Becoming A Prayer Writer: Part 2
Nancy Kopack: On Becoming A Prayer Writer
…..Continued from Blog post #25…..
“How exactly did a pysanka facilitate such a blessing?” Eagerly exploring the folklore and related materials surrounding pysanky for answers, I discovered an interesting correlation of facts:
1. Prayer
Recalling the endearing generational tradition of her family in the Ukraine, an early twentieth-century emigrant to the United States said that the reverent task of pysanky began with the “Sign of the Cross” invoking God’s presence; then quietly the prayer, God help me, followed; all the time, the belief that He would was certain.
(“Ukrainian Arts”, Ukrainian Youth’s League of North America, Inc., New York City, 1955)
The design motifs that create pysanky’s beauty are symbols linked to Ukraine’s Christianity. A symbol is a material object that represents something abstract. The eight-pointed Sun symbol which signifies Light, called a Rose when signifying Love, is a natural symbol for God. Circles, having no beginning, no end, identifies God’s eternal nature. Wheat symbolizes a successful harvest, a positive outcome. Chickens symbolize fertility, the fulfillment of desire. Ladders symbolizes an ascent to greater heights. Intersecting bands around the egg seek direction. Each symbol possesses an inherent prayer-attribute.
2. Write
Pysanka, and its plural, pysanky, originate in the Ukrainian word pysaty – a verb, implying action, that means to write. Writing a pysanka elevates its stature to a conveyor of meaning: one that imparts information, that voices intention.
Pysanky are written by hand. Contemporary scientific research on the latent powers of the mind sheds light on this important point. A network of connected brain stem nuclei, called the reticular activating system, originates in the medulla oblongata and extends up into the neocortex where thought and higher brain functions occur. The RAS acts as a control center: filtering the sensory stimuli it receives, directing those that are important to the neocortex to influence consciousness. Handwriting provides a valuable source of sensory stimulus.
(“Write it Down, Make it Happen”, Henriette Anne Klauser, PhD, 1999, Simon and Schuster)
Here’s an example of how it works: In a moment of frustration fueled by a sense of isolation, I emphatically wrote in a notebook: “God! Am I the only prayer writer on the planet?” A day or two later, a headline way down on my internet news feed caught my attention: “A Nurse’s Prayers Were Answered.” The article stated that a Tallahassee nurse had been handwriting prayers seeking God’s help to adopt a baby in need. She persevered in her prayer writing without losing faith. She agreed to a temporary assignment in the hospital’s emergency room during which an abandoned infant was brought in for treatment. Her advocacy for the infant’s medical care led to adoption.
3. Good Fortune
Ancient cultures considered the plain, unadorned egg to have mysterious powers: an inner ability to transform into something greater than its outer shell indicated was possible. For many, the egg signifies fertility, life, fruitfulness. For the spiritually inclined, the egg symbolizes of the soul: the image and likeness of God, the source of infinite potential, residing within each person.
Ukrainian folklore says pysanky are talismanic. Ukrainian folklore also states that the fate of the world depends upon pysanky. As long as pysanky are written the world will exist. If pysanky cease to be written, evil, depicted as a vicious monster chained to a mountain cliff, will destroy the world. When few pysanky are written, the monster’s chains loosen and evil flows through the world. When pysanky are plentiful, the chains securely restrict evil, allowing love to reign triumphantly.
The talismanic effect of a pysanka, inscribed with the beauty of prayer, is God’s loving response. The definition of “talismanic” – good fortune, protection from harm, magical, supernatural – is remarkably similar to the definition of “blessing” – God’s favor and protection. Each definition illustrates how God’s response to prayer feels. His response ending the emotional pain of my mother’s passing was super, natural, indeed magical, like I was God’s favorite. His response must feel like this to others, too!
More than twenty years of practicing what this ancient folk art suggests – write, ask God’s help – has taught me how sweet it is to talk to God in a personal way as a friend. It improved my knowing that He is silently guiding my life, which is His most common response. Although I believe God always responds to my prayers, it is not always in ways that I expect, recognize or even understand. This does not deter my prayer writing. It becomes a matter of trust because God certainly knows what He is doing!
A fellow artist and meditator recently told me that a desire to be on a design team at a prestigious exhibition nagged at him relentlessly. On a piece of scrap paper, he wrote: “Dear Lord, I really need You to intercede on my behalf so I can be on that team. Please help!” Signing it for good measure, he placed it on his meditation altar. While working in his studio the next day, the inaudibly words – “They started without you.” – instantly transformed his desire into immeasurable peace.
Handwriting prayer, affirmations, inspiring words of wisdom or gratitude, in loving conversation with God – on paper or an egg – reveals a joy that only awareness of His loving presence can bestow. If you seek a more personally meaningful relationship with a loving, responsive God, try the spiritual practice of handwriting prayer, and let – what the ancient prayer writers called magic – begin!
Copyright © 2020 Nancy Kopack.
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