Pentecostal Psalm of No-Tongues
Blowtorch Spirit-Giver of Gifts,
who descended as flaming tongues
on the disciples knotted together in prayer,
come now aflame in me.
Twist my tongue into a fiery knot,
so tight as to be speechless.
Give me no foreign mystical tongue
to amaze and astonish all,
but the tongue of a wonder-rooted tree,
whose bark sings with silvery gray silence,
or the mute tongue of an awestruck rock,
whose poetry is forever petrified.
God's Spirit of Holy Construction,
who livingly builds up the Church,
gently clamp my teeth together
lest my tongue tear Christ's Body to pieces.
Guide me to listen, instead of speak,
so I can understand rather than stand over.
By so silencing my talking ego,
may I become speechless, a Spirit-tongued lover,
who reverences and nourishes awesome life.
Reflection: To reduce the size of the self, shutting our mouth is far better than harsh penances and ascetical self-denial. Because the tongue is a tool of self-promotion, consider using that tool less to buildup yourself and more to build up the Body of Christ. The Spirit's gift of being tongueless is a mute tool toward silent communion with others, creation and God.
Listen instead of speaking when others complain. Listen instead of joining in when others are being condemned. As St. Paul said in Galations: "If you go on biting and tearing one another to pieces, take care; you will end up in mutual destruction!" (Galations 5:15) Listen instead of speaking when others are starving for the spotlight, and you will feed the hungry. Listen totally to those who thirst not for advice but only for someone to listen, and you will give them the water of life. Listen instead of speaking, and you will cultivate the capacity to be struck with awe at the wonder of life.
Many are those who are incarcerated in the cage of the ego. To be tongue-tied by the Spirit, however, is not to be a prisoner but to be free as a bird.
From Psalms for Zero Gravity by Ed Hays
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Psalm of the Name of the Holy Spirit
To pray in the name of the Father
is to begin and end a prayer
in the awesome presence of the Godhead.
To pray in the name of the Son
is to use the name of names
that makes all prayer instantly heard.
To pray in the name of the Holy Spirit
is to invoke the power to create,
to inspire, inflame and consecrate all
upon whom that name is spoken.
So with faith in the promised gift of Jesus, I pray:
In the name of the Creative Spirit,
I dedicate each work, ever eager for newness.
In the name of the Holy Spirit,
I begin and end every holy work and prayer.
In the name of the Life Spirit,
I struggle to raise dead things to life.
In the name of Heaven's Wind,
I set sail for all unknown destinations.
In the name of Heaven's Fire,
I torch awake sleeping, drugged hearts.
In the name of God's Holy Breath,
I enkindle into flame dying embers of hope.
In the name of God's Holy finger,
I follow divine direction fo find the Way.
In the name of the ancient Prophets' Spirit,
may I boldly proclaim the reign of God today,
that realm promised of old by the Father and the Son
that exisits beneath my feed and at my fingertips.
May I smash open prison-door locks
so that those incarcerated as I am,
prisoners confined in defeat and depression's dungeon,
can come forth into the glorious freedom
of a new day birthed by the Spriit of God.
Amen. So be it today, tomorrow,
and all tomorrows without end.
Reflection: Whatever task is before you, begin it in the name of the Holy Power so the stream of the Spirit of God's power can cascade upon you like a waterfall and flow through all your efforts.
When you are tired, let the Spirit refresh your sagging spirit and energize your stagnant soul as you slowly savor one of the countless names of the Holy Spirit. When coming to the Third Person in the Sign of the Cross, consider using one of the Spirit's variety of names as the situation requires.
From Psalms for Zero Gravity by Ed Hays
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Prayer action suggestion:
Practice holy silence.
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