During Lent I have committed to the discipline of the Jesus Prayer and am reading the book about the Russian pilgrim called The Way of the Pilgrim. Steeped in the Russian Orthodox spirit, the book resonates with a sense of sin and unworthiness. The pilgrim indicates that regular use of the Jesus Prayer has led him ever deeper into an awareness of his own humble state. There is a gloomy darkness to it all, yet permeated with great light and joy (because the focus is even more on teh good and holy God qnd our Lord Jesus). The paradox (gloom and light) is hard to wrap one's mind around. Part of that may be because I read his words through the lense of my cultural experiences and assumptions. Even so, my journey with the Pilgrim has been a blessing. I have seen concrete evidence of the value of praying without ceasing by employing the Jesus Prayer these last two weeks. In addition, I have noticed in myself a desire to create alternative prayer forms which, while similar to the Jesus Prayer, have a different emphasis. One of these, repetitive thanksgiving, has truly blossomed in the last week.
I shared my experience with the baby yesterday. The insight into my limited intellect and limited insight and limited understanding has led me to understand why I must pray thanksgiving more constantly (with less petition and intercession). For many years I have criticized the concept of prayer as a "to do" list for God. At our healing conference last Fall the import of thanks and praise (rather than begging and pleading) opened my mind to more deeply understand that trust in God implies the belief that He desires to bless us. Thanking God for His kindness and mercy transforms one from "a manipulator of the gods" (human religion in its lowest form) to a son/daughter in the household of a gracious Father (the model which Jesus displays). To voice one's gratitude is to recognize that one is a baby in the arms of God. It is also to acknowledge that our cries are enough for, as God revealed to Moses, He sees, He hears, He knows, and He remembers His covenant. He is a God of redemption, salvation, healing, renewal and life-giving love. Content in that knowledge, how can I keep from a torrent of praise and thanks, even if (maybe especially if) He is not doing what my less developed mind thinks best?
In preparation for a retreat I am leading for our parish in a few weeks, I have been rereading George Hunter's THe Celtic Way of Evangelism. Going back to the mission work of St. Patrick (providentially the date of our Sunday afternoon retreat is Patrick's Fest day) Hunter provides information on the the first great missionary effort of the post-Apostolic Christian church. Patrick and later Celtic Saints, bishops, monks and laity were the drivng force for Christianizing pagan Europe. Perhaps in the days ahead I will share about his book (and tip my hand on the retreat content!)
What I want to look at today was (p33) Celtic prayer. Quoting from Ray Simpson's Exploring Celtic Spirituality, Hunter says that the Irish approach to prayer is less structered and more focused on the middle way (between the two poles of "ultimate concerns" which are philosphical, theological and the stuff of liturgy and at the opposite end, the concrete, functional world of science and technology) The Middle Way has to do with negotiating life and its daily challenges. Things like taking care of the kids, doing our job, keeping up the house, interacting in relationships. Celtic spirituality permeates the every-day with an awareness of God-among-us (Emmanuel) and expresses that faith lyrically in its prayer.
Hear Hunter: "Contemplative prayer is the way we fulfill St. Paul's counsel to 'pray withous ceasing.' It is an ongoing or very frequent opening of the heart to the Triune God, often while engaging in each of the many experiences that fill a day." Like the Russian monk, Patrick and his followers, seek to take St. Paul literally. The Celtic model is more Trinitarian, using poetic turn of phrase rather than repetition of the Jesus Prayer. However, in the simple nature of the words, there is a degree of repetition. In Patrick's famous prayer, for example, we say, "Christ above me, Christ below me, Christ to the right, Christ to the left, Christ behind me, Christ before, Christ in all I meet this day." It is repetitive in its theme even as it provides multiple pespectives on the one presence of Christ. This makes sense of my own drive to add additional titles to the Jesus prayer. [Lord Jesus, Son of God, Son of Mary, Son of David, King and Lord, Messiah and Savior, Lamb of God, Great High Priest, Conquering Warrior, Word made Flesh which then leads to employing other verbs in addition to the cry of mercy; heal us! save us; rescue us; pray in us; use us; glorify your name in us; etc. Such prayers can develop into an endless combination of praise, thanks and small petitions, which when said over and over (maybe with the aid of prayer beads or rosary) can fill the mind, heart and soul with attentiveness to the Triune God and openness to God dwelling within and ruling us.]
Obviously, one cannot say which of the two ways (Russian or Celtic) is right. Each grows out of a human context. And neither can easily be co-opted by a middle class, white guy in America shaped and formed by the assumptions and beliefs which have so deeply influenced how I think and believe and practice my faith. I am praying ilke someone else as I embrace either model. Yet I can learn from each and waken within me that which does resonate with the two approaches. After all, my Scriptures are ancient and Hebrew, later (NT) Jewish mixed with Greek culture. I stand outside when reading my Bible as well. Yet I know by analogy with my own world that God Who revealed Himself to them back then, over there, can and does speak to us (&me), in and through these words. And the holy men and woman of different places and times, reading and living those same Biblical words, provide me a wealth of spiritual teaching. we are different, but we share much as humans inspite of cultural differences. And following their way can help me know and understand how better to live the faith in my/our way.
I am a baby. Too ignorant and too simple minded to understand fully the ways of God. But I do think and feel and if not enough to grasp God in toto, surely enough to be able to know, love and worship Him. Not as He deserves but as I am able. So I listen to the words of other babies, Russian and Celtic. And I fill the hours of the day with thoughts of God, with meditation on realities which i try to integrate in my living each day (that middle way!). I concentrate on simpler prayer, prayer focused more on thanks and praise, prayer focused on awareness of the Triune God who is (invisibly) near and whose care and kindness can be trusted. And I share this journey of faith with you dear reader. The more we pray the more our world is open to His Kingdom!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Visions and a Baby
My wife and daughter are on a college preparation visit all weekend. As a result I am home alone with the boys. Big brother has baseball and buddies so I have seen little of him, most of it in those brief moments shuttling him to and from practice or church youth group. Baby boy, on the other hand, has been a constant companion. At 21 months he is decidedly more dependent upon me for everything. He eats a lot and he produces a great deal of waste. It is quite a time for daddy and his little boy.
Baby's godfather has been along for the ride. His wife is also out of town preparing for their daughter's wedding next weekend; he will join them midweek. In the meantime he and I have announced we are filming our own movie: "Two Men, No Wives, and a Baby." As I am pretty engaged with my little fellow when I am home, this time is not dramatically different for me with one glaring exception. On Saturday, when I left for work, baby was in tow. No one home to watch him. On a typical Saturday we meet at 3:00 to pray, study and discuss the healing ministry. Saturday at 5:00 we have our vigil mass which includes a component of healing prayer and annointing. It is truly one of the most focused and prayerful times of my week. My plan was to bring the baby with me so that we could do an extended time of prayer with and for him. [He has some challenges] My only concern was how he would react to a group of adults laying hands on him, or trying to!
As we drove to church he quietly sat in his car seat; drifting off to sleep as I pulled into the parking space. I fully expected the blast of cool air would waken him as I took him from the car. It was not what happened. Instead he remained sound asleep. At our meeting we moved to the prayer period and had an extended time of praise and thanks for the healing power of God let loose in his small body. Not all of the healing is manifest yet, but we trust him to God and look toward the day. At any rate, I am confident that God hears our cries. My first and most frequent prayer, "Lord make him holy," will not go unheeded.
At the end of our time we sought a vision. This is a prayer exercise which we do periodically. I learned of it at a conference years ago and it is remarkable. We did a variation of it, and basically it is a time of quiet resting in the Lord and opening ourselves to any word or image which he wants to provide. Sometimes it is mysterious, sometimes obvious, always it is a gift. In general, I am not prone to such things. My mind is more intuitive than sensate so visual images are less common for me. However, as I sat with my baby, now awake but quiet and stirring minimally, a "vision" of sorts came to me. I share it here for your own reflection.
I am a baby in God's arms. Like my toddler aged son, I have a mind of my own. I think, feel, desire and try to impact my environment. I beseech my Heavenly Father even as my baby son seeks to control me. Like the baby, I get grumpy and frustrated when my will is not done. Like my baby I think I know what I want and I trust that I know best. Like my baby, I am way lower in function than my Father. That was the insight. God has said in the Scriptures a number of times that we are not able to grasp His ways. He is a mystery. In Isaiah's words (paraphrased) "As high as the heavens are above the earth so far are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts." We all know it, we just don't factor it in when we ask those (devastating!! insightful!!) critical questions that begin with "If...why?" If God is good, why does He let bad things happen, etc.
Seeing my baby in my arms, struggling to have his way, confused and frustrated when his father does not do what he wants his father to do, I am seeing myself. I do not know or understand near enough to question God. My intelligence is insufficient. And Saturday that came clearer for me. It is time to trust more and love more, it is time to be humble and acknowledge my limitations. Such things are scarey, but made less so knowing I am in the arms of The Father, the God of Jesus Christ. The Creator Who loves me (and YOU!) and Who is always at work making this work out to the best.
It was a good vision. I hope it shapes me in days ahead.
Baby's godfather has been along for the ride. His wife is also out of town preparing for their daughter's wedding next weekend; he will join them midweek. In the meantime he and I have announced we are filming our own movie: "Two Men, No Wives, and a Baby." As I am pretty engaged with my little fellow when I am home, this time is not dramatically different for me with one glaring exception. On Saturday, when I left for work, baby was in tow. No one home to watch him. On a typical Saturday we meet at 3:00 to pray, study and discuss the healing ministry. Saturday at 5:00 we have our vigil mass which includes a component of healing prayer and annointing. It is truly one of the most focused and prayerful times of my week. My plan was to bring the baby with me so that we could do an extended time of prayer with and for him. [He has some challenges] My only concern was how he would react to a group of adults laying hands on him, or trying to!
As we drove to church he quietly sat in his car seat; drifting off to sleep as I pulled into the parking space. I fully expected the blast of cool air would waken him as I took him from the car. It was not what happened. Instead he remained sound asleep. At our meeting we moved to the prayer period and had an extended time of praise and thanks for the healing power of God let loose in his small body. Not all of the healing is manifest yet, but we trust him to God and look toward the day. At any rate, I am confident that God hears our cries. My first and most frequent prayer, "Lord make him holy," will not go unheeded.
At the end of our time we sought a vision. This is a prayer exercise which we do periodically. I learned of it at a conference years ago and it is remarkable. We did a variation of it, and basically it is a time of quiet resting in the Lord and opening ourselves to any word or image which he wants to provide. Sometimes it is mysterious, sometimes obvious, always it is a gift. In general, I am not prone to such things. My mind is more intuitive than sensate so visual images are less common for me. However, as I sat with my baby, now awake but quiet and stirring minimally, a "vision" of sorts came to me. I share it here for your own reflection.
I am a baby in God's arms. Like my toddler aged son, I have a mind of my own. I think, feel, desire and try to impact my environment. I beseech my Heavenly Father even as my baby son seeks to control me. Like the baby, I get grumpy and frustrated when my will is not done. Like my baby I think I know what I want and I trust that I know best. Like my baby, I am way lower in function than my Father. That was the insight. God has said in the Scriptures a number of times that we are not able to grasp His ways. He is a mystery. In Isaiah's words (paraphrased) "As high as the heavens are above the earth so far are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts." We all know it, we just don't factor it in when we ask those (devastating!! insightful!!) critical questions that begin with "If...why?" If God is good, why does He let bad things happen, etc.
Seeing my baby in my arms, struggling to have his way, confused and frustrated when his father does not do what he wants his father to do, I am seeing myself. I do not know or understand near enough to question God. My intelligence is insufficient. And Saturday that came clearer for me. It is time to trust more and love more, it is time to be humble and acknowledge my limitations. Such things are scarey, but made less so knowing I am in the arms of The Father, the God of Jesus Christ. The Creator Who loves me (and YOU!) and Who is always at work making this work out to the best.
It was a good vision. I hope it shapes me in days ahead.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Fasting
Reading the way of the Pilgrim and came across the Eastern, in this case Russian, Orthodox discipline of fasting. They abstain from meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, oil and wine. Obviously that leaves grains, vegetables and fruits. The act of fasting occured numerous times a year including what we know as lent and advent, plus the first two weeks in August, the between one and six weeks between Pentecost and June 29th and numerous one day fasts associated with various holy days.
Ironically, in our own day when we have so much more food, fasting is less popular as a discipline. One is reminded of the adage, those who have little can easily embrace nothing, those with much feel the discipline more sternly. While fasting is a helpful discipline for our prayer life (and according to many a healthful practice as well) it is often times neglected.
I am aware of the dangers of fasting as an empty discipline. I also know that in the Scriptures our God calls for us to fast from injustice. Sometimes it is easier to be hungry than it is to create a God ordained social order. Even so, it seems that fasting, which aids our prayer, would be a welcome addition to our lenten practice. One who prays more deeply is more open to a spirit of justice, right?
Perhaps someone needs to hear this, perhaps it will serve as a motivation or a divine affirmation of an impulse to fast. I know that fasting does quiet the soul and makes prayer easier for me.
Ironically, in our own day when we have so much more food, fasting is less popular as a discipline. One is reminded of the adage, those who have little can easily embrace nothing, those with much feel the discipline more sternly. While fasting is a helpful discipline for our prayer life (and according to many a healthful practice as well) it is often times neglected.
I am aware of the dangers of fasting as an empty discipline. I also know that in the Scriptures our God calls for us to fast from injustice. Sometimes it is easier to be hungry than it is to create a God ordained social order. Even so, it seems that fasting, which aids our prayer, would be a welcome addition to our lenten practice. One who prays more deeply is more open to a spirit of justice, right?
Perhaps someone needs to hear this, perhaps it will serve as a motivation or a divine affirmation of an impulse to fast. I know that fasting does quiet the soul and makes prayer easier for me.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Jesus Prayer
To pick up on yesterday (The Way of the Pilgrim:The Jesus Prayer Journey) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_a_Pilgrim note that some are critical of book. http://www.hermitary.com/articles/pilgrim.html provides a more thorough assessment
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/53475.htm from a Russian Orthodox blog. The best of the three, it goes into greater detail about the book and offers a stern reminder that the speed of transformation by this prayer is SLOW and that the goal is to offer each petition intentionally and reverently.
One practice of the Pilgrim was frequent use of the sign of the cross. The use of the sign of the cross is met with resistance in some quarters. However, this action can be a physical expression of sincere faith. As such, at times, I am trying to include signing myself with the cross each time I say the Jesus Prayer; mind, lips, heart, body all focused and in sync on the singular event; calling out to Jesus for His mercy.
One immediate fruit of the repetition of this prayer has been the time consumed by praying is no longer available for less helpful thoughts. I do not know about you, but I find my mind constantly ruminates upon unhelpful things. For example, if there is something in my experience which disappoints, let's say my kids leave dirty dishes on the table, I often find myself outwardly being a faithful servant (I put them in sink) but inwardly I engage in a spontaneous process of destructive thinking (I am irritated and think of other times they have been thoughtless, I think about all I do for them and how ungreatful they are, I think of punishments which I want to dole out to them, etc.). Now maybe I am the only one with this type of free flowing thought, but I doubt it. By reviewing (constantly) reasons to be disappointed and frustrated, I add fuel to the fire of anger and resentment. It is just plain hard, however, to call on Jesus, over and over, while thinking such negative thoughts. He emptied Himself of His divinity to take on our humanity. He died on the cross. He freely loved, reconciled and blessed sinners (like me) and invites us into the Father's Kingdom. Can I go to Jesus to seek mercy without being merciful? Can I go to Jesus, the great servant of humankind, without a servant's heart? Can I repeat the holy name and then blaspheme it by being petty and self-seeking? Obviously, no, I cannot.
So this simple prayer leaves no room for a more bitter alternative practice. It fills up the empty minutes of my day with holy thoughts and leaves less room for thinking about things which do me (and others) no benefit.
Now is every utterance of the prayer sincere and focused and completely perfect expression of my heart? No. Obviously, there are times when it is just a repeated phrase. Yet, even then, in those unrecollected moments, I am saying the right words and not thinking about things which do not benefit. I should seek to be sincere and focused, I should seek to make my heart more authentic but I can take solace in knowing if I am not doing it as well as I would like, I am still not doing negative things...
There will be spiritual assaults upon us if we choose to go deeper with God. It is not a practice which we slip into easily (here the book must be read with caution. One should not assume that in a few days one will be a practiced expert). Doubts and concerns and worries will push all the harder. The world, the flesh and the devil are real adversaries and like any institutions will fight to the end to sustain themselves. And lest we think that this pilgrim is so different from us, a being from a time and place unlike our own where prayer makes sense, hear his words (p 45) about a fellow traveler in the journey of prayer:
Listening to him [the other pilgrim] speak I sympathized and thought to myself: they say that only the educated and the intelligent are prone to freethinking and belief in nothing. But here is one of our own--a simple peasant--and what doubts he is capable of ! It appears that the powers of darkness are allowed access to everyone, and perhaps it is easier for them to attack unsophisticated people. What were these doubts? A brief list: Is it really true what that book (Bible) says--that dead men will be resurrected...who really knows if there will even be a hell...no one has come back from the dead...maybe the book was written by some clergy...just to scare us fools...Life is full of hardships as it is, without any consolation--and there won't be anything in the next life. So what's the point? Isn't it better to take it easy, at least in this life, and to enjoy yourself?
All of us must decide, based on the same set of data. Do I believe or not? If I do believe, how then shall I live? For a believer, the practice of the Jesus Prayer is a most helpful and fruitful practice, especially when accompanied by attendance at worship, faithful community life, study of Scripture and the teachings of holy men and women, and a life poured out in obedience to God, serving the needs of others, and hanging on to Jesus for all you are worth! I hope you find time each day to practicing the Jesus Prayer (or some form of it which resonates with your own faith expression) and that in setting aside this time, and filling idle moments with repetitive prayer, you find yourself less able to engage in unhelpful practices of thought or behavior, and more inclined to love the Lord with all your mind, heart, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/53475.htm from a Russian Orthodox blog. The best of the three, it goes into greater detail about the book and offers a stern reminder that the speed of transformation by this prayer is SLOW and that the goal is to offer each petition intentionally and reverently.
One practice of the Pilgrim was frequent use of the sign of the cross. The use of the sign of the cross is met with resistance in some quarters. However, this action can be a physical expression of sincere faith. As such, at times, I am trying to include signing myself with the cross each time I say the Jesus Prayer; mind, lips, heart, body all focused and in sync on the singular event; calling out to Jesus for His mercy.
One immediate fruit of the repetition of this prayer has been the time consumed by praying is no longer available for less helpful thoughts. I do not know about you, but I find my mind constantly ruminates upon unhelpful things. For example, if there is something in my experience which disappoints, let's say my kids leave dirty dishes on the table, I often find myself outwardly being a faithful servant (I put them in sink) but inwardly I engage in a spontaneous process of destructive thinking (I am irritated and think of other times they have been thoughtless, I think about all I do for them and how ungreatful they are, I think of punishments which I want to dole out to them, etc.). Now maybe I am the only one with this type of free flowing thought, but I doubt it. By reviewing (constantly) reasons to be disappointed and frustrated, I add fuel to the fire of anger and resentment. It is just plain hard, however, to call on Jesus, over and over, while thinking such negative thoughts. He emptied Himself of His divinity to take on our humanity. He died on the cross. He freely loved, reconciled and blessed sinners (like me) and invites us into the Father's Kingdom. Can I go to Jesus to seek mercy without being merciful? Can I go to Jesus, the great servant of humankind, without a servant's heart? Can I repeat the holy name and then blaspheme it by being petty and self-seeking? Obviously, no, I cannot.
So this simple prayer leaves no room for a more bitter alternative practice. It fills up the empty minutes of my day with holy thoughts and leaves less room for thinking about things which do me (and others) no benefit.
Now is every utterance of the prayer sincere and focused and completely perfect expression of my heart? No. Obviously, there are times when it is just a repeated phrase. Yet, even then, in those unrecollected moments, I am saying the right words and not thinking about things which do not benefit. I should seek to be sincere and focused, I should seek to make my heart more authentic but I can take solace in knowing if I am not doing it as well as I would like, I am still not doing negative things...
There will be spiritual assaults upon us if we choose to go deeper with God. It is not a practice which we slip into easily (here the book must be read with caution. One should not assume that in a few days one will be a practiced expert). Doubts and concerns and worries will push all the harder. The world, the flesh and the devil are real adversaries and like any institutions will fight to the end to sustain themselves. And lest we think that this pilgrim is so different from us, a being from a time and place unlike our own where prayer makes sense, hear his words (p 45) about a fellow traveler in the journey of prayer:
Listening to him [the other pilgrim] speak I sympathized and thought to myself: they say that only the educated and the intelligent are prone to freethinking and belief in nothing. But here is one of our own--a simple peasant--and what doubts he is capable of ! It appears that the powers of darkness are allowed access to everyone, and perhaps it is easier for them to attack unsophisticated people. What were these doubts? A brief list: Is it really true what that book (Bible) says--that dead men will be resurrected...who really knows if there will even be a hell...no one has come back from the dead...maybe the book was written by some clergy...just to scare us fools...Life is full of hardships as it is, without any consolation--and there won't be anything in the next life. So what's the point? Isn't it better to take it easy, at least in this life, and to enjoy yourself?
All of us must decide, based on the same set of data. Do I believe or not? If I do believe, how then shall I live? For a believer, the practice of the Jesus Prayer is a most helpful and fruitful practice, especially when accompanied by attendance at worship, faithful community life, study of Scripture and the teachings of holy men and women, and a life poured out in obedience to God, serving the needs of others, and hanging on to Jesus for all you are worth! I hope you find time each day to practicing the Jesus Prayer (or some form of it which resonates with your own faith expression) and that in setting aside this time, and filling idle moments with repetitive prayer, you find yourself less able to engage in unhelpful practices of thought or behavior, and more inclined to love the Lord with all your mind, heart, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
A Journey With a Russian Mystic
During Lent, I have used our church mission statement (lifted from St. Benedict) which serves as a pretty thorough overview of the Christian life: To be a worship community committed to prayer, study and work (work is defined as inreach to other disciples and outreach to proclaim the kingdom in word and deed). I challenge everyone to focus deeply on one aspect of the mission and to use the forty days of Lent to prepare to be a new creation for Holy Week and Easter. My commitment has focused on prayer (the Jesus Prayer) and study (reading The Way of the Pilgrim:The Jesus Prayer Journey).
I have in the past worked with the Jesus Prayer, usually with mixed success. Now as I am making a serious effort to integrate the Jesus Prayer into my life I am finding some blessing. It is hard to know why things go that way. I want to share briefly that I have not found late adulthood to be an especially fertile time. I would hesitate to share this (in part because it does not speak well of me) if I did not hear the stories of other men in similar straights. My theory is that having lived for many decades there is a sense of "been there, done that." We are also tired, less energetic and less hopeful that we will get better. Perhaps the best part of this stage in life is a deep and abiding awareness of my own need for salvation, my helplessness to become the man I long to be and my certitude that if there is any hope, it is in God alone.
Combining study (of The way of the Pilgrim) and prayer (constant recitation of the Jesus Prayer) has proven to be helpful. The book, first published in 1881 (he dates to our own Civil War period) is very simple and relatively short. The Skylight Illuminations version (www.skylightpaths.com) is 131 pages, half of it text and the other half informative notes (on opposite pages).
The Jesus Prayer is defined as "the uninterrupted, continual calling upon the divine Name of Jesus, with the lips, the mind, and the heart, while calling to mind His constant presence and beseeching His mercy, during any activity with which one may be occupied, in all places, at all times, and even while sleeping." (p. 15) The prayer phrase he uses is Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. He also refers constantly to the Bible and to the Philokalia (I wrote on the latter in the past. It is a collection of teachings from Eastern Orthodox Church Fathers dating to the early church.) As the pilgrim says, the Philokalia teaches one to read the Bible as it reveals the deeper truths. [In fairness, most of us secularized, rationalist Westerners struggle with such an approach, even when we think of ourselves as spiritual.]
Many are put off by the idea that a Russian mystic can inform contemporary folk about prayer. The Jesus Prayer is more at home in the spiritual enterprise of monks or solitaries, people removed from the frenetic pace of our lifestyle with its endless demands and distractions. Perhaps, too, we wonder if God really wants us to spend so much time repeating any prayer, over and over, even if it is such a sweet sounding prayer. Aren't we supposed to be busy proclaiming the kingdom, serving the poor, bringing the lost to Jesus?
Well, in honesty, as much as we talk about doing such things, truth be told we spend precious little time doing them. We are self deceiving creatures. We reject a way of prayer because we say a life of service matters more, and then we rarely get around to the service. At least based on my experience and observation.
Perhaps the words of the monk (called a staretz, a wondering teacher in the ways of holiness which were widepsread in 19th Century Russia) can address our concerns. This is found on page 13:
Many good works are required of a Christian, but it is prayer which must come first and foremost, for without prayer no other good work can be performed and one cannot find a way to the Lord. (he goes on to list the fruits: acquiring truth, crucifying lusts and passions and union with Christ and being filled with His light)...perfect prayer lies beyond our abilities. The Apostle Paul says, 'For we do not know how to pray as we ought.' (Scripture is always the source of the teachings)... the frequency and the regularity of prayer are the only things that lie within our abilities."
Then this take away line: First learn to pray, and then you will easily perform all good works. The spiritual master points out that we see things backwards. Many people treat prayer in an inverted way, thinking that it is one's efforts and preparatory steps that give rise to prayer, rather than the prayer itself giving birth to good works and all virtues. In this case , they mistakenly see the fruits and resulting benefits of prayer as the means to its end, thereby denigrating the very power of prayer.
More on this to come, but I want to point out two things. First of all, the phrasing varies from teacher to teacher. It can be longer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. It can be any variation of additions. In shortest and simplest form, Lord Jesus, mercy or perhaps your own variations the key is focus on the Divine Name, the Lord Himself and the invocation. The beauty of the cry "have mercy" is it covers a wide variety of circumstance (mercy= forgive our sins or help us in our need). The repetition frees us from the need to create some beautiful sounding prayer (so that we focus on our own creativity) and the repetition does have impact. I know that repetition has an impact as habits create character. A person constantly aware of a need for Jesus' mercy will find it easier to become merciful. It is harder to sin when one is regularly invoking the Lord Jesus by name...
Driving to work, meditating on the daily readings, sitting in a chair breathing for a few minutes, walking to get a drin of water; whatever, whenever, the repeated use of this prayer does have an effect. But it takes time and discipline. And faith. I will share more on this in the days ahead. I pray God will deliver you in your Lenten disciplines from all evil and into the hands of Jesus His Son.
Jesus, Son of God, Son of Mary, Son of David, Son of Man! Jesus, Lamb of God, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Savior and Redeemer! Jesus, Messiah, have mercy on your people. Come Jesus to guard and guide us! Come Jesus to rule and govern us! Come Jesus to heal and forgive us! Come Jesus, today, again and again, to make us yours, one with You, just as You are one with the Father! Thank You Jesus, Thank You, Bless You, Praise You. Amen. (say that one hundred times a day and see what happens)
I have in the past worked with the Jesus Prayer, usually with mixed success. Now as I am making a serious effort to integrate the Jesus Prayer into my life I am finding some blessing. It is hard to know why things go that way. I want to share briefly that I have not found late adulthood to be an especially fertile time. I would hesitate to share this (in part because it does not speak well of me) if I did not hear the stories of other men in similar straights. My theory is that having lived for many decades there is a sense of "been there, done that." We are also tired, less energetic and less hopeful that we will get better. Perhaps the best part of this stage in life is a deep and abiding awareness of my own need for salvation, my helplessness to become the man I long to be and my certitude that if there is any hope, it is in God alone.
Combining study (of The way of the Pilgrim) and prayer (constant recitation of the Jesus Prayer) has proven to be helpful. The book, first published in 1881 (he dates to our own Civil War period) is very simple and relatively short. The Skylight Illuminations version (www.skylightpaths.com) is 131 pages, half of it text and the other half informative notes (on opposite pages).
The Jesus Prayer is defined as "the uninterrupted, continual calling upon the divine Name of Jesus, with the lips, the mind, and the heart, while calling to mind His constant presence and beseeching His mercy, during any activity with which one may be occupied, in all places, at all times, and even while sleeping." (p. 15) The prayer phrase he uses is Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. He also refers constantly to the Bible and to the Philokalia (I wrote on the latter in the past. It is a collection of teachings from Eastern Orthodox Church Fathers dating to the early church.) As the pilgrim says, the Philokalia teaches one to read the Bible as it reveals the deeper truths. [In fairness, most of us secularized, rationalist Westerners struggle with such an approach, even when we think of ourselves as spiritual.]
Many are put off by the idea that a Russian mystic can inform contemporary folk about prayer. The Jesus Prayer is more at home in the spiritual enterprise of monks or solitaries, people removed from the frenetic pace of our lifestyle with its endless demands and distractions. Perhaps, too, we wonder if God really wants us to spend so much time repeating any prayer, over and over, even if it is such a sweet sounding prayer. Aren't we supposed to be busy proclaiming the kingdom, serving the poor, bringing the lost to Jesus?
Well, in honesty, as much as we talk about doing such things, truth be told we spend precious little time doing them. We are self deceiving creatures. We reject a way of prayer because we say a life of service matters more, and then we rarely get around to the service. At least based on my experience and observation.
Perhaps the words of the monk (called a staretz, a wondering teacher in the ways of holiness which were widepsread in 19th Century Russia) can address our concerns. This is found on page 13:
Many good works are required of a Christian, but it is prayer which must come first and foremost, for without prayer no other good work can be performed and one cannot find a way to the Lord. (he goes on to list the fruits: acquiring truth, crucifying lusts and passions and union with Christ and being filled with His light)...perfect prayer lies beyond our abilities. The Apostle Paul says, 'For we do not know how to pray as we ought.' (Scripture is always the source of the teachings)... the frequency and the regularity of prayer are the only things that lie within our abilities."
Then this take away line: First learn to pray, and then you will easily perform all good works. The spiritual master points out that we see things backwards. Many people treat prayer in an inverted way, thinking that it is one's efforts and preparatory steps that give rise to prayer, rather than the prayer itself giving birth to good works and all virtues. In this case , they mistakenly see the fruits and resulting benefits of prayer as the means to its end, thereby denigrating the very power of prayer.
More on this to come, but I want to point out two things. First of all, the phrasing varies from teacher to teacher. It can be longer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. It can be any variation of additions. In shortest and simplest form, Lord Jesus, mercy or perhaps your own variations the key is focus on the Divine Name, the Lord Himself and the invocation. The beauty of the cry "have mercy" is it covers a wide variety of circumstance (mercy= forgive our sins or help us in our need). The repetition frees us from the need to create some beautiful sounding prayer (so that we focus on our own creativity) and the repetition does have impact. I know that repetition has an impact as habits create character. A person constantly aware of a need for Jesus' mercy will find it easier to become merciful. It is harder to sin when one is regularly invoking the Lord Jesus by name...
Driving to work, meditating on the daily readings, sitting in a chair breathing for a few minutes, walking to get a drin of water; whatever, whenever, the repeated use of this prayer does have an effect. But it takes time and discipline. And faith. I will share more on this in the days ahead. I pray God will deliver you in your Lenten disciplines from all evil and into the hands of Jesus His Son.
Jesus, Son of God, Son of Mary, Son of David, Son of Man! Jesus, Lamb of God, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Savior and Redeemer! Jesus, Messiah, have mercy on your people. Come Jesus to guard and guide us! Come Jesus to rule and govern us! Come Jesus to heal and forgive us! Come Jesus, today, again and again, to make us yours, one with You, just as You are one with the Father! Thank You Jesus, Thank You, Bless You, Praise You. Amen. (say that one hundred times a day and see what happens)
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Lenten Sacrifice
Today is the first Sunday of Lent. The way we worship here will change. In place of a hymn to begin the service we will do a litany of repentance. It is taken from the Ash Wednesday service and intended for that day, but I have found it is a good weekly reminder of the season. It makes things a bit more solemn and allows an opportunity for reflection. We then cry out for mercy as we identify various areas of our life which fall short.
Another change is the absence of the word "Alleluia." There are usually a few folks who out of habit continue to say the word. They quickly recover and we all are aware. It serves to reinforce the fact that in Lent we are not celebrating in the same way as we will at Easter.
The biggest change, though, is the second collection. It is for outreach. Each week, the church gathers up offerings from the membership. The offering is intended as a gift to God, paying back a small portion in thanksgiving for all the blessings He has given us. Commonly at the time of offering we all say together, "All things come from Thee, O Lord, and of Thine own have we given Thee." In theory, the more people have the more they should give. In reality, giving is harder as one gets more. When you have nothing, what difference does it make? When I was low paid and living hand to mouth it seemed easier. But as one advances and income increases, suddenly 10% adds up to real money. The twenty-five or thirty dollars a week can soon become two or three hundred as a person achieves success. A Lutheran pastor once preached on this at a parish where I served. He was the one who pointed this out to me.
We do not bring animals to be sacrificed that ended with the fall of the Temple. Nor, like the ancient Christians, do we bring concrete goods: bread and produce. In the early days their ingathering of foodstuffs was used to provide for clergy, poorer members of the parish (inreach), and the poor and needy served by the church (outreach). It was understood that these gifts were given to God in and through the Church. To be generous with God was an act of faith and love. It was also thought to have salvific impact. [Following the Jewish practice of alms, the early Christians shared the belief that giving opened one up to God's saving work.]
The word sacrifice refers to giving it over to God. In animal sacrifice, in most cases, the animal sacrificed was eaten as a meal. Part of the meat went to the priest. Part of the animal was wholly consumed in the flames. But the giving to God (what was consumed in the flames) was complemented with the communion meal--eating together. In our own time, the word sacrifice has taken on a different connotation. Now it refers to suffering in most minds. So we talk about the sacrifices we have made in order for our children to have what they need. Therefore, we use the expression "sacrificial giving" to mean "giving until it hurts." In reality, all giving is sacrificial because all giving is a gift to God. Yet, I think we all get the point. The term sacrifice means giving in a signficant way. It means giving in a way that is consistent with the One to Whom we give. It is giving in an awareness that EVERYTHING is a gift and we need to be as generous in giving as we are "excited" about getting. We need to want to pour out blessings as enthusiastically as we celebrate receiving blessings.
Each Sunday in Lent we will take up a second collection. Every cent will go to outreach ministries. The act of taking up the collection serves multiple purposes. It reminds us that our mission and ministry is meant to extend beyond ourselves. It allows us to "heal and exorcise" by combating the Kingdom of Darkness with Light and Love. It gives us a chance to make sense of the typical Lenten exercise of "giving up ..." by transforming the absence (what we give up) with a presence (translating it into a gift). So if a person "gives up cokes" for Lent, the cost of those cokes is set aside and on Sunday the amount (five or ten bucks) is tossed into the basket. It gets translated into gift. Pretty simple process and multiply it by a couple hundred people and suddenly you are talking about real money. Literally thousands of dollars each week. So on Easter day we will have five, seven, maybe ten thousand dollars to distribute. That is a blessing.
Having the double collection in Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, has made a mentality in this parish. People value doing this. People are more sacrificial because they see the purpose. In Lent we are called upon to be transformed. We are invited to take on the Jesus approach to things. As Jesus said, "What you have received as a gift, give as a gift." It is all a gift, even that for which we labor. It is still a gift. Give to the glory of God!
Another change is the absence of the word "Alleluia." There are usually a few folks who out of habit continue to say the word. They quickly recover and we all are aware. It serves to reinforce the fact that in Lent we are not celebrating in the same way as we will at Easter.
The biggest change, though, is the second collection. It is for outreach. Each week, the church gathers up offerings from the membership. The offering is intended as a gift to God, paying back a small portion in thanksgiving for all the blessings He has given us. Commonly at the time of offering we all say together, "All things come from Thee, O Lord, and of Thine own have we given Thee." In theory, the more people have the more they should give. In reality, giving is harder as one gets more. When you have nothing, what difference does it make? When I was low paid and living hand to mouth it seemed easier. But as one advances and income increases, suddenly 10% adds up to real money. The twenty-five or thirty dollars a week can soon become two or three hundred as a person achieves success. A Lutheran pastor once preached on this at a parish where I served. He was the one who pointed this out to me.
We do not bring animals to be sacrificed that ended with the fall of the Temple. Nor, like the ancient Christians, do we bring concrete goods: bread and produce. In the early days their ingathering of foodstuffs was used to provide for clergy, poorer members of the parish (inreach), and the poor and needy served by the church (outreach). It was understood that these gifts were given to God in and through the Church. To be generous with God was an act of faith and love. It was also thought to have salvific impact. [Following the Jewish practice of alms, the early Christians shared the belief that giving opened one up to God's saving work.]
The word sacrifice refers to giving it over to God. In animal sacrifice, in most cases, the animal sacrificed was eaten as a meal. Part of the meat went to the priest. Part of the animal was wholly consumed in the flames. But the giving to God (what was consumed in the flames) was complemented with the communion meal--eating together. In our own time, the word sacrifice has taken on a different connotation. Now it refers to suffering in most minds. So we talk about the sacrifices we have made in order for our children to have what they need. Therefore, we use the expression "sacrificial giving" to mean "giving until it hurts." In reality, all giving is sacrificial because all giving is a gift to God. Yet, I think we all get the point. The term sacrifice means giving in a signficant way. It means giving in a way that is consistent with the One to Whom we give. It is giving in an awareness that EVERYTHING is a gift and we need to be as generous in giving as we are "excited" about getting. We need to want to pour out blessings as enthusiastically as we celebrate receiving blessings.
Each Sunday in Lent we will take up a second collection. Every cent will go to outreach ministries. The act of taking up the collection serves multiple purposes. It reminds us that our mission and ministry is meant to extend beyond ourselves. It allows us to "heal and exorcise" by combating the Kingdom of Darkness with Light and Love. It gives us a chance to make sense of the typical Lenten exercise of "giving up ..." by transforming the absence (what we give up) with a presence (translating it into a gift). So if a person "gives up cokes" for Lent, the cost of those cokes is set aside and on Sunday the amount (five or ten bucks) is tossed into the basket. It gets translated into gift. Pretty simple process and multiply it by a couple hundred people and suddenly you are talking about real money. Literally thousands of dollars each week. So on Easter day we will have five, seven, maybe ten thousand dollars to distribute. That is a blessing.
Having the double collection in Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, has made a mentality in this parish. People value doing this. People are more sacrificial because they see the purpose. In Lent we are called upon to be transformed. We are invited to take on the Jesus approach to things. As Jesus said, "What you have received as a gift, give as a gift." It is all a gift, even that for which we labor. It is still a gift. Give to the glory of God!
Friday, February 15, 2013
Telling Simon
I am the rector of St. Andrew's Church. There is a small banner which hangs in our sanctuary. It has our name on it. On the back side, in stitiched lettering, it tells of Andrew finding the Messiah and telling his brother Simon about Him. Each year (the last few years) on Ash Wednesday, I flip the banner around . It is a visual cue to all who enter the church that we have a mission. This year I flipped it around and moved it to a more prominent place. Now it is viewed throughout the entire service by the entire congregation.
Now, I have shared the regular experience of having Morning and Evening Prayer lectionary readings connecting with things I teach or preach on a day or two before. It happened again this week, though I did not write about it. I alluded to a Scripture (like the author of Hebrews I often find myself saying, "somewhere it says...") which we read the next day. These amazing connections are a sign of God at work, as I see it. The lectionary and psalms are predetermined and run in cycles. The law of averages says that such coincidences would be far more rare. So when I reference a Scripture when teaching and the next day it pops up in the service I am doubly aware. Aware of the content and aware of the God who weaves the word into our lives.
On Ash Wednesday I preached on our purpose as church. The reason we exist is to tell people about Jesus and then draw them into the fellowship. The fellowship is disciples (followers). Telling folks is being apostles (sent). The word 'evangelize' is overwhelming to most of my folks. They are not sure exactly what it is they are supposed to be doing. And there is reason for that. I was on a website six months ago where the question was asked, "What is the Gospel?" The variety of answers was stunning. Everyone has their own take. Lets make it clear, there is not a great deal of clarity. Be that as it may, there is still much common ground. While we are not all in the same room of the same house; we are certainly in the same neighborhood, and at worse same town. There is much in common despite our differences. The story of Andrew, which I preached on, is one such a common feature and, therefore, a good starting place to talk about evangelizing.
My paraphrase: Andrew was with John the Baptist [Note well, this story is very different from Mark where Jesus calls them from their nets.] Andrew is probably relatively young, perhaps in his teens or early twenties. There is no filler story on Andrew's discipleship relationship with John. It is just stated that he is a disciple (and I bet darn few of us ever remember that tidbit). We do not know very much about Andrew. What we know is John says, "Look there is the Lamb of God." So Andrew follows Jesus. Now, one can assume there was all manner of instruction prior to the event and that there well could have been more discussion than the Fourth Gospel records. The brief outline is intended to move the story along, and the multiple meanings of the text invite the reader to reflect deeply on what few words we have. Jesus asks Andrew "what do you seek?" On one level it is another way of asking, "What do you want?" It is also raising the question of our purpose in life. What do we seek, we humans so busy with so many things? What does our heart hunger for? The word seek (zeite in Greek) occurs 121 times in the NT, 33 of them in John (The other three Gospel Mk9x, Mt 14x, Lk 27x--Lk has the most common features with John). The last appearance of the word is in the Garden, on Easter morning, when Jesus asks Mary "whom do you seek?" So the motiff of seeking can be read at a deeper level.
Andrew responds, "Where do you dwell?" The Greek meno means to stay, to abide, to dwell, to not depart, to remain, etc. John uses it 34 times, once again over a fourth of the total NT usages and three times as many as the other three Gospels combined (11). There is frequent reference to Jesus abiding in the Father, believers abiding in Jesus, or Jesus abiding in believers. So a deeper meaning is also possible here.
Andrew goes and sees. And he decides that Jesus is the Messiah, that he has met The One whom God sent to free (redeem, save) His people. So Andrew goes home to his brother and says, "Simon, you will never guess whom I met!" He had the same excitement that we would have when we see a famous personality. He had the same excitement that we have when something interesting happens and we want to share.
"I met the Messiah!" I met the One promised of God long ago. I met the One who will save us from our sins (teh Lamb of God). And Andrew invited Simon to meet Him, too.
That is preaching the Gospel, or to use more normal language, that is announcing to someone else some remarkable information. Preach or announce or tell---the verbs do not matter. Gospel or Good News or just plain "something pretty cool"---the noun does not matter. What matters is that we met Jesus, we encountered Him, that we believe He is The One, and so we tell others. We tell people when we find a good deal on shoes or tickets to a movie. We tell people about interesting occurences with weather, or our kids, or our team. We tell all manner of people all manner of things about all manner of people, places, things and events. We are always sharing something. So IF Jesus is Messiah and we know that, should we not share that story as well?
That was in my Ash Wednesday homily (or sermon). And the next day I read the Gospel of the day and it was about John the Baptist. And I read the Gospel assigned for today and it was the exact same story, the story of Andrew meeting Jesus. And on Friday in Lent we gather after Morning Prayer to discuss the readings. So we will do that and I already know that it will tie into my preaching and tie into our mission focus and it will tie into our banner and once again God weaves His web and I am amazed.
How does He do that?
Now, I have shared the regular experience of having Morning and Evening Prayer lectionary readings connecting with things I teach or preach on a day or two before. It happened again this week, though I did not write about it. I alluded to a Scripture (like the author of Hebrews I often find myself saying, "somewhere it says...") which we read the next day. These amazing connections are a sign of God at work, as I see it. The lectionary and psalms are predetermined and run in cycles. The law of averages says that such coincidences would be far more rare. So when I reference a Scripture when teaching and the next day it pops up in the service I am doubly aware. Aware of the content and aware of the God who weaves the word into our lives.
On Ash Wednesday I preached on our purpose as church. The reason we exist is to tell people about Jesus and then draw them into the fellowship. The fellowship is disciples (followers). Telling folks is being apostles (sent). The word 'evangelize' is overwhelming to most of my folks. They are not sure exactly what it is they are supposed to be doing. And there is reason for that. I was on a website six months ago where the question was asked, "What is the Gospel?" The variety of answers was stunning. Everyone has their own take. Lets make it clear, there is not a great deal of clarity. Be that as it may, there is still much common ground. While we are not all in the same room of the same house; we are certainly in the same neighborhood, and at worse same town. There is much in common despite our differences. The story of Andrew, which I preached on, is one such a common feature and, therefore, a good starting place to talk about evangelizing.
My paraphrase: Andrew was with John the Baptist [Note well, this story is very different from Mark where Jesus calls them from their nets.] Andrew is probably relatively young, perhaps in his teens or early twenties. There is no filler story on Andrew's discipleship relationship with John. It is just stated that he is a disciple (and I bet darn few of us ever remember that tidbit). We do not know very much about Andrew. What we know is John says, "Look there is the Lamb of God." So Andrew follows Jesus. Now, one can assume there was all manner of instruction prior to the event and that there well could have been more discussion than the Fourth Gospel records. The brief outline is intended to move the story along, and the multiple meanings of the text invite the reader to reflect deeply on what few words we have. Jesus asks Andrew "what do you seek?" On one level it is another way of asking, "What do you want?" It is also raising the question of our purpose in life. What do we seek, we humans so busy with so many things? What does our heart hunger for? The word seek (zeite in Greek) occurs 121 times in the NT, 33 of them in John (The other three Gospel Mk9x, Mt 14x, Lk 27x--Lk has the most common features with John). The last appearance of the word is in the Garden, on Easter morning, when Jesus asks Mary "whom do you seek?" So the motiff of seeking can be read at a deeper level.
Andrew responds, "Where do you dwell?" The Greek meno means to stay, to abide, to dwell, to not depart, to remain, etc. John uses it 34 times, once again over a fourth of the total NT usages and three times as many as the other three Gospels combined (11). There is frequent reference to Jesus abiding in the Father, believers abiding in Jesus, or Jesus abiding in believers. So a deeper meaning is also possible here.
Andrew goes and sees. And he decides that Jesus is the Messiah, that he has met The One whom God sent to free (redeem, save) His people. So Andrew goes home to his brother and says, "Simon, you will never guess whom I met!" He had the same excitement that we would have when we see a famous personality. He had the same excitement that we have when something interesting happens and we want to share.
"I met the Messiah!" I met the One promised of God long ago. I met the One who will save us from our sins (teh Lamb of God). And Andrew invited Simon to meet Him, too.
That is preaching the Gospel, or to use more normal language, that is announcing to someone else some remarkable information. Preach or announce or tell---the verbs do not matter. Gospel or Good News or just plain "something pretty cool"---the noun does not matter. What matters is that we met Jesus, we encountered Him, that we believe He is The One, and so we tell others. We tell people when we find a good deal on shoes or tickets to a movie. We tell people about interesting occurences with weather, or our kids, or our team. We tell all manner of people all manner of things about all manner of people, places, things and events. We are always sharing something. So IF Jesus is Messiah and we know that, should we not share that story as well?
That was in my Ash Wednesday homily (or sermon). And the next day I read the Gospel of the day and it was about John the Baptist. And I read the Gospel assigned for today and it was the exact same story, the story of Andrew meeting Jesus. And on Friday in Lent we gather after Morning Prayer to discuss the readings. So we will do that and I already know that it will tie into my preaching and tie into our mission focus and it will tie into our banner and once again God weaves His web and I am amazed.
How does He do that?
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