Chapter 3
Anything that particularly stood out to you as you read the chapter? Any thing you really did not understand? Anything that you really disagreed with? Anything that particularly moved you? Any ah hah moments that took your breath away?
How important are words to you prayers? If not words, what is important? Art? Music? Silence?
Why is it hard to come to God “Just as we are?” or as the song says, “Just as I am?”
I love the line on the bottom of page 31, the preacher prays, “God , if these people knew about me what you know about me, they wouldn’t listen to a word I said.” That is true about preachers, how is it true about the rest of us? Why if we all feel guilty, do we hide it so? If we are all so helpless, why do we hide it?
Even in church we like to speak of how well things are going. Our marriage is perfect, our family life is perfect, finances are perfect. We all present the image of having things perfectly together, and any flaw reflects poorly on us. Sometimes we present this same image to God in prayer.
Helpless is not an american description. We like to have it together. How do you experience helplessness? How do we as a nation experience helplessness? As a world?
Are you afraid of being seen a helpless?
How does humility effect prayer? It is not grovelling, but, what is it.
How does doubt enter into prayer? If I doubt prayer, is my prayer doomed to failure?
Do you pray honestly? Do we sometimes try to present the same image of ourself to God as we do to the world. If God truly does know us at our deepest level, why do we hide the truth about ourself? Am I hiding the truth from God or myself?
Why is it hard to trust God with my naked self?
Chapter 4 The God who is.
Any part of the chapter raise questions? Anything you disagree with? Any thing that really caught your attention?
How does the image of God we bring to prayers affect the way we pray. What image of god do you bring to prayer?
Do I enjoy my time as I would enjoy time with a close friend?
How does our vast difference from God make prayer difficult. “Since I is God you are speaking of , you do not understand it. If you could understand it, it would not be God.”
No wonder prayer is so difficult and mysterious!!!! We who do not understand ourselves are speaking to a God we understand even less!!!
How do you reconcile God’s distance and closeness?
Any last comments on the chapters?
What more would you say?
What new insights do you have? What new questions do you have?
Sunday, September 30, 2007
sermon 9/30
September 30, 2007
Amos 6:1-7
1 Timothy 6:11-19
Luke 16:19-31
A few weeks ago, I was late for a meeting on the south side of Grand Rapids. Since I was late, I was getting pretty impatient. I headed down the beltline and, as always, whenever I am late, I find myself stuck in traffic behind a construction vehicle of some sort. Why does it always happen like this? To top it off, I swear, the construction vehicle in front of me began to slow down almost as soon as I got behind it. I put up with this for about 15 seconds, seemed like hours, and then I said to myself, “I have had it.” I pulled out to pass.
Immediately I heard a screech of tires, and the blaring of a car horn.
I swerved back into my lane before I caused an accident that would have most certainly resulted in serious injury.
In my frustration, I had not noticed the car in the passing lane. Thank goodness, the driver noticed me.
Just try to imagine, try to ponder how many things we do not notice every day. Most accidents are caused by those things we do not notice. We do not notice the shoes on the steps, the car on the side of the road, the water on the floor, the ice in the parking lot. We do not notice that more and more sarcasm is creeping into our conversation. We do not notice the pain in our arm, the flutter in our chest. We do not notice the sad looking face of a loved one, when we are not able to give them time that they need or want.
How often we put ourselves at risk of accident because of some things we fail to notice?
Just imagine also how much more rich life could be if we did take more time to really notice life around us?
How much of life today have you already failed to notice? Did you miss the glorious sun rise, or the colors of leaves changing. Did you fail to notice your breakfast as you ate this morning? Did you notice the wonders of creation this morning: the birds singing, the wind against your face, the smells of autumn? Did you notice the greetings your loved ones gave you as you or they awoke?
Sometimes we miss the best of life simply because we fail to notice.
Of course there are reasons we miss so much. We are pre-occupied with stresses and problems at work or home, in our life or the lives of those we love. We have so much on our plates. So much to do and so little time. Our gadgets sometimes prevent us from noticing life. Our cell phones, ipods, computers, and televisions so bombard us with noise and information that we do not notice those who are sitting across the room from us. We do not notice all that we have because we are so focused on that which we do not have. Our lives are filled with so much stuff; so much food, so much drink, so much comfort, we do not notice those who go without. There are many reasons we do not notice life as we pass through it.
Our readings this weekend are about “noticing” or rather, “not noticing”.
Amos speaks against the leaders of Israel because they do not notice the plight of the poor. They lie on beds of ivory, eats lambs and calves from the flock, dress in luxury, drink from bowls, and listen to finest music, yet are not grieved by the ruin of Joseph. Because of this, because they have not noticed the misery of the poor, they will be first to go into exile. It was not for their riches, it was not their luxury that angered the Lord. Israel angered the Lord, because they did not notice the poor in their midst. For not noticing, Amos charges, they will be punished.
In the Gospel, the rich man did not notice Lazarus. He dresses in purple and fine linen. He feasts sumptuously. He does not notice Lazarus longing for the scraps from his table, or the dogs licking his sores. The rich man does not notice Lazarus until he needs him. “Abraham, send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue. Send him to my brothers. Surely they will notice him.”
The rich man does not notice the chasm between he and Lazarus. The rich man has built this chasm by not noticing Lazarus. He built the chasm with the tools of indifference.
Speaking of noticing, did you happen to notice, that the rich man does not have a name, while Lazarus does. This is a theme always present in the Gospel of Luke. In the Kingdom of God, all is reversed, all is turned upside down. The nameless ones are named and the rich and powerful are nameless. The proud are cast down, and the lowly lifted up. The hungry are filled, and the rich are sent empty away.
Notice throughout the Gospel of Luke the radical reversal of fortune that turns the values of this world upside down.
If noticing is important, how can we begin to do so?
Paul gives us some clues in his letter to Timothy. Paul urges generosity. One who is generous, notices. When you are generous with your riches, you notice those who are in need. When you are generous with your time, you notice those who need your assistance. When you have a generous heart and make space in your heart and show hospitality to the stranger, you will notice the presence of God in their life. Generosity is a gift which allows us to notice.
Prayer helps us to notice. You cannot pray the scripture without noticing the poor. You cannot pray sincerely without noticing your sin, and your brokenness. You cannot pray sincerely without noticing the love which God has for you. You cannot pray sincerely without finding hope, without discovering courage, without growing in compassion. The more we pray, the more we notice.
Our study of Philip Yancey’s book prayer and our group spiritual direction meetings are about learning to notice the presence and the actions of God in our life.
So, we give thanks for our minds that think, our eyes that see, noses that smell, tongues that taste, fingers that touch, ears that hear. May our senses help us to notice more in life. May we notice the poor, and give thanks that Christ is present in them. May we notice that poor and see in them the coming of the kingdom of God. May we notice those around us, our friends and loved ones. Those who know us so well, and love us nonetheless. May we notice ourselves, where we are broken and whole, success or failures. We notice those parts of our life that make us proud, as well as those things that cause us shame. May we notice our whole true self, and when we notice our full self, may we notice the love God has for us. May we notice creation, the colors, the smells, the sights the sounds. May we notice the food we taste, the water we drink and the air we breathe.
And, dear friends, when we notice all these blessings in our life, may we notice and give thanks. Thanks be to our God who has blessed us so extravagantly, our God who has showered us abundantly with blessings and gifts.
Amos 6:1-7
1 Timothy 6:11-19
Luke 16:19-31
A few weeks ago, I was late for a meeting on the south side of Grand Rapids. Since I was late, I was getting pretty impatient. I headed down the beltline and, as always, whenever I am late, I find myself stuck in traffic behind a construction vehicle of some sort. Why does it always happen like this? To top it off, I swear, the construction vehicle in front of me began to slow down almost as soon as I got behind it. I put up with this for about 15 seconds, seemed like hours, and then I said to myself, “I have had it.” I pulled out to pass.
Immediately I heard a screech of tires, and the blaring of a car horn.
I swerved back into my lane before I caused an accident that would have most certainly resulted in serious injury.
In my frustration, I had not noticed the car in the passing lane. Thank goodness, the driver noticed me.
Just try to imagine, try to ponder how many things we do not notice every day. Most accidents are caused by those things we do not notice. We do not notice the shoes on the steps, the car on the side of the road, the water on the floor, the ice in the parking lot. We do not notice that more and more sarcasm is creeping into our conversation. We do not notice the pain in our arm, the flutter in our chest. We do not notice the sad looking face of a loved one, when we are not able to give them time that they need or want.
How often we put ourselves at risk of accident because of some things we fail to notice?
Just imagine also how much more rich life could be if we did take more time to really notice life around us?
How much of life today have you already failed to notice? Did you miss the glorious sun rise, or the colors of leaves changing. Did you fail to notice your breakfast as you ate this morning? Did you notice the wonders of creation this morning: the birds singing, the wind against your face, the smells of autumn? Did you notice the greetings your loved ones gave you as you or they awoke?
Sometimes we miss the best of life simply because we fail to notice.
Of course there are reasons we miss so much. We are pre-occupied with stresses and problems at work or home, in our life or the lives of those we love. We have so much on our plates. So much to do and so little time. Our gadgets sometimes prevent us from noticing life. Our cell phones, ipods, computers, and televisions so bombard us with noise and information that we do not notice those who are sitting across the room from us. We do not notice all that we have because we are so focused on that which we do not have. Our lives are filled with so much stuff; so much food, so much drink, so much comfort, we do not notice those who go without. There are many reasons we do not notice life as we pass through it.
Our readings this weekend are about “noticing” or rather, “not noticing”.
Amos speaks against the leaders of Israel because they do not notice the plight of the poor. They lie on beds of ivory, eats lambs and calves from the flock, dress in luxury, drink from bowls, and listen to finest music, yet are not grieved by the ruin of Joseph. Because of this, because they have not noticed the misery of the poor, they will be first to go into exile. It was not for their riches, it was not their luxury that angered the Lord. Israel angered the Lord, because they did not notice the poor in their midst. For not noticing, Amos charges, they will be punished.
In the Gospel, the rich man did not notice Lazarus. He dresses in purple and fine linen. He feasts sumptuously. He does not notice Lazarus longing for the scraps from his table, or the dogs licking his sores. The rich man does not notice Lazarus until he needs him. “Abraham, send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue. Send him to my brothers. Surely they will notice him.”
The rich man does not notice the chasm between he and Lazarus. The rich man has built this chasm by not noticing Lazarus. He built the chasm with the tools of indifference.
Speaking of noticing, did you happen to notice, that the rich man does not have a name, while Lazarus does. This is a theme always present in the Gospel of Luke. In the Kingdom of God, all is reversed, all is turned upside down. The nameless ones are named and the rich and powerful are nameless. The proud are cast down, and the lowly lifted up. The hungry are filled, and the rich are sent empty away.
Notice throughout the Gospel of Luke the radical reversal of fortune that turns the values of this world upside down.
If noticing is important, how can we begin to do so?
Paul gives us some clues in his letter to Timothy. Paul urges generosity. One who is generous, notices. When you are generous with your riches, you notice those who are in need. When you are generous with your time, you notice those who need your assistance. When you have a generous heart and make space in your heart and show hospitality to the stranger, you will notice the presence of God in their life. Generosity is a gift which allows us to notice.
Prayer helps us to notice. You cannot pray the scripture without noticing the poor. You cannot pray sincerely without noticing your sin, and your brokenness. You cannot pray sincerely without noticing the love which God has for you. You cannot pray sincerely without finding hope, without discovering courage, without growing in compassion. The more we pray, the more we notice.
Our study of Philip Yancey’s book prayer and our group spiritual direction meetings are about learning to notice the presence and the actions of God in our life.
So, we give thanks for our minds that think, our eyes that see, noses that smell, tongues that taste, fingers that touch, ears that hear. May our senses help us to notice more in life. May we notice the poor, and give thanks that Christ is present in them. May we notice that poor and see in them the coming of the kingdom of God. May we notice those around us, our friends and loved ones. Those who know us so well, and love us nonetheless. May we notice ourselves, where we are broken and whole, success or failures. We notice those parts of our life that make us proud, as well as those things that cause us shame. May we notice our whole true self, and when we notice our full self, may we notice the love God has for us. May we notice creation, the colors, the smells, the sights the sounds. May we notice the food we taste, the water we drink and the air we breathe.
And, dear friends, when we notice all these blessings in our life, may we notice and give thanks. Thanks be to our God who has blessed us so extravagantly, our God who has showered us abundantly with blessings and gifts.
Monday, September 24, 2007
september 23, sermon
Well, as long as I have this blog, I might as well use it. Here is my sermon for September 23. Maybe it can spur some discussion.
Sermon for September 23
Proper 20C
Amos 8:4-7
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Luke 16:1-13
I wonder how long it has been since I went a whole day without once thinking about money. I wonder when the last time was that I went a whole 24 hours without commenting about how much something cost, or how little money I had. I wonder when was the last time I went to the mail and there was not some piece of junk advertising a sale or great deal on a credit card, or a mortgage or asking me for a donation. I wonder the last time I watched the news, and there was no reference to money, the stock market, the price of oil, state budgets, or team payrolls.
The more I wondered about the last time I went a whole day without thinking about money, the clearer it became that it has been a long long long time. Could it be that there has not been such a day in years….well, decades. Who knows maybe its been 50 years. Maybe I cannot remember a day, because maybe there has not been a day since infancy that I have not thought of money.
I wonder how long it takes each day before we hear something related to money. When I listen to the early morning news chances are better than average that money is mentioned. Check yourself this week, and see how quickly in each day, how early in each morning thoughts concerning money come into your mind.
Maybe if I began each morning in prayer instead of turning on the morning news, I could avoid thinking about money for a little bit longer. Maybe, but I doubt it. The scriptures are filled with references to and stories about money and wealth. I did a word check on “oremus“, a bible browsing website. Here is what I found. In the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (regarded by most to be the most accurate translation of the Scripture) the word “wealth” is found 127 times in the Bible, “riches”, 84 times, “silver”, 366 times, “gold” 544, “money” 186 times. Just, for a comparison, I did a word check on some other words ---“sex” is found 20 times, “adultery” 43 times, “lust” 56, “fornication” 26 times. And, when I did a word count for “homosexuality“, I found it came up zero times. I was even stunned by this. Now that does not mean of course that the concept of homosexuality is not in the scripture…there are some passages that refer to it. But, as far as the word, it is not there. It is clear to me that for the scripture; money, wealth and riches are much more central than is any thing related to sexuality.
Money and wealth are certainly central in our readings this weekend.
The prophet Amos speaks words of harsh judgment from the Lord to the people of Israel. The Lord judges Israel because they trample the needy and bring to ruin the poor. They fix the scales when it comes to selling grain, and they mix in the sweepings from the floor to sell with their wheat. They spend the Sabbath, the day dedicated to the Lord impatiently waiting for it too end so they can get back to their financial scheming. For them, the Sabbath is day of inconvenience, because it gets in the way of their profits.
The Gospel of Luke this weekend is about a wily, clever, and shrewd manager. Commentators and preachers love to debate this parable. Was the manager dishonest or incompetent? Did he steal from the owner or just mismanage the owners wealth? When he cuts the amount creditors owed in half, was he giving up the masters money or only his own commission? I have to confess that discussions of questions like these leave me a bit bored. These may be interesting debates, but I really think they miss the point.
The climax and main point of today’s Gospel is the last sentence. You cannot serve God and wealth.
I believe that this is why the scripture speaks more about money than it does about sex. Money is God’s chief rival. Money is the false god most likely to seduce us and draw us away from the Lord. And as it is with every false god money is the false god most likely to kill us. Think again of the news that fills our news broadcasts and papers. Isn’t 90 % of it about money …bank robberies, drug busts, budget battles, oil prices, foreclosures, recessions. Think of your own family and friends and the many squabbles that are over money? What percentage of marriages break up because of something related to money? How many family squabbles are about money. How much of your worry is about money??? How many nights do you like awake because of stress and anxiety related to money. When money becomes a god, it kills.
You cannot serve God and Money.
We sure are tempted to try.
Even Churches are tempted to try. We seek to be faithful in proclaiming the Gospel, but we also want to keep the doors open, and the lights on. Preachers are sometimes, tempted to preach about controversial issues in a way that might not offend the people who pay their salary. Preachers might avoid speaking on issues related to poverty, immigration, war, environmental concerns, the cars we drive, the homes we live in, the vacations we go on, our style of life so as to shield ourselves from the Gospel truth and not to offend the people who give generously to the church. Sometimes preachers compromise the Word of God out of their own financial concerns. Preachers are sometimes tempted, and ….sometimes they give in to that temptation. Sometimes so have I.
Jesus is clear. You cannot serve God and wealth.
How do we avoid being seduced by money? How can we avoid making a god of wealth.
I think the Gospel story gives us a clue.
The wily manager writes off a portion of the debts of those who owed. He used wealth to make friends, so that they would welcome him to the eternal homes.
I believe that Jesus is telling us, that the way to avoid wealth’s seduction is to give it away. When we give our money away, it loses its control over us. Now friends, I am not, I really am not trying to tell you to give the church your money so you can be free from its power over you. No, what I am wondering is not how we can give more to the Church, but, rather how we as a church can give more of our money away.
Do you know that there are churches, smaller and poorer than we who build hospitals in The Sudan , churches in Liberia, entire homes in Grand Rapids and along the Gulf Coast, schools in Central America, AIDS orphanages in Africa. They have fund raisers not to raise money for themselves, but for others. Why couldn’t we do that? Churches of all denominations are being asked to consider giving .7% of their money to achieve the millennium development goals of fighting the causes of poverty around the world. Why couldn’t we do that?
We can, of course we can, and when we do, we will be acting to loosen the death grip wealth can have on our soul.
Its been a long long time since I went a whole day without thinking about money. Years, decades, probably close to a half century in fact. My hunch is that not much will change in the remaining years of my life. I will probably stop thinking about money, when I stop thinking at all.
In the meantime, as long as I am thinking about money, I think I will pray about it also.
I pray that we in the Church may be as passionate in our discussion about money as we are about sex. I pray that preachers may have the courage to seek and speak the truth about money. I pray that we might begin to think more shrewdly about giving money away, than we do about protecting it. I pray that we may become more committed to using money with an eye not on earthly dividends that pass away, but heavenly rewards that endure eternally. I pray that we may become more clever in using wealth in ways that do not defraud or cheat the poor whom God loves. Instead may we use wealth to care for the poor, and in caring for the poor, may we give to God that glory praise and honor which God alone deserves.
Sermon for September 23
Proper 20C
Amos 8:4-7
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Luke 16:1-13
I wonder how long it has been since I went a whole day without once thinking about money. I wonder when the last time was that I went a whole 24 hours without commenting about how much something cost, or how little money I had. I wonder when was the last time I went to the mail and there was not some piece of junk advertising a sale or great deal on a credit card, or a mortgage or asking me for a donation. I wonder the last time I watched the news, and there was no reference to money, the stock market, the price of oil, state budgets, or team payrolls.
The more I wondered about the last time I went a whole day without thinking about money, the clearer it became that it has been a long long long time. Could it be that there has not been such a day in years….well, decades. Who knows maybe its been 50 years. Maybe I cannot remember a day, because maybe there has not been a day since infancy that I have not thought of money.
I wonder how long it takes each day before we hear something related to money. When I listen to the early morning news chances are better than average that money is mentioned. Check yourself this week, and see how quickly in each day, how early in each morning thoughts concerning money come into your mind.
Maybe if I began each morning in prayer instead of turning on the morning news, I could avoid thinking about money for a little bit longer. Maybe, but I doubt it. The scriptures are filled with references to and stories about money and wealth. I did a word check on “oremus“, a bible browsing website. Here is what I found. In the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (regarded by most to be the most accurate translation of the Scripture) the word “wealth” is found 127 times in the Bible, “riches”, 84 times, “silver”, 366 times, “gold” 544, “money” 186 times. Just, for a comparison, I did a word check on some other words ---“sex” is found 20 times, “adultery” 43 times, “lust” 56, “fornication” 26 times. And, when I did a word count for “homosexuality“, I found it came up zero times. I was even stunned by this. Now that does not mean of course that the concept of homosexuality is not in the scripture…there are some passages that refer to it. But, as far as the word, it is not there. It is clear to me that for the scripture; money, wealth and riches are much more central than is any thing related to sexuality.
Money and wealth are certainly central in our readings this weekend.
The prophet Amos speaks words of harsh judgment from the Lord to the people of Israel. The Lord judges Israel because they trample the needy and bring to ruin the poor. They fix the scales when it comes to selling grain, and they mix in the sweepings from the floor to sell with their wheat. They spend the Sabbath, the day dedicated to the Lord impatiently waiting for it too end so they can get back to their financial scheming. For them, the Sabbath is day of inconvenience, because it gets in the way of their profits.
The Gospel of Luke this weekend is about a wily, clever, and shrewd manager. Commentators and preachers love to debate this parable. Was the manager dishonest or incompetent? Did he steal from the owner or just mismanage the owners wealth? When he cuts the amount creditors owed in half, was he giving up the masters money or only his own commission? I have to confess that discussions of questions like these leave me a bit bored. These may be interesting debates, but I really think they miss the point.
The climax and main point of today’s Gospel is the last sentence. You cannot serve God and wealth.
I believe that this is why the scripture speaks more about money than it does about sex. Money is God’s chief rival. Money is the false god most likely to seduce us and draw us away from the Lord. And as it is with every false god money is the false god most likely to kill us. Think again of the news that fills our news broadcasts and papers. Isn’t 90 % of it about money …bank robberies, drug busts, budget battles, oil prices, foreclosures, recessions. Think of your own family and friends and the many squabbles that are over money? What percentage of marriages break up because of something related to money? How many family squabbles are about money. How much of your worry is about money??? How many nights do you like awake because of stress and anxiety related to money. When money becomes a god, it kills.
You cannot serve God and Money.
We sure are tempted to try.
Even Churches are tempted to try. We seek to be faithful in proclaiming the Gospel, but we also want to keep the doors open, and the lights on. Preachers are sometimes, tempted to preach about controversial issues in a way that might not offend the people who pay their salary. Preachers might avoid speaking on issues related to poverty, immigration, war, environmental concerns, the cars we drive, the homes we live in, the vacations we go on, our style of life so as to shield ourselves from the Gospel truth and not to offend the people who give generously to the church. Sometimes preachers compromise the Word of God out of their own financial concerns. Preachers are sometimes tempted, and ….sometimes they give in to that temptation. Sometimes so have I.
Jesus is clear. You cannot serve God and wealth.
How do we avoid being seduced by money? How can we avoid making a god of wealth.
I think the Gospel story gives us a clue.
The wily manager writes off a portion of the debts of those who owed. He used wealth to make friends, so that they would welcome him to the eternal homes.
I believe that Jesus is telling us, that the way to avoid wealth’s seduction is to give it away. When we give our money away, it loses its control over us. Now friends, I am not, I really am not trying to tell you to give the church your money so you can be free from its power over you. No, what I am wondering is not how we can give more to the Church, but, rather how we as a church can give more of our money away.
Do you know that there are churches, smaller and poorer than we who build hospitals in The Sudan , churches in Liberia, entire homes in Grand Rapids and along the Gulf Coast, schools in Central America, AIDS orphanages in Africa. They have fund raisers not to raise money for themselves, but for others. Why couldn’t we do that? Churches of all denominations are being asked to consider giving .7% of their money to achieve the millennium development goals of fighting the causes of poverty around the world. Why couldn’t we do that?
We can, of course we can, and when we do, we will be acting to loosen the death grip wealth can have on our soul.
Its been a long long time since I went a whole day without thinking about money. Years, decades, probably close to a half century in fact. My hunch is that not much will change in the remaining years of my life. I will probably stop thinking about money, when I stop thinking at all.
In the meantime, as long as I am thinking about money, I think I will pray about it also.
I pray that we in the Church may be as passionate in our discussion about money as we are about sex. I pray that preachers may have the courage to seek and speak the truth about money. I pray that we might begin to think more shrewdly about giving money away, than we do about protecting it. I pray that we may become more committed to using money with an eye not on earthly dividends that pass away, but heavenly rewards that endure eternally. I pray that we may become more clever in using wealth in ways that do not defraud or cheat the poor whom God loves. Instead may we use wealth to care for the poor, and in caring for the poor, may we give to God that glory praise and honor which God alone deserves.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Chapter 1.
Our Deepest Longing
Was there anything in Chapter 1 that surprised you?
Yancey begins the book/chapter describing an accident he had while jogging in Moscow. His injuries were not life threatening. He does however describe his “fear” of getting caught in the Russian health system. So, he went to the email, and sent out a email request for prayer.
Is this what prayer is? “We send signals from a visible world to an invisible one, in hope that Someone receives them.”
Does prayer feel like that to you? How do you know if prayer is “heard”?
Why do you pray?
What prevents you from praying?
Is prayer satisfying to you? Is it a privilege or a struggle?
What disciplines do you have for prayer?
On page 16, Yancey states: “I am convinced that human beings have an inborn desire for God”. Do you agree?
Page 17 Does it help to understand prayer as “that place where God and human beings meet”? If this is true, where are some places where you meet God?
Any comments about the chapter or these questions?
Chapter 2
A View from Above
What is the major theme of the chapter?
Isn’t it amazing how live as if it were all about us. A gaze at the stars at night, or of the vast ocean, a flash of lightening exposes for a “nanosecond what I would prefer to ignore, my own true state of fragile dependence”. What do you think Yancey means by fragile dependence? Have you ever experienced such “fragile dependence”.
Do you find rest in the grace of the world as Wendell Berry describes it?
How easy it is to lose “sight of God’s perspective”!!! How does prayer restore our vision to one that more resembles God’s?
Yancey states that modern life conspires against being still. Is this true? How?
How do you withstand this “conspiracy”?
Some of Yancey’s thought follow:
Prayer invites us to play truant, to step down from our throne and allow God to be God. Prayer is a channel that helps us remember who we are, God’s creation, and faith to imagine what we will someday be, God triumph. Prayer is the act of seeing reality from God’s point of view.
What new insights into prayer did the chapter offer you?
What more would you add? Is there anything you would like to ask prayer for?
Our Deepest Longing
Was there anything in Chapter 1 that surprised you?
Yancey begins the book/chapter describing an accident he had while jogging in Moscow. His injuries were not life threatening. He does however describe his “fear” of getting caught in the Russian health system. So, he went to the email, and sent out a email request for prayer.
Is this what prayer is? “We send signals from a visible world to an invisible one, in hope that Someone receives them.”
Does prayer feel like that to you? How do you know if prayer is “heard”?
Why do you pray?
What prevents you from praying?
Is prayer satisfying to you? Is it a privilege or a struggle?
What disciplines do you have for prayer?
On page 16, Yancey states: “I am convinced that human beings have an inborn desire for God”. Do you agree?
Page 17 Does it help to understand prayer as “that place where God and human beings meet”? If this is true, where are some places where you meet God?
Any comments about the chapter or these questions?
Chapter 2
A View from Above
What is the major theme of the chapter?
Isn’t it amazing how live as if it were all about us. A gaze at the stars at night, or of the vast ocean, a flash of lightening exposes for a “nanosecond what I would prefer to ignore, my own true state of fragile dependence”. What do you think Yancey means by fragile dependence? Have you ever experienced such “fragile dependence”.
Do you find rest in the grace of the world as Wendell Berry describes it?
How easy it is to lose “sight of God’s perspective”!!! How does prayer restore our vision to one that more resembles God’s?
Yancey states that modern life conspires against being still. Is this true? How?
How do you withstand this “conspiracy”?
Some of Yancey’s thought follow:
Prayer invites us to play truant, to step down from our throne and allow God to be God. Prayer is a channel that helps us remember who we are, God’s creation, and faith to imagine what we will someday be, God triumph. Prayer is the act of seeing reality from God’s point of view.
What new insights into prayer did the chapter offer you?
What more would you add? Is there anything you would like to ask prayer for?
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Welcome to the blog
This is first effort at creating a parish blog. If it works we will begin an "on line" study of Philip Yancey's book "Prayer". Our plan will be to study two chapters a week. We began our "face to face" study at the Church this past week. In both our Sunday and Monday sessions, we had some good discussion. We answered questions about how our prayer life has change over the years? Is there a place where you go to pray? A time of day? Are there sounds that bring you to prayer? Sights? Smells? Tastes? Feelings? Think about these, and maybe add a blog. I will add some comments later this week. Here is the cover of Yancey's book. We will discuss the first two chapters beginning the week of September 23. Join us on line or, in person on Sunday morning 9:15 or Monday evening, 7:00.
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