The Dialectical Written Prayer Method©
Through a practice I created, called The Dialectical Written Prayer Method©, I learned the true meaning of the phrase “Communion of Saints.” When we pray to the saints and other holy ones, talk to them, sing to them, write to them – as opposed to praying about them or talking about them, or thinking about them, etc. – a profound shift happens in our spiritual consciousness and we can trust that God’s Spirit is doing important work!
Holy women and men are very much still here with us, speaking to us, and doing in death what they did in life – helping us draw closer to God and revealing to us that God loves us beyond the deepest love that we can ever imagine. Dialectical writing places us immediately in the presence of the holy person whose work we are taking into our hearts.
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From this spiritual space, graces emerge to create a special relationship:
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The grace of connection: Through this writing process, we create real relationships with those who have walked before us.
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The grace of accessibility: We don’t need special skills or education. We need only bring ourselves honestly and fully to the pen and paper.
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The grace of co-witnessing: The engagement through writing allows the universal truths of the other’s spiritual experience to speak clearly; and allows our voices to express their own truth and authority.
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The grace of transformation: What makes the process “dialectical” is that we are willing to be changed when we bring our full selves to the process. And they change when we open ourselves to receive their gifts in new ways.
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The grace of community and continuity: This form of written prayer links the past with the present and allows both to speak truth. It offers a path to reclaim wisdom that often gets lost in centuries old language and sensibilities and to proclaim the 21st century voice in response to those voices, rather than in reaction to them.