Join our online discussion, or come to disussion group on Yancey's book, Monday, October 15 7:00pm at the Church.
Yancey Chapter 7
Wrestling Match
Anything new from the chapter, what caught your eye? What excited you, made you wonder? Confused? What was the central insight of the chapter?
Can prayer be too polite? Is your private prayer as polite as public prayer.
Have you ever experienced public prayer that made you uncomfortable? Why do we prefer polite prayer?
Often, the expectation is that I as priest will help calm a situation. Is that helpful or should I let emotions be expressed honestly even if they are not “polite”?
As a leader of public prayer, it is much easier to control polite prayer.
I was struck by the insight that with Abraham, God did not put an end to the bargaining for mercy at Sodom but Abraham.
What do the prayers of Abraham, Moses and Jacob teach us?
“Wrestling feels a lot like making love”.
Is our prayer too indifferent? Am I too indifferent to the injustice in the world? Should I call God to task more?
Chapter 8
Partnership
Anything new from the chapter, what caught your eye? What excited you, made you wonder? Confused? What was the central insight of the chapter?
Yancey begins the chapter with the quote: ”History is the story of God giving away power.” What do you think he means?
God is reluctant intervener in history. The kingdom advances now through grace and freedom. What responsibility then do we have?
Prayer is cooperation with God, a consent that opens the way for grace to work. Is this a new insight for you. Does my prayer open me to do God’s will, is it a way of making myself available to do the work of God? What does this say about the importance of our life?
He mentions three stages of prayer.
1. Childlike request.
2. Meditation
3. Submission
Any reaction to these?
“Be slow to pray” cautions Eugene Peterson, p. 109. Why?
God relies on human partners to advance the process of creation.
Does the image of prayer as partnership change your way of praying, your expectation of prayer?
What is the result of prayer, if it deepens the partnership?
If we are God’s partners, in creation, what does that mean for our life?
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3 comments:
I don't want to wrestle these days; it takes energy I don't have. I don't even want to read about wrestling.
It is enough to sit quietly in God's Presence and whisper, "You know me, you know all about me. Help me find your path."
I like the reminder on page 112 that "the spirit intercedes for tje saints in accordance with God's will. " I don't have to thrash about. I only need to groan. There is nothing wrong with God's hearing.
sometimes the wrestling with God is the wrestling with life issues that we are involved with....In Genesis ,the stranger Jacob is wrestling with does not have a name.......perhaps we can attach any name we want to it...the names of issues that arise from our life.
I find it is interesting that Jacob's story from Genesis and the Parable of the Persistent Widow are the texts for October 21. Maybe one of those "God-incidents."
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