?
3. Be Love​
   What would it mean for you to embody the love and grace you seek? Take some time throughout your week to listen to your body... what is it trying to tell you? Are you or someone you love suffering, ill, or hurting right now? Are you ignoring the signs of your own anxiety, depression, or overwork? Are you aching for connection, or craving solitude?

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