Praying Dangerously
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Rev. Diana Johnson, IM, RScM, with Sherri Dotter, RScP Chris Johnson, RScP, & musician Marsh Brodeur
Video Chapter Index
| 0:00 | Taizé | Clicking on a chapter link will play the segment in a new YouTube tab. Your link to this page will remain open in this tab, but the video will play in the new window. Clicking on the Play arrow in the video screen above will play both Taizé and the Conscious Conversation on this page. To make the picture bigger, you may click the full screen icon in the lower right corner:  To cast the video to your Smart TV, click the Play on TV button:  . Also, we now have Closed Captioning available! To access Closed Captions, start the video and click on the CC icon next to the gear in the lower right of the video screen:  |
| 22:15 | Guided Meditation | |
| 47:47 | Conscious Conversation |
Taizé
Call to Awareness – 3 Bells
Sherri – Opening Prayer
Rev. Diana – Welcome…if you’re new with us here this morning, my name is Rev. Diana Johnson, and I am the Pastor and Spiritual Director of Mystical Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. I trust that you will hear something this morning that will lead you to the Guidance and Wisdom of your own Mystic Heart.
I invite you to settle in, take a deep breath and relax…feel and know the Wholeness, the Completeness, of this moment as you allow yourself to be carried by the soft tones of Taizé…joining voices, we let the music take us deeper…
Rev. Diana, Chris, & Marsh – Chant
- Welcome Home to Your Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- When I Pray, written by Daniel Nahmod
Rev. Diana – Right here, right now…right where I Am, I breathe…knowing that the breath connects me to all of Life…that the breath, in its own way, is a prayer…an intimate Connection between me and the Source of my life, the Source of all Life…I take a moment to breathe and feel my Connection with all that is…to honor the connection with our global family…
Envision with me now a web of consciousness that surrounds and infuses the planet…the Hindu Tradition would call it Indra’s Net…and notice how each of us glows with the Spark of Divinity, shining within the web…every human, every creature, every plant, shining the One Light, from the One Source…
…the rocks and minerals, water and wind, stars and planets…enlivened by the Light of Spirit.
As we acknowledge our Oneness with all that is, we are empowered…there is strength in connection…there is freedom in knowing we are not alone…in belonging to something bigger than ourselves…in belonging with a Community. Each of us fills a particular space in this Community…not one of us can take the place of another. We feel this deeply when one is absent.
As we recognize our interdependence, we come to realize that our collective Practice is powerful, is creative…it leaves an imprint on human evolution and on the world, for all time. In this sacred moment, we set an intention that this imprint be one of Welcoming, of Love, Compassion, Kindness, and Peace.
The flow of Taizé this morning invites us to contemplate the meaning of Praying Dangerously. These two words rarely appear side by side. What do I mean by Praying Dangerously? Let’s consider the notion that all people, whether they know it or not, are spiritually hungry…we crave a sort of internal nourishment that the material realm cannot provide. Unaware of the nature of our missing piece, we may look to the world to quench our spiritual thirst…to sate our spiritual hunger. And yet, we all know that we are never fulfilled for long…our contentment wanes, and once again, we seek the pleasures of the world to make us feel whole.
The food we are seeking is a relationship with the Sacred, an awareness of and daily interactions with Divinity…call it God, Great Spirit, Mystery, or Infinite Intelligence. And prayer
involves us in all phases of this food cycle – the planting, the watering, the waiting, the pruning, the harvesting, the cooking, and the eating…ultimately the communion with That which we know, intuitively, will complete us although we may have no words for this. (Praying Dangerously, Regina Sara Ryan)
The metaphor of food cultivation and preparation may seem simplistic, but it is actually a miraculous and mysterious process of the highest order. To grow food is to participate in the very act of creation, “serving that mystery to the best of our ability, surrendering our own timing to the timing of the earth.”
Prayer is very much the same…it involves us, rolls us into, the Mystery that is Spirit, Love, Life, and Truth… “demanding from us both action and surrender.” This can be a frightening experience; thus, our topic…Praying Dangerously.
Author Regina Sara Ryan suggests that Praying Dangerously is for
those who are hungry to engage prayer as a way of life, rather than an occasional hobby…(it is) an activity for grown-ups, warriors, adventurers, passionate lovers, not for petulant children who will only be happy when they are getting their own way, dominating the attention of others…
She goes on to say that,
We have all been such children in relationship to God, praying as a type of demand and then becoming hostile, blaming or withdrawn, when things don’t turn out the way we intended.
There is no shame in this behavior…it is simply part of growing up spiritually. It is one step in the journey toward union with the Beloved to which we are heirs.
Praying Dangerously is an invitation to expand our prayer lives…no longer are our prayers limited to personal comfort and preferences, security, satisfaction, physical healing and abundance. Instead they speak of our commitment to Life, a commitment to Serve and Surrender…to love, honor, cherish, and obey in whatever way is called forth in a given moment.
Reflecting on those words, lest they bring up resistance due to past experience, we have defined Love as the Self-Givingness of Spirit…Its willingness to take form as guided by our thoughts, desires, intentions, words, and actions…
Honor…to regard with great respect, and to fulfill an agreement…in other words, to be in awe of the Great Mystery and to consciously play our part in creation…
Cherish… to value another…to hold in great esteem…to treat another with Love (or self-givingness) and Affection
And Obey…Obedience, from the Latin, is the act of listening, of hearing in the direction of…
So in total, to Love, Honor, Cherish, and Obey simply means to give of ourselves to the Great Mystery, in awe of Its Power and Process…to listen for Its Guidance…and to do so with respect, awareness, appreciation, and affection.
Chris – Guided Meditation
Prayer is commonly thought of as talking to God… usually telling the All-Knowing Deity what is wrong in our lives… and asking that it be fixed… Rabbi Yeshua taught that Spirit already knows our needs… and that it is God’s good pleasure to give us the Heavenly Kingdom… The Creator is already giving us all we need… are we just not receptive?…
Telling Spirit what we need makes no more sense than praying for the sun to rise tomorrow… for gravity to continue holding us to the Earth… for the tides to come in… What do we think we can tell the Infinite Cosmic Intelligence that it doesn’t already know?… The Divine Beloved is already giving us all of ItSelf…
Yeshua practiced and taught radical reliance on God… unconditional trust in the workings of Divine Infinite Intelligence… and that our needs are just as important to Spirit as keeping the planets in their orbits… the key to experiencing Peace, Wholeness, and Joy is to live in faith and gratitude… absolutely knowing that God will take care of us…
How then shall we pray?… Acknowledging that the Spirit within us is the very same Power that creates, maintains, and sustains the entire universe, we give thanks for all we have been given… and for all that is yet to come… Then we abide in the Divine Presence… listening for the Still Small Voice… guiding us into our Highest Good…
As we share these three minutes of silent meditation, I invite us to let go of any and all judgments that something is wrong… or missing… to stop praying for things or conditions… to contemplate all that is right in our universe… all that we are grateful for… all the Beauty… all the Joy… God is the Infinite Love, Intelligence, and Wisdom of the universe… Let Divine Wisdom reveal itself to you… Let the Love of Spirit unfold and disclose itself to you… and through you… and listen with the inner ear…
Silence – 3:00
Divine Beloved, thank you for your Grace that has brought us to this time and place… we know and trust that your Grace continues to inspire, guide, and sustain us… and thank you for these loving souls worshipping with me here… May I always see the Christ Light shining within each one… and may we share your Love with all we meet…
This world is not perfect… we have a lot of work to do… but we cannot pray away the injustice and contempt we see out there… That’s not God’s doing… it is humanity’s responsibility… But we can pray for guidance to act effectively in the human realm… for greater intuition and discernment as to how to respond to the situation…
Unified in Divine Love, we allow Rev. Diana’s continued Taizé meditation to live in our hearts… to be a prayer that never ceases… that keeps moving us into our highest expression of Spirit… encouraging us always to continue Praying Dangerously…
Rev. Diana
Philosopher and Mystic Ken Wilbur says that religion, or the spiritual life, has two functions. The first is translational, in that it helps us translate old values, behaviors, thinking and speaking patterns, into new, more life-affirming ones. We may begin speaking a language of kindness, substituting service for self-obsession; we may clean up our addictive patterns, and begin giving loved ones the attention and respect they deserve. In other words, in translational spirituality, we use prayer to bring harmony, where previously there was chaos and discontent.
The second function according to Wilber, is transformational. Again, pulling from Ryan’s Praying Dangerously,
Far from aiming at peace, transformational prayer aims at the sword…The self or ego that, in the course of translational prayer, is dismantled and rearranged in a new and clearer syntax, is now wiped out. It no longer has the least say in the play. With transformational prayer the separate self has been subsumed by what is larger, or truer, or higher…Transformational prayer is about death to all our notions of God, prayer, holiness, spiritual life, and satisfaction and peace.
In case we might be tempted to equate Transformational Spirituality with being in the state of flow, or having a peak or bliss experience, neither is this what is meant. It does not necessarily look like gentleness, or attractiveness to others. These qualities and appearances may still be grounded in the small self. Real Transformation is beyond the ego…it points to something total, complete, and permanent, and yet not necessarily recognizable, and often unpredictable.
The masters and mystics whose stories we know so well…Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, and countless others…lived lives on their own terms. They challenged the conventional wisdom of their cultures, and brought instead, a deeper Wisdom…a sense of what is Right and True into their teachings. In their own times, their words and actions were revolutionary…
…subversive…definitely challenging leaders and followers alike.
It has been said that the most dangerous prayer is Yes. Yes, I can. Yes, I will. Yes, I Am. From our hearts to God’s ears. Each of these amazing beings said Yes to a calling, and their Yes left the world a more beautiful place.
Closing Prayer – I’d like to close with a prayer of not knowing:
O God, I do not know how to pray. Because I do not know what it means to pray properly, to pray in such a way as to serve or worship, I must offer what I have and can do as my prayer. And here it is.
Let this posture be the prayer…Let this intention be the prayer…Let this very not-knowing be the prayer…Let this breath be the prayer…Let this resistance and discomfort be the prayer…Let this distraction be the prayer…Let this drinking of tea be the prayer…Let this eating of breakfast be the prayer…Let this hectic schedule be the prayer…Let this attempt at Remembrance be the prayer…Let the steps walked in silence across the parking lot be the prayer… Let the birdsong noted be the prayer…Let this poor journal-writing be the prayer…Let the vastness of the night sky be the prayer…Let worrying, and then dropping the worry be the prayer…Let chanting and dancing and reading be the prayer…Let dressing and undressing be the prayer…Let sleeping and rising and sleeping and rising be the prayer…Let missing someone be the prayer…Let memories and whispered calls for help for others be the prayer… Let opening the door and putting on and taking off shoes be the prayer…Let the keeping of simple order be the prayer…Let the celebration of light and darkness be the prayer…Let warmth and cold be the prayer…All of it, not bad, not good, just as it is and wondrous all of it…be the prayer…O God, in my helplessness, from nowhere, with nothing, let these poor prayers, as flowers, draw You to the garden from which their fragrance arises.
May our thoughts, words, and actions be Guided…may we know that these, too, are our prayers…May we each grow in Wisdom, finding and accomplishing those things that are uniquely ours to do. And by our efforts, may the world be just a little more Peaceful and Loving.
Thank You, Giver of Life, for our growing awareness…for our deep connection with You and with one another…thank You for the many blessings of this and every day. Thank You, Great Spirit, for this Spiritual Community and the way it shines Your Light in the world.
Knowing that as I speak my Word, it is acted upon by Your Loving and Lawful Presence, I can let it go in full faith that it is moving into form and experience here and now. And so I do…and so it is…Amen.
Musical Meditation: Make Room – Simply Worship & Christian Singleton https://youtu.be/j6KWzgDSaTE?list=RDHpHPbxLhDx0
Love Offering – As we close Taizé, we offer the opportunity for you to share of your financial good in support of the work we do. We are an independent, self-sustaining organization, so we depend on your generous gifts of support. If you have found value in our time together this morning, share the Love.
Offertory Video – Lest We Forget: A Folk Ballad of Gratitude, Grace and the Quiet Drift of the Heart, by Your Listening Sanctuary
https://youtu.be/HpHPbxLhDx0?list=RDHpHPbxLhDx0
Rev. Diana – Blessing for the Offering
Rev. Diana, Chris, & Marsh – Closing Song
- A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
Conscious Conversation
Sherri – Opening Prayer
Rev. Diana – Good morning and welcome, or welcome back…welcome to those joining online. If you’re new with us here this morning… my name is Rev. Diana Johnson, and I am the Pastor and Spiritual Director of Mystic Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Independent Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. We welcome you home to our Gathering Place. My prayer is that you’ll hear something here today that points you to the Guidance and Wisdom of your own Mystic Heart.
Before we move into Conscious Conversation, let’s join our voices in musical celebration.
Rev. Diana, Chris, & Marsh – Opening Music
- Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
- We Let It Be by Rickie B.B. (Love, Love, Peace, Joy, Grace, Love)
Rev. Diana – Let’s keep that Powerful Energy going and growing as we join in the Sacred Practice of envisioning a Love-Soaked World.
We enter our Vision this morning, finding ourselves living in a world where all humans are living from their deepest Wisdom, their most generous and Loving nature…thoughtful of the impact their thoughts, words, and actions have on one another, on the community, and on the planet…
This is a world without greed…where there is abundance in having enough…where all needs are met gracefully and easily…where nutritious food, clean water, and pure, sweet air are readily available to all, no matter where you live or which family you’re born into…
…where warm, comfortable, and affordable housing is a given…where all beings feel a sense of safety, belonging, and contribution…where mental/physical health, education, and healthy relationships are ensured by social systems grounded in Integrity, honesty, and Wholeness…
Feel and know with me now, a world where all beings work and play at what feeds their soul and are well compensated for their Service…all are valued and respected for their inherent Goodness. Authenticity and vulnerability are not only welcomed, but celebrated. The Peace we have cultivated within ourselves shows up as a world free of violence, hatred, or indifference. The Love that we are here to share is given freely to whomever our hearts are called to. We have moved beyond all lines of separation, and live as one human family, caring for one beautiful planet and all that she contains and sustains.
By the Power of our collective intention, powerful imagining, and inspired action, transformation is happening now…we are creating a world that works for all beings. We are not caught up in appearances…like the prophet of old, we are doing a Good Work and cannot come down…will not come down. It is through our hands, feet, hearts, and voices that positive change is happening as we align our actions with our Vision, living these changes in our own lives, with our families, friends, and neighbors.
This Community stands as an open and welcoming place for all who seek support, belonging, and a sense of Family…it redefines Church as a place of Self-Discovery, Authenticity, Kindness, Radical Inclusion, and Love, as we are Guided to the Truth that lies within every heart.
By the Creative Power of our deep Knowing, clear Vision, and inspired Action, this prayer is acted upon here and now. A prayer spoken and deeply felt is a prayer answered. In full acceptance and expectation of its Graceful unfolding, and with the deepest humility and soul-felt gratitude, we release our Word to the One Who Gets It Done…And so it is!…Amen!
Bringing awareness back to the body, to the room, to this beautiful life, and to the amazing beings who share this space with us this morning…
…look around to say good morning to your Spiritual Family. Take a moment to really see one another. We never know if this will be the last time.
If you were here for Taizé this morning, you’ll recall our contemplations…we reflected on what it means to Pray Dangerously. We began with the idea that all people, whether they know it or not, are spiritually hungry…we crave a sort of internal nourishment that the material realm cannot provide. Our tendency is to look to the material world to make us feel whole.
But the food we are seeking is a relationship with Spirit. Prayer is one tool for building that relationship…it involves us, rolls us into, the Mystery that is Spirit, Love, Life, and Truth… “demanding from us both action and surrender.” This can be a frightening experience; thus, our topic…Praying Dangerously.
Dangerous prayer is for those who wish to engage prayer as a way of life, rather than an occasional hobby…those who are ready to expand their prayer life beyond the limits of personal comfort and preferences, security, satisfaction, physical healing and abundance, and instead, to make a commitment to Life, to Serving, to Surrender…to love, honor, cherish, and obey in whatever way is called forth in a given moment. And then we clarified the meanings of those words to make sure we were on common ground.
For those who were here, what do I mean when I speak of Love?
(the Self-Givingness of Spirit…Its willingness to take form as guided by our thoughts, desires, intentions, words, and actions)
What about to Honor?
(to regard with great respect, and to fulfill an agreement…to be in awe of the Great Mystery and to consciously play our part in creation)
And to Cherish?
(to value another…to hold in great esteem…to treat another with Love (or self-givingness) and Affection)
And what about Obey? Now there’s a potential trigger word!
(Obedience, from the Latin, is the act of listening, of hearing in the direction of)
So in total, to Love, Honor, Cherish, and Obey means what?
(to give of ourselves to the Great Mystery, in awe of Its Power and Process…to listen for Its Guidance…and to do so with respect, awareness, appreciation, and affection)
I’m making you work today. Let it never be said that you’re asked to check your brains in at the door 😊
Finally, we looked at the difference between translational and transformational prayer, how each is part of our spiritual development, and that both are necessary for permanent and lasting change to occur in our lives and in our being.
There were a couple of other questions that I offered for reflection. I’d like to take the opportunity to hear what comes up for you.
First of all, I suggested that Ramana Maharshi’s question, “Who am I?” might help us polish our prayer life; but that modern mystic Lee Lozowick’s question, “Who am I kidding?” might be even more powerful. What comes up when you ask yourself, “Who am I kidding?”
Does this question lead you to places that could use some inner work?
Another idea that I presented was that the most dangerous prayer of all is Yes. What does that mean to you? Why is Yes so dangerous?
(Yes is a commitment…it holds me accountable, makes me responsible)
Let’s make a bit of a pivot here. In a variety of non-dual traditions, there is a belief that we don’t pray at all…it is only God praying in me, through and as me.
What does that mean?
Does it align with your belief system?
For me, it means that prayer is going on somewhere, through someone, all the time. When I am too upset to settle into prayer, can I surrender into the prayer that is always happening? Author Regina Sara Ryan puts it this way:
Read from page 22 of Praying Dangerously (orange)
What do you think about that?
What words might describe the process she’s talking about?
Okay, one more passage to ponder, and maybe discuss:
Read from pages 23-24 of Praying Dangerously (pink)
What are your thoughts?
If I can allow Spirit to pray through me, turning my pain into praise and blessing, can I also allow Them to forgive through me?
With the commandment to Love our neighbors as ourselves…all of them…and to love our enemies, comes the Love Itself.
What do you think about that?
Is there anything else that wants to be spoken right now?
Closing Prayer – I’d like to close by one final reading from this amazing book.
Read ‘Praying Dangerously, pages viii-ix (green)
Right here and right now, we accept the challenge…we say Yes! Yes to the growth and change being called forth by means of me…Yes to the commitment to consciously walk this Spiritual Path…Yes to those subtle Stirrings and Voices that I recognize as Divine Wisdom.
No more shrinking, no more hiding…I am here to grow into the fullness of who I came here to be. I Am here to shine my full Light in the world.
And also, I say Yes to the humility that reminds me Who and Whose I Am…I say Yes to remembering to feel and express gratitude for the countless blessings in my life…those that feel warm and fuzzy, and those that challenge me to grow in compassion, patience, persistence, forgiveness, peace, and grace.
I trust and know that I am held and loved by a Mighty Presence and Power, even as I am an intentional expression of It.
I Am secure in this Love…my deep Faith anchors me…I need nothing else.
I align myself with Its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Grace…and in this Communion, I Am Whole.
I live my life from this state of being, allowing it to give rise to all I do.
By every act, I Am prospered. I have all that I need in every moment.
As I accept and know these words as Truth, my heart is at ease…I Am at Peace.
Thank you, Great Spirit, Father/Mother God, for all that I have…for all that I Am.
I appreciate and give thanks for all of it…without exception. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my prayers are always answered. I let go and let God. And so it is…Amen!
I invite you to bring your awareness back to your body, to your senses, to the atmosphere in the room. And when you are ready, open your eyes to re-enter the space. Welcome back.
Love Offering
As we close our time in Conversation, we offer the opportunity for you to share of your financial good in support of the work we do. We are an independent, self-sustaining organization, so we depend on your generous gifts of support. If you have found value in our time together this morning, share the Love.
If you’re joining us online, you can find a Donate Button or our mailing address, if you prefer to write a check, at mysticheart.org. And we thank you in advance for your gifts.
Offertory Video: Say Yes to Life, by Eddie Watkins, Jr.
https://youtu.be/r-YQ0wz1QGM?list=RDr-YQ0wz1QGM
Sherri – Blessing for the offering
Sherri – Invitations
- The Mystic Heart Book Club meets every Tuesday from 3-5 We are reading A Politics of Love by Marianne Williamson.
- A Return to Love Book Study meets every Wednesday from 3-5 m.
- Fast Track to Wellness meets every Thursday from 12-2 pm. We are listening to and discussing an amazing book, Good Stress: The Health Benefits of Doing Hard Things.
- Shining a Light on Scripture this week, Thursday, August 5th from 3-5pm. We are currently reading The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.
Looking Ahead…save the date:
- Family Drumming and Music Circle. Please join Mystic Heart on Friday, August 14th, 6:30-8:00pm for a joyous time of drumming, strumming, and sharing in Spiritual Community. This is the perfect time to invite a friend or family member to check out our Gathering Place. Read more in the monthly bulletin. Contact April @ 562-440-3785 or Rev. Diana @530-356-1227 for more info or to say you’ll be there.
- Flowing Into Healing: A Monthly Sound Bath and Healing Water Ceremony, August 20th, 6:30 – 7:30 . Join April Jimenez for a monthly Sound Bath and Mid-Week Reset at the Mystic Heart Gathering Place. Suggested Donation: $20. All donations gratefully accepted.
There is more information available in the August Bulletin and online at Mystic Heart.org.
Information Cards if new people
Prayer Requests: I am available after service for prayer, in the Practitioner Prayer room or if you like, fill out a prayer card and I will get your request to our Prayer Team for daily prayer.
Closing Song – Love Be With You, written by Lainey Bernstein, RScP, & Gary Lynn Floyd
©2025 Mystic Heart Spiritual Center, All Rights Reserved
Permission is granted to duplicate for non-commercial educational use only.
All rights to music performed remain with the copyright owners.
Diana Johnson’s music is © by Barefoot Angel Publishing, ASCAP.
Chris Johnson’s music is © by SeaJay Music & Publishing, ASCAP.