Find Yourself in the Story

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Prayer is really an attitude of our hearts toward God. As such it finds expression, at times in words and at times without words, precisely as when two people love each other. As conscious personalities we must and should give expression to our attitudes in words one to another. It is this faculty which lifts the fellowship of human beings to such a high plane and makes it so rich. But at the same time let us remind ourselves that life, in the last analysis, is inexpressible. There is something in our lives, also in our fellowships, which can never be formulated in words, but which can be the common experience, nevertheless, of two who share with each other everything that can be expressed in words.

In the soul’s fellowship with God in prayer, too, there are things which can and should be formulated in words, but there are also things for which we can find no words. Likely it is this to which the apostle makes reference when he speak:-, in Romans 8:26 of the “groanings which cannot be uttered.”

My little boy came in one day and stuck his little head into the doorway of my study. Now he knew that he was not supposed to disturb me during working hours. And his conscience troubled him a little on account of this. But he looked at me nevertheless with his kind, round baby eyes and said, “Papa, dear, I will sit still all the time if you will only let me be here with you!” That he received permission when he approached my father-heart in that way, every father knows.

That little experience gave me a great deal to think about. Is not that just the way we often feel with regard to our heavenly Father? We do so love to be with Him, just to be in His presence!  Moreover, we never disturb Him, no matter when we come nor how often we come!

We pray to God. We speak to Him about everything we have on our minds both concerning others and ourselves. There come times, not so seldom with me at least, when I have nothing more to tell God. If I were to continue to pray in words, I would have to repeat what I have already said. At such times it is wonderful to say to God, “May I be in Thy presence, Lord? I have nothing more to say to Thee, but I do love to be in Thy presence.”

We can spend time in silence together with people whom we know real well. That we cannot do with others. We must converse with them, entertain them either with interesting or profound things as the case may be. But with our own dear ones we can speak freely about common and insignificant things. In their presence, too, we can be silent. It is not necessary to maintain a conversation when we are in the presence of God. We can come into His presence and rest our weary souls in quiet contemplation of Him. Our groanings, which cannot be uttered, rise to Him and tell Him better than words how dependent we are upon Him.

As evening drew nigh, and our little fellow had played until he was tired, I noticed that he drew closer and closer to his mother. At last he found the place he was longing for, mother’s lap. He did not have a great deal to say then either. He simply lay there, and let his mother caress him into sleep.

We, too, become tired, deathly tired, of ourselves, of others, of the world, of life, of everything! Then it is blessed to know of a place where we can lay our tired head and heart, our heavenly Father’s arms, and say to Him, “I can do no more. And I have nothing to tell you. May I lie here a while and rest? Everything will soon be well again if I can only rest in your arms a while.” We will all have use for wordless prayer, if not before, when the death-struggle and the death agony tax all our energies. That does not always take place exactly at the moment of death. The death-struggle is usually fought out some time before the end comes.

I have witnessed the death-struggle of some of my Christian friends. Pain has coursed through their bodies and souls. But this was not their worst experience. I have seen them gaze at me anxiously and ask, “What will become of me when I am no longer able to think a sustained thought,—nor pray to God?”

If they only realized what they were doing, the people who postpone conversion until they become ill! My friend, in the death-struggle your physical and mental energies will all be taxed to their utmost by your suffering and pain. Remember that and repent now, the acceptable time. When I stand at the bedside of friends who are struggling with death, it is blessed to be able to say to them, “Do not worry about the prayers that you cannot pray. You yourself are a prayer to God at this moment. All that is within you cries out to Him. And He hears all the pleas that your suffering soul and body are making to Him with groanings which cannot be uttered. But if you should have an occasional restful moment, thank God that you already have been reconciled to Him, and that you are now resting in the everlasting arms.”

*Ole Kristian Hallesby (1879-1961) was an influential conservative Norwegian Lutheran pietist  Hallesby wrote 67 books on theology and ethics, but is best known for his devotional writings.

Territorial Prayer List for June 2013:

Youth Councils
June 7-9 Northern New England

“Proclaimers of the Resurrection” Session
June 14-16 Commissioning and Ordination

“Disciples of the Cross” Session
Summer Assignments

Star Search
June 15

Recently I have come across an experiential approach to evangelism that follows the pattern that Jesus used in His ministry here on earth. It involves inviting people to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. Both believers and sceptics were invited to taste the living waters and find out from personal experience. For those who would say that we cannot prove that a loving God exists, our reply would simply be, “No, but you can!”. To read more about this excellent method, please follow this link to read John Burke’s article in Outreach Magazine. Go ahead – taste and see for yourself!

http://www.outreachmagazine.com/features/3355-taste-and-see-evangelism.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=omnewsletter&utm_content=OM+Newsletter+20130312

Slow Down
(an excerpt from Inner Simplicity, by Elaine St. James)

If you are wanting to make a concerted effort in some areas of your life to slow down, here’s something to consider from Elaine St. James who has walked this road. 

I was surprised to discover that simplifying my life didn’t automatically mean that I’d slowed down, too.  The speed of life on the fast track permeates every area of our lives.  Hurrying becomes a habit.  Even after we’ve simplified many of our daily routines, if we’re still surrounded by fast-moving people and phones that never stop ringing, slowing down can take a major effort.

Start by thinking about how you can slow down your morning routine.  Getting up even half an hour earlier so you won’t have to rush out the door will make a big difference in the pace OF YOUR ENTIRE DAY.

Take the time to sit down for your morning meal.  Eat in a leisurely manner so you can feast on each bite.  Eliminate the distractions of the radio, TV, and morning paper.  Simply enjoy eating.

Make the gathering, preparation, and consumption of food a conscious part of your inner quest, especially if you have lunch or dinner in fast-paced restaurants away from the peace and quiet you have established in your home.  In fact, as much as possible, avoid fast-paced restaurants for your midday meal.  Have your lunch on a park bench in the sun or sitting on the grass in the shade.

Plan to leave home in plenty of time so you don’t arrive at the office panting at the start of your workday.  If possible, walk to work, or take the bus or some other form of public transportation so you won’t have to compete in rush hour traffic.  If you do drive, make a point of staying within the posted speed limit.  Learn to appreciate moving with purpose at a leisurely pace.

Place Post-it notes around your home or office to remind yourself to slow down.  Over and over I found that rushing through a project meant getting it wrong and losing time in the end by having to do it over, either partially or completely.  Take your time and do it right in the first place, and enjoy the process as you go along.

Make a concerted effort to examine all the areas of your life, and figure out where you can slow down.  If you’ve simplified a lot of your daily and weekly routines, you now have more time.  Use some of it to reduce your overall pace of life so you can derive more pleasure from each thing you do throughout the day.

Slowing down will help you keep in touch with how you feel about what you’re doing, and make it easier to connect with your inner self.

       

 Part One of our series can be found here.

    Lesson #2.
Learn to Enjoy the Silence

In order to hear what’s happening on an inner level, we have to cut back as much as possible on the external racket.  Start becoming aware of the continuously high noise levels you are subjected to each day.

It often begins with the nerve-jangling clamor of the alarm clock, the buzz of the electric toothbrush, or the blast of the hair dryer.  This is followed by the drone of the latest news report or the babble of morning talk shows.  Then comes the revving of the car engines, and the honking of horns in rush hour traffic.

Our days are often filled with the nine-to-five sounds of ringing telephones and office equipment, not to mention countless interruptions of coworkers, customers, and bosses.  Even if you work at home, there can be a constant din from which there is seldom any respite.

On weekends there’s the often ear-shattering roar of the lawn mowers or leaf blowers.  How can we possibly hear ourselves think?

Often we can’t.  We’re stressed by all the noise in our day-to-day lives – frequently without even being aware of it.  At the same time, we’re so used to it that it’s hard for us to imagine being without it.

As you begin to go within, you’ll want to eliminate as much of the outer commotion as possible so you can hear your inner voice.

There may be some noises you won’t have any control over – such as traffic or the festivities of neighbors.  But you can start by creating as much quiet in your own space as possible.

Learn to wake up without an alarm. . . .visualize yourself waking up at whatever time you choose.

Try going without the TV or other technology, especially when you’re driving.  Bask in the silence, and use that time to simply be with the moment rather than letting those forms of entertainment distract you from your inner life.

Turn off your phone.  Let your answering machine silently pick up the message, which you can listen to at your convenience.

Arrange a formal retreat or a private weekend of solitude at home so you can start tuning in to the joy of silence.

If you haven’t been used to it, silence may seem strange at first, but you’ll gradually come to treasure it.  Eventually you’ll find it indispensable for your inner search.

The purpose of the National Day of Prayer is to mobilize prayer in America and to encourage personal repentance and righteousness in the culture.  Together, may we seek God, humbling ourselves before Him, seeking change and transformation in America.

Click Here to Download: The National Day of Prayer 2013 PowerPoint Presentation

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There is a big difference between approaching God’s Word as a text book and a love letter.  Reading God’s Word for transformation must come from the latter perspective.  How does this happen?  Read on. . . .

Richard Foster, founder of the intrachurch movement, Renovaré shares the following reasons for reading Chris Webb’s book, The Fire of the Word:

• “First, this book is saturated with grace and mercy.  The stories, the teachings, the allusions, the very feeling tones of the words themselves are soaked in grace and mercy.  Grace and mercy given in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over.  Chris writes, ‘From the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, the Bible jubilantly proclaims grace to the world; an exuberant, life-embracing grace that exceeds anything we could possibly hope or imagine.”

• “Second, this book gives us a deep sense of reverence and awe before the majesty of Scripture.  Chris gently leads us before the wonder of Scripture where the boundary between heaven and earth has been worn through.’  For all his exuberance over Scripture, however, Chris is careful not to fall into worshiping the Book. . . He knows that the purpose of the Bible is to lead us into an adoring love of the triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Worship belongs to Yahweh alone.”

• “Third, this book gives us insight into faith-filled living that often surprise us, pleasantly so.  Chris’s stories surprise us. . . And more.  Chris’s phrases and metaphors surprise us; he describes pride as ‘the all-consuming black hole of the soul”; he says of the Bible that ‘fire is trapped under the ink’; he reminds us that ‘sinners may have the wildest parties, but saints have the most fun.’  Drawing on an ancient Christian tradition , Chris’s reinterpretation and use of the Song of Solomon surprises us.”

The author teaches us to not only approach God’s Word with our heads, but with our hearts.  This important balance teaches us to read the Scriptures in a fresh new way that will always lead to an encounter with its Author.  This way of reading will take us beyond the everyday walk of faith to a journey that is ablaze with the living Word of God.

By: Thomas H. Green, S. J.

“There comes a time,” Thomas Green says, “when people deeply committed to prayer ‘hit a wall’”.  When the Well Runs Dry offers encouraging and practical direction on the spiritual life from several of Christianity’s classic teachers on prayer.

Internationally recognized teacher, mentor, and author Thomas H. Green in his book When the Well Runs Dry draws not only on personal experience of dryness in prayer, and from many of the experiences of those who have sought his ministry as a spiritual director, but also from some of the great masters of prayer, such as Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and others.  He helps modern pray-ers to understand their own experience is mirrored in the discussions of these masters of prayer.  He uses images from these masters to help us understand what is happening to us.  And he keeps the focus of the reader and pray-er on the heart of the matter, namely the desire of God for a close relationship with each of his children.  God, however, does not want us to relate to a distortion or an illusion, but to himself.  Therefore, anyone who takes this relationship seriously will have periods, some of them quite long, when God seems absent, precisely because God wants us to know and love God, not consolations and not ideas about God.

Green uses images taken from the masters to illuminate the stages of prayer.  The well image of the title, for example, comes from a vision of Teresa of Avila.  But another image that vividly illuminates our prayer relationship with God is one of Green’s own when we can allow ourselves to float in the current that is God; that we are truly free and trusting.  Green helps the reader to face the fears of floating into the embrace of God.

Of course the author shares the teaching of “the dark night of the soul” as explained by John of the Cross.  This is when our image of God we worshipped and prayed to is no longer credible, and many people find themselves wondering whether they have lost their faith.  Even through this dark period a pilgrim does not give up on God during this seemingly quiet period.  Certainly the popularity of this book gives concrete, comforting direction to many educated seekers of God during a period of time when faith must continue to be encouraged.

The author divides this book into two sections which so well describes the journey of the hungry soul for God.  Part One: From Knowing to Loving and Part Two: From Loving to Truly Loving.  May the reader find themselves on this path that leads to the cry of the true self to truly know and love God as we are truly known and loved.

If prayer is the natural language of the soul, each of us has a dialect that is most natural for us.  Read and reflect on what your natural dialect might be.

Discovering Your Natural Prayer Dialect

For many of us, words fall away when we are truly still before God and when we are most naturally and fully ourselves.  But maybe your natural dialect involves words.  Maybe when you are most deeply yourself with God what emerges are your petitions and intercessions, your gratitude, your praise, or your questions for God.  Possibly your natural prayer dialect is more active than reflective or verbally expressive.  Maybe being honestly your unique self before God takes the form of acts of loving service or social justice.  Or perhaps it is more creative; possibly what bursts from within you when you are your true self before God is a short story, a dance, a wonderful culinary creation or a fresh way of looking at some important issue.

Each of us has our own voice, our own natural prayer dialect. . . .holistic prayer involves starting with this and then expanding our range of ways of being with God so that our whole self, not just the comfortable parts of our self, are able to participate in the encounter.  If we only stick with the most natural ways of opening to God, we will limit the depths to which we open our total self to God.  Growth in prayer is learning to open more and more dimensions of our being to God – learning to commune and converse with God in ways that move us beyond those that come most naturally.

. . .Take a few moments and be with God in the way that reflects your natural dialect.  Allow your soul to speak in its natural dialect.  Honesty also includes authenticity.  Be with God in the way that is most naturally your way.

Hidden Presence and Dark Waters

Part of both openness to God and preparation for prayer is being ready to meet God on God’s terms, not ours.  This also is a gift of faith.  God cannot be conjured up on our terms and under the conditions of our choosing.  In fact, the reason God so often seems hidden and silent is precisely because we are looking in the worn places.

John the Baptist proclaims that Christ stands in the midst of those who seek him, but we do not recognize his presence (John 1:26).  This is a judgment that echoes across the ages.  The presence of Christ is a hidden one, and it always will be.  Only when we give up fashioning God in our image and seeking God where we think God should be, only then will we truly perceive the Christ who stands in our midst.  Louise Evely writes, “God most insistent call to us will always seem a sort of silence, since his language isn’t ours.  It isn’t what we expect.  Only when we love him enough to prefer his ways to ours, his language to ours, and his will to ours, only then will we discover him.”

Not a moment passes but Christ stands in our midst, and we fail to see him.  Remember his words: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me: (Matthew 25:35-36).  God is present.  But we must be prepared to allow God to arrange the encounter.  The divine rendezvous must always be under God’s control.  The seeking, reaching out and communicating always begin with God.  But we must be prepared for the fact that God will not be where we often might expect.

Prayer is not a magical ritual that allows us to bring the divine under our control.  It is much more like floating on the dark river of God’s love.  You may not be sure where the river is taking you, and it will require that you surrender your control over the journey and the relationship, but one thing you need never doubt – the Lord of love has arranged the prayer rendezvous.

But let’s be honest about this.  Genuine openness to God can be a scary thing – particularly when the river we are asked to float in is dark, as it often is, and God’s presence so often is a hidden one.  If you have any doubt whatsoever about the depth and persistence of God’s love, it is hard to trust yourself to stop thrashing about and simply float.  The tricky part about floating is that you can’t see where you are going.  You have to swim in order to get your head far enough out of the water to see around you.  That’s why floating demands trust.  Not only do you have to trust that the current is taking you in a direction that is ultimately one of blessing, but you also have to trust that you will stay afloat and won’t bump into anything dangerous.

This is why genuine openness to God must start with a deep assurance of God’s love for you.  Without this, you will be forced to try to stay in charge of the prayer encounter – your head will be out of the water all the time as you look around, trying to see where the river is taking you.  Knowing the heart of God who arranges the prayer encounter is essential if you are to dare to receive the gift of genuine openness to the divine.

Openness to God is simply a response to the hunger that God places in your heart.  Any openness to God that you experience is a gift.  Don’t try to generate more.  Simply ask God to increase your awareness of the depths and extent of your spiritual hunger – the yearning of your spirit for God’s Spirit.  God will do the rest, and prayer will flow from the heart.

Ways to Simplify Your Life
(excerpts from Inner Simplicity, by Elaine St. James)

#1     Create Simplicity, Not Austerity

     When I first started to let go of some of the distractions I had unthinkingly allowed to accumulate in my life and to look within, a friend said to me, “But I don’t want an austere life.”

I said, “I don’t either!”

She had the idea that we were going to give everything away and go live in a hut in the wilderness.

I explained to her that getting rid of a lot of our stuff and moving toward an inwardly simple life is not about deprivation or denying ourselves the things we want.  It’s about getting rid of the things that no longer contribute to the fullness of our lives.

It’s also about creating balance between our outer and inner lives.  One of the issues many of us are dealing with now is coming back to our centers after having spent so much time pursuing careers and creating fortunes in the outside world.  We neglect the inner worlds, and our souls are craving some attention.  Devoting more time and energy to the cultivation of our inner lives will help us create that balance and also enable us to live our outer lives more fully.

But living fully doesn’t mean having it all, going everywhere, doing everything, and being all things to all people.  Many of us are beginning to see that too much is too much.  Doing too much and having too much get in the way of being able to enjoy the things we do want in our lives, and to simply be who we are.

Achieving a level of inner simplicity makes it possible to choose intelligently the things that are meaningful in our lives and that contribute to our happiness and our peace of mind.

It may ultimately mean doing fewer things and having less stuff, but that decision will come, not from self-denial, but from the wisdom that comes by taking the time to figure out what is important to us, and in letting go of all the rest.