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“My Attention to Daily Prayer
and Study” |
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Francis of Assisi was a young Italian who
founded the Franciscans. John Wesley, an English Anglican, founded the
Methodists. Dorothy Day was an American Catholic woman who identified with and
worked among the poor in New York City in the 1920’s and 30’s. Alexander
Campbell was a Scottish Presbyterian minister from Ireland who helped found the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun who
worked with the dying outcasts (called “the untouchables”) in Calcutta, India.
John Calvin was theologian and minister whose influence in Geneva, Switzerland,
gave birth to the “Reformed,” or Presbyterian Church. Martin Luther was the
German priest whose writings and work founded the Protestant Reformation and the
Lutheran Church. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the Southern Baptist minister who
founded the Southern Baptist Leadership Conference, and probably did more for
civil rights in this country that any other person in the twentieth century. Do you know what they all have in common with Jesus? Some are ancient and some are contemporary. They are male and female. They are Protestant and Catholic. What they have in common is that they, like the earliest Christians in our scripture text for this week, believed in, and practiced the discipline of a daily prayer life. Dr. William O. Paulsell, in his book, Rules for Prayer, (1993), reminds us that “throughout the history of Christianity the great teachers of prayer and spirituality, the people whose lives radiated a deep and transforming faith, were often those for whom prayer had the highest priority in their daily schedule.” (p. 1) Prayer, for a follower of Jesus, is not an option. Prayer is the absolute, basement-level foundation of a strong spiritual life and a fulfilling relationship with God. Prayer draws us into God’s presence. As Richard Foster states in his book, “Celebration of Discipline,” (1998), “… it is the Discipline of prayer that brings us into the deepest and highest work of the human spirit. Real prayer is life creating and life changing.” (p.33) The Apostle Paul believed that prayer was so important that, as he concluded his first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, Greece, he emphasized it as strongly as he could. He wrote, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 – emphasis is mine) “Pray without ceasing.” Wow! Prayer must be pretty important! Henri J. Nouwen, one of my favorite writers on spirituality, once wrote, “(Paul) does not speak about prayer as a part of life, but says it is all of life. He does not mention prayer as something we should not forget, but claims it is our ongoing concern. He does not exhort his readers to pray once in a while, regularly or often, but without hesitation admonishes them to pray constantly, unceasingly, without interruption. Paul does not ask us to spend some of everyday in prayer. No, Paul is much more radical. He asks us to pray day and night, in joy and in sorrow, at work and at play, without intermission or breaks. For Paul, prayer is like breathing. It cannot be interrupted without mortal danger.” (“Unceasing Prayer,” America, August 5, 1978, p. 46 – emphasis is mine) When Paul wrote his letter, urging for unceasing prayer, he was asking a lot of the Thessalonians. At Bread of Life we are not asking for quite as much. To accept the challenge of Covenant Discipleship is to agree to give attention to a daily prayer life. Each individual will interpret what that means for themselves. Near the end of the first century, Acts was written as a theological history of the early Church. A number of its verses give us a glimpse of what the Christian life was like. In our text for today, the writer says: “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42) What were the prayers? Among early Christian documents is a primer for new converts to the Christian life called the Didache. It was likely written 50 – 90 years after Acts (sometime around 150 C. E.). “The Didache contains a number of quotations from the Bible that describe how we should live, what we should and should not do.” (Paulsell, 1993, p.34) According to these instructions for the new Christian, “The Lord’s Prayer should be prayed three times a day.” (Ibid.) Maybe a Covenant Disciple could start with something as simple as praying this prayer in the morning, at noon, and at night. For some of us, this would be a major increase of our daily praying, but it wouldn’t be a burden to any of us. I believe that to begin praying – even just three short times a day – would teach us the discipline of daily prayer. My own family did not “pray without ceasing,” but we were no strangers to prayer. Prayers of grace were said whenever the family gathered to eat. Everyday ended with us tucked into our beds, and bedtime prayers said in our room dimly lit by a night-light. There was something special, even mystical, about that evening prayer time with our parents. I memorized my first public, “out-loud” prayer on my grandmother’s lap. These experiences remind me that it is never too early to start praying with our own children. Mealtimes and bedtimes would be a good place to start, and instill in them a healthy model for their own spiritual lives. I was born into a praying household. Prayer was a part of our family life. But not everyone has been as fortunate. Prayer may seem awkward at first. Some may think that they don’t know how – the right words to say – or the right posture to take – or when – or how long. If you have some worries or hesitation about your praying, I invite you to talk to me about it. I won’t laugh at you. Not at all! I’d be flattered to be your companion on the spiritual journey of your prayer life. We all have to start somewhere, to learn, and practice, so that we might grow in our Christian discipleship. Again, I remind you that Acts 2:42 says; “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” A good place for a Christian to devote her or himself “to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship … and the prayers” is within a Spiritual Life Group. Each group meets in a host’s home for a period of 7–8 weeks. I’m happy that so many of you are participating in one of them. We will continue to offer Spiritual Life Groups each quarter of the year, and there will be another Spiritual Life Group session this summer. On May 22, all of you will be invited to become a Covenant Disciple for one year. Part of the expectation of this deeper commitment to Jesus will be to give your attention to a daily prayer life and commitment to participating in a Spiritual Life Group. The covenant is a reminder to all of us that regular – even daily – prayer, to a follower of Jesus, is not an option, but rather an expectation. Prayer is as vital as breathing – a necessity for the spiritual life. To not pray is to spiritually die. And Covenant Discipleship is a reminder that the Christian life is a spiritual journey that demands growth for – how long? A lifetime! And spiritual growth happens most efficiently within a small group of open-minded, safe and welcoming, prayerful and studying people. Our congregation is attempting to be a spiritually nourishing place, where listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and discerning of the will of God is a comfortable habit. It’s a place to pray personally, as well as together, whenever we gather to work, study, or worship. I encourage you to prayerfully consider if you are ready to give your attention to daily prayer and to study. It is what a disciple – follower of Jesus – is called to do. Please allow me to pray for all of us: In this moment, O God, we focus on your presence here – and we breathe in your spirit – and listen for your guidance. Give us the courage to change our lives – including a deeper and more regular prayer-life. Renew our minds through study and prayer, so that our lives may more accurately mirror the spirit of your Son, Jesus. In his name we ask it. Amen. |