Hello and welcome to the John Mark Comma Teachings podcast.

My name is Yinka Dawson and I'm your host.

Each week we feature teachings by John Mark or other voices in the formation space.

It's so wonderful to have you with us.

We're continuing our prayer series,

exploring what it means to move from prayer as a discipline

to prayer as a way of life with God.

In this week's episode, we're hearing from Father Rick Gans on the practice of contemporary prayer

to help us abide with God.

Father Rick is the founder and director of the Farber Institute in Portland, Oregon, an organization committed

to awakening our souls through teaching, spiritual direction, and retreat. You can learn more

about the Farber Institute and Father Rick's work at Farber Institute.com. Here's Father Rick.

I have to confess, And here it is.

So I was very moved when all the moms came up.

He said, just pile in here and get up close.

And as they gathered and I could see their faces from the side.

And I imagined myself up front looking looking down, on all these faces,

who looked on little ones when they first came into the world,

and felt such love and wondered what would happen.

And I imagined myself standing there and looking at them all

and seeing them in prayer.

And I wondered what it would be like to body surf?

...