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?
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1 comment:
Helpless. I could not breathe if God did not give me air, but I take it in with every breath. I don't deserve it; it is simply there, filling my lungs.
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