Walking and Prayer

As I prepare for my 500-mile hike in Spain this coming fall, I am following a 6-month training calendar that has me steadily increasing my walking.  I’m in the middle of month three, when I’m supposed to walk 60 minutes at least 4 times a week.  My favorite local place to walk is the Mariners’ Park.  I am so grateful for the beautiful, well-kept Noland trail!  I’ve been working to increase my walking pace, and I now pretty consistently clock in at 83 minutes—which comes out to 16.6 minutes per mile.  (I missed out on about a week and a half of exercise because of my bout with Covid, but otherwise I’ve been keeping up pretty well.)
 
While I walk the Noland Trail, I pray.  I carry a set of Anglican prayer beads, which are similar to a Roman Catholic rosary.  I find them a really helpful devotional tool.  Anglican prayer beads are composed of a cross, 28 small beads (divided into 4 groups of 7 beads), and 5 or more large beads.  Beginning with the cross, I work my way around the rosary over and over again as I walk, beginning with several set routines of prayer and then switching to prayers that seem most appropriate for a given day.
 
I pray the Lord’s prayer while holding the cross.  During the first half of my walk, at each small bead, I pray the Jesus prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  And at each large bead, I pray the Trisagion:  Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us.  As I pray those rote prayers over and over, it somehow allows my spirit space to breathe and soar. 
 
Then, when I get to the 2.5 mile mark, I switch to prayers related to St. Andrew’s Sacred Direction Task Force.  At the large beads I pray:  Guide us, O thou Great Jehovah; and at the small beads I pray:  Help me to trust; help me to listen; help me to heed.  About a mile later, I change the focus to my role as rector of St. Andrew’s, praying at the small beads:  Help me to follow; help me to lead; and at the large beads:  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Finally, when I have about half a mile left to hike, I finger through the beads as I pray about the people, meetings, and events that are on my calendar for the day.
 
What a blessing it is to be able to combine walking and prayer.  I’m grateful that there are so many ways to pray and that God graciously shows up for us, honoring whatever shape our prayer may take.  Whatever your current prayer practice is, I pray that it may draw you ever deeper into relationship with the God who created and adores you.  Please keep me in your prayers; and know that you are in mine.
 
Every blessing.  -Anne