On Aug. 7 SpokaneFāVS will host its next Coffee Talk, this time focusing on its recent Understanding Prayer series.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. The words scattered in my mind. I’d read them dozens and dozens of times -- but almost always out of order. A year before I knelt in the tomb of the saint, I’d built a bot to repeat the prayer, twice a day every day, on Twitter.

Saturday, Aug. 7, 10 a.m., at the FāVS Center, 5115 S. Freya, Spokane. The latest Coffee Talk, the first in-person talk since the pandemic lockdown, will focus on its recent Understanding Prayer series. Coffee Talks are forums where FāVS columnists involve the audience in a discussion on a timely topic …

During my time at Gonzaga, I’ve had the opportunity to attend several silent retreats. At first, being silent for 48 hours to better connect religiously and spiritually with myself and God was intimidating. I didn’t know if I could do it. But once that weekend was up, I was hooked. 

Praying five times a day gives me that opportunity to be well prepared to face my Lord, Almighty Allah (God)

Prayer may be thought of as the way humans sent emails to the gods before the Internet. How many of them expected a direct reply is anybody’s guess, though there is no doubt there were some who imagined they received one.