We come to the practice of prayer with many needs and hopes. They’re jumbled, often contradictory, a strange mix of the altruistic and selfish. Mostly they’re about what we would like to see God do. Occasionally, though, some of our desires transcend such limits and celebrate God. If we try to list all our desires, we may well start to wonder if God really wants to deal with such a mess! Go and read some of the Psalms. Don’t skim them. Read them slowly. It’s best if you read them aloud. You’ll find the ancient people of God brought quite a variety of needs, feelings, and hopes to God. Apparently, God could handle it. He still can. Truth to tell, we start from where we are when we begin the practice of prayer. Make no mistake, though: over time the practice of prayer changes us. We find ourselves praying not so much for God to make things happen “out there,” as for God to shape us into his kind of people. St. Francis of Assisi provides the model of such prayer.When I find myself pulled in multiple directions by the demands of family, work and others, I pray the prayer attributed to Francis. It centers me. Why not try it for yourself. The prayer goes as follows. Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood , as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Mike Smith
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
I shared some about my Labyrinth experience in the service. Between
the prayer emphasis at church and my seminary classes, I have been
given the opportunity to learn about and participate in many types of
prayer during this season of Lent. I still struggle though with the
same issue... RUSHING.
I will try to focus on praying and have a plan set in mind, but
then when I start to pray, I feel like I need to rush to get to the
next task. I try to make prayer fit into the same pattern that
everything else in my days fits into. For example, as I'm writing
this, I am having to use considerable effort not to rush through to
the next item on my to-do list.
This is what the Labyrinth experience did for me. It gave me a
sacred span of time in which I could focus on prayer. Walking to the
rhythm of my breath was getting me nowhere fast!! So, I took the time
to focus on what I was saying to God and open myself to hearing what
God was saying to me.
One of my professors this semester begins every section of the
class with 5 minutes of silence. And when she says silence, she means
no movement, reading, writing... nothing other than prayer and
contemplation. No, taking a quick nap doesn't count either. Talk
about uncomfortable! The first time she did it, I thought it would
NEVER end. Then, I started being creative and placing something to
read in a place that it was easily seen. Then I could cheat and read.
The last few times, I have really tried not to cheat. I still think 5
minutes may be stretching it for me, but it really does have a calming
effect on me to take a pause to focus on God and open myself to
listening.
Reflecting on this in order to share with you really made me think
that I may need to do these activities more often. I will look forward
to the series on prayer that Phil will be leading in April. Maybe I
will find a way to add a little SLOW into my prayer life.
The handout of the Labyrinth is available on the Files tab to your
right. I encourage you to try the Labyrinth. It is available in the
weight room until Easter. If you can't make it to Labyrinth, maybe you
can try silence. Share your experiences with all of us in the group.
the prayer emphasis at church and my seminary classes, I have been
given the opportunity to learn about and participate in many types of
prayer during this season of Lent. I still struggle though with the
same issue... RUSHING.
I will try to focus on praying and have a plan set in mind, but
then when I start to pray, I feel like I need to rush to get to the
next task. I try to make prayer fit into the same pattern that
everything else in my days fits into. For example, as I'm writing
this, I am having to use considerable effort not to rush through to
the next item on my to-do list.
This is what the Labyrinth experience did for me. It gave me a
sacred span of time in which I could focus on prayer. Walking to the
rhythm of my breath was getting me nowhere fast!! So, I took the time
to focus on what I was saying to God and open myself to hearing what
God was saying to me.
One of my professors this semester begins every section of the
class with 5 minutes of silence. And when she says silence, she means
no movement, reading, writing... nothing other than prayer and
contemplation. No, taking a quick nap doesn't count either. Talk
about uncomfortable! The first time she did it, I thought it would
NEVER end. Then, I started being creative and placing something to
read in a place that it was easily seen. Then I could cheat and read.
The last few times, I have really tried not to cheat. I still think 5
minutes may be stretching it for me, but it really does have a calming
effect on me to take a pause to focus on God and open myself to
listening.
Reflecting on this in order to share with you really made me think
that I may need to do these activities more often. I will look forward
to the series on prayer that Phil will be leading in April. Maybe I
will find a way to add a little SLOW into my prayer life.
The handout of the Labyrinth is available on the Files tab to your
right. I encourage you to try the Labyrinth. It is available in the
weight room until Easter. If you can't make it to Labyrinth, maybe you
can try silence. Share your experiences with all of us in the group.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Breath Prayer
As we move forward with our time of prayer emphasis, I wanted to present you a method that I have used to help me with prayer. I think that sometimes we get caught in thinking that we have to take a lot of time to pray and that turns us off or makes it hard for us. While God wants to be in communion with us, He also wants us to talk to Him often, but we think that with our busy lives that it is hard to take time out of our day to pray and especially pray for a long period of time.
Once of the things that I do to help me with prayer is what is called a breath prayer. It is a simple one sentence prayer that I can use through out the day to draw close to God. Breath has always been symbolic with the Holy Spirit so I think about how when I am doing my breath prayer that I am inviting the Holy Spirit to work inside of me.
You start off my thinking of the name of God that you want to use. It could be God, Father, Creator, Comforter, Healer, Sustainer, Holy, Jesus, Christ, or whatever makes you feel comfortable and draws you close to God. Then ask God what you need (Be honest. But be real.). Maybe you need rest, healing, comfort, direction, or something else. Then put the two together. Christ, give me wisdom today. Creator, please comfort me. Father, please draw me close to you. Sustainer, give me what I need for today. You get the picture. If you start it, you will find that it will come in handle during the day and will change the way that you look at things.
Maybe when you get stopped at that red light you call out to God with your breath prayer. When someone says something unpleasant to you or someone cuts you off in traffic, you use your breath prayer. Maybe you just need a little recharge, use your breath prayer. It will shape you and transform you if you give it a chance. It has for me and I hope you will let it do the same for you.
Jim Whitaker
To respond to this blog go to the Connections Google Group where I have started a conversation called Prayer Emphasis and join in the discussion.
Once of the things that I do to help me with prayer is what is called a breath prayer. It is a simple one sentence prayer that I can use through out the day to draw close to God. Breath has always been symbolic with the Holy Spirit so I think about how when I am doing my breath prayer that I am inviting the Holy Spirit to work inside of me.
You start off my thinking of the name of God that you want to use. It could be God, Father, Creator, Comforter, Healer, Sustainer, Holy, Jesus, Christ, or whatever makes you feel comfortable and draws you close to God. Then ask God what you need (Be honest. But be real.). Maybe you need rest, healing, comfort, direction, or something else. Then put the two together. Christ, give me wisdom today. Creator, please comfort me. Father, please draw me close to you. Sustainer, give me what I need for today. You get the picture. If you start it, you will find that it will come in handle during the day and will change the way that you look at things.
Maybe when you get stopped at that red light you call out to God with your breath prayer. When someone says something unpleasant to you or someone cuts you off in traffic, you use your breath prayer. Maybe you just need a little recharge, use your breath prayer. It will shape you and transform you if you give it a chance. It has for me and I hope you will let it do the same for you.
Jim Whitaker
To respond to this blog go to the Connections Google Group where I have started a conversation called Prayer Emphasis and join in the discussion.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Lenten Prayer Emphasis
This week marks the beginning of a special focus on prayer in our church. Our worship services in March will be highlighting different aspects of prayer in a variety of ways. Many of our Sundays School classes will be studying prayer. Our library has some prayer resources on display. Prayer will also be emphasized in several ways on Wednesday evenings, and prayer resources will be on our church website. Beginning March 8 we will even have “prayer walls” throughout the church where people can post their “prayers of the heart.”
This prayer emphasis was first launched by our Christian Formation Ministry Team. They believed that Lent (the period of 40 days leading up to Easter) was a good time to challenge our church to focus on our inner spiritual lives. They also believed that prayer was essential to our health as Christians and as a church. It has been fun to watch the emphasis take on a life of its own as different people and groups have gotten on board!
I’m not sure what the result of all this prayer emphasis will be. The hope of the team that launched it was that it would encourage people to draw closer in their own relationship to God. I certainly share that hope and am praying to that end. An enjoyable side benefit in the planning, however, has been that it has caused people to share more about their own prayer lives. I’ve had conversations I wouldn’t have normally had, and have learned about fellow church members’ joys and struggles in prayer.
One question I like to ask folks is “What has helped you the most in your own prayer life?” For me it was learning that God loved me unconditionally. Prayer was an effort when I pictured God as a judge wanting to criticize me. It has become a real strength in my life since I discovered he was more like a loving parent wanting me to come to him.
What might help you most in your own prayer life? Answers will vary from person to person. Perhaps your greatest immediate need is to discover and deal with whatever inhibits your prayer life. Maybe you’re accomplished at intercessory prayer but need to strengthen other elements, such as praise or confession or listening for God’s guidance. Some of us need a prayer partner - someone to pray for and with us. Others of us need to cultivate the discipline of private prayer.
What might help you most in your own prayer life? My prayer is that you find the best answer for you in the course of our prayer emphasis.
Phil Potratz
To respond to this blog go to the Connections Google Group where I have started a conversation called Prayer Emphasis and join in the discussion.
This prayer emphasis was first launched by our Christian Formation Ministry Team. They believed that Lent (the period of 40 days leading up to Easter) was a good time to challenge our church to focus on our inner spiritual lives. They also believed that prayer was essential to our health as Christians and as a church. It has been fun to watch the emphasis take on a life of its own as different people and groups have gotten on board!
I’m not sure what the result of all this prayer emphasis will be. The hope of the team that launched it was that it would encourage people to draw closer in their own relationship to God. I certainly share that hope and am praying to that end. An enjoyable side benefit in the planning, however, has been that it has caused people to share more about their own prayer lives. I’ve had conversations I wouldn’t have normally had, and have learned about fellow church members’ joys and struggles in prayer.
One question I like to ask folks is “What has helped you the most in your own prayer life?” For me it was learning that God loved me unconditionally. Prayer was an effort when I pictured God as a judge wanting to criticize me. It has become a real strength in my life since I discovered he was more like a loving parent wanting me to come to him.
What might help you most in your own prayer life? Answers will vary from person to person. Perhaps your greatest immediate need is to discover and deal with whatever inhibits your prayer life. Maybe you’re accomplished at intercessory prayer but need to strengthen other elements, such as praise or confession or listening for God’s guidance. Some of us need a prayer partner - someone to pray for and with us. Others of us need to cultivate the discipline of private prayer.
What might help you most in your own prayer life? My prayer is that you find the best answer for you in the course of our prayer emphasis.
Phil Potratz
To respond to this blog go to the Connections Google Group where I have started a conversation called Prayer Emphasis and join in the discussion.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
We want to see You in Pictures!
Recently, we started showing a photo-slideshow before the Connections Worship Service. We desire for it to reflect the many people who are involved with Connections and with First Baptist.
We need your help.
In order to show a wide variety of activities and people, we need a lot of pictures. That's where you come in. If you have any pictures that you would be willing to share with everyone, get them to us and we will use them.
If you have them digitally, that's great. Just put them on a cd and give them to any member of the Connect Team.
If you are like me.. (still holding on to film for personal photography) then bring either prints or negatives in an envelope with your name on it and I will scan them into the computer and make sure that you get your prints or negatives back safely.
Either way, please let us know some details of the images (what's going on... events, etc.)
If you have any questions, please leave a comment or head over to the Connections Google Group where I have started a conversation called Connections Photos and join in the discussion. You're more than welcome.
God Bless.
Thomas
We need your help.
In order to show a wide variety of activities and people, we need a lot of pictures. That's where you come in. If you have any pictures that you would be willing to share with everyone, get them to us and we will use them.
If you have them digitally, that's great. Just put them on a cd and give them to any member of the Connect Team.
If you are like me.. (still holding on to film for personal photography) then bring either prints or negatives in an envelope with your name on it and I will scan them into the computer and make sure that you get your prints or negatives back safely.
Either way, please let us know some details of the images (what's going on... events, etc.)
If you have any questions, please leave a comment or head over to the Connections Google Group where I have started a conversation called Connections Photos and join in the discussion. You're more than welcome.
God Bless.
Thomas
Monday, October 13, 2008
Communion Service
This is a reminder that we will be having a Communion service on Sunday October 19, 2008 in the Christian Life Center (gym). Please join us and then stay for lunch as we break bread with the Lord and then with each other.
Monday, September 1, 2008
How Does Our Worship Music Measure Up
In our Connections worship at First Baptist, we hope the music we share helps us focus our attention on who God is in our lives and how much we need him. In addition to modern worship songs, we include classic hymns as a way to connect with the strong traditions found in worshiping communities all over the world. An article by Matt Odmark (Jars of Clay band member) in CCM Magazine brings perspective to the use of hymns in modern Christian music.
Excerpt from May 2005 "Hymns" issue of CCM magazine:
" " One reason I feel really connected to hymns is that I feel hymns are written for people, basically good people, that need a way to express how much they love God. That's me, people who have limped into church, knowing they really don't deserve much from God. Hymns are written to those kind of people."
It is this phrase "basically good people" that I have found myself wrestling with. You see, I have found that hymns are a particular grace to people who don't feel all that "good." Instead, they meet us in that crucial moment when we first enter church and are reminded we have not been who we had hoped to be throughout the week. "I was not near as faithful, patient, kind, or compassionate as I wanted to be and knew that I should have been." The best hymns confront this need head on, and not only express how great our need is, but what a great Savior we have for our need.
We are at a crucial moment in western church history, and we need more art and music that meets us in this way. Most of our modern "Christian" music assumes too much. We are anything but a group of "basically good people" who just need a new and interesting way to express how great we think God is. We are broken and rebellious people who most often can't hear or see God, much less want to be changed by Him.
Shouldn't the art whose primary purpose is to draw us into worship start here? In fact, if we really begin to unpack much of what Jesus said in his parables and preaching, isn't it this feeling of basic "goodness" that is most often the primary barrier to true spirituality? As American Christians, this should profoundly trouble us and reveal that we must cling to the mercy of God perhaps more than other Christ-followers in the world.
Hidden in this truth is a clue as to why I feel the church right now is hungry for hymns. There is a unique and transcendent beauty in a worship that has its roots connected to the ongoing and ever present work of Christ in the world, yet gives us wings to envision a future even more perfectly shaped into the kingdom that Jesus himself promised would come. When our churches can begin to sow this reality into our hearts, whether it is through teaching, preaching, painting, or song, then it is my belief that we will all taste afresh the freedom that truly makes us free. "
Excerpt from May 2005 "Hymns" issue of CCM magazine:
" " One reason I feel really connected to hymns is that I feel hymns are written for people, basically good people, that need a way to express how much they love God. That's me, people who have limped into church, knowing they really don't deserve much from God. Hymns are written to those kind of people."
It is this phrase "basically good people" that I have found myself wrestling with. You see, I have found that hymns are a particular grace to people who don't feel all that "good." Instead, they meet us in that crucial moment when we first enter church and are reminded we have not been who we had hoped to be throughout the week. "I was not near as faithful, patient, kind, or compassionate as I wanted to be and knew that I should have been." The best hymns confront this need head on, and not only express how great our need is, but what a great Savior we have for our need.
We are at a crucial moment in western church history, and we need more art and music that meets us in this way. Most of our modern "Christian" music assumes too much. We are anything but a group of "basically good people" who just need a new and interesting way to express how great we think God is. We are broken and rebellious people who most often can't hear or see God, much less want to be changed by Him.
Shouldn't the art whose primary purpose is to draw us into worship start here? In fact, if we really begin to unpack much of what Jesus said in his parables and preaching, isn't it this feeling of basic "goodness" that is most often the primary barrier to true spirituality? As American Christians, this should profoundly trouble us and reveal that we must cling to the mercy of God perhaps more than other Christ-followers in the world.
Hidden in this truth is a clue as to why I feel the church right now is hungry for hymns. There is a unique and transcendent beauty in a worship that has its roots connected to the ongoing and ever present work of Christ in the world, yet gives us wings to envision a future even more perfectly shaped into the kingdom that Jesus himself promised would come. When our churches can begin to sow this reality into our hearts, whether it is through teaching, preaching, painting, or song, then it is my belief that we will all taste afresh the freedom that truly makes us free. "
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