Morning Prayer by Brain Spahr

My friend Pastor Brian Spahr who blogs at Thinking out Loud posted this on his blog today. I wanted to share it with my friends. Fixed Hour Prayer (also known as The Daily Office) is a long standing tradition in Christianity and has its roots in Judaism. I have been on a similar journey for the past several years using fixed hour rhythm of prayer to focus my heart on the Lord through out the day.

Morning Prayer by Brian Spahr

Yesterday I shared that I am seeking to become not just a person who prays... but rather a person of prayer. One of the ways I am pursuing this has been through "fixed hour prayer" (morning and evening... although at this point I'm much better at te morning) using a "breviary" or prayer book as my guide. This may sound a little strange to some, but I am finding that for me it has been having a profound impact on my prayer life. Currently I am using a celtic prayer book called "Sounds of the Eternal" as my guide. There is a simple service of prayer for morning and night that includes brief scripture readings (although I generally go off on my own here... reading more that the few verses they have included), prayers of thanks, prayers for other people, etc. There's also space within the "form" for silence and my own words as well. I've never been too sure about praying prayers that someone else wrote with no knowledge of me or the context in which I live, but I think one of the things that I'm discovering is that prayer is more than just my words. It is more than just a conversation between me and God. Prayer is a conversation between God and the community of God's people. As always, yes, God is interested in me and what I have to say, but quite frankly there are times when I don't know what to say... when I don't know what to pray. This is where I am finding that praying these prayers is changing me. This morning is the perfect example. In a few hours, along with a team from our church community, I will be delivering groceries to families in a low income neighborhood in our area. As I was praying this morning I found my thoughts to be all over the place. My times of silence were being invaded by thoughts of my to-do list and other distractions. I was frustrated by my lack of focus, but instead of trying to force things any further I decided to move forward to the closing prayer for the morning in my book. Here's what it said:

In the many details of this day
let me be fully alive.
In the handling of food
and the sharing of drink
in the preparing of work
and the uttering of words,
in the meeting of friends
and the interminglings of relationship
let me be fully alive to each instant, O God,
let me be fully alive.

Those were not words that I could have come up with on my own this morning, but they spoke when I could not. This is the prayer I was longing to pray this morning, but could not find the focus or the words to pray on my own. We often pray that the Spirit will intercede for us when we have no words... when our groans are too deep for words to express (that's right from the Bible BTW). Maybe one of the ways the Spirit intercedes is by giving us words shared with the community of God's people across oceans and time and all that is in between through simple words on a page.

The Last 24: Gethsemane to the Grave ... Station 1

1. Jesus in the Garden of Gethesemane

(Mark 14:32-42)

((Directions for use

* Indicates a change of reader.

Bold indicates said together.

Bold Italic indicates said one after another.))

* Lord, you brought along your

closest friends to a place of prayer …

"My soul

is overwhelmed

with sorrow

to the point of death,"

"Stay here.

Keep watch."

* In agony

Before the One who sent you,

Your life,

Your source,

Your only help,

Your father,

and ours.

"Abba, Father,

everything is possible for you.

Take this cup from me.

Yet not what I will,

but what you will."

* We know not fully your agony.

Knowing the father’s love,

Knowing his power,

Knowing that everything is possible,

Yet even as you say “not my will,”

In the silence …

((Long pause, for silent prayer))

* In all that we have experienced

Few have sweat great tears of blood.

Yet, at times, we have sensed

Messengers of heaven strengthening.

They strengthen you now

For this lonely way

Of our salvation.

”Simon, are you asleep?

Could you not keep watch for one hour?

Watch and pray

so that you will not

fall into temptation.

The spirit is willing,

but the body is weak."

* We like Simon are

But shifting sand.

We desire to be strong

But we are weak.

We desire to be alert

But we slumber.

* Awaken us

To the pain around us.

Awaken us

To the call of angels.

Awaken us

With strength to answer

When you call.

((After a pause for silent prayer. Then one by one pray.))

Your will be done.

* Rise we must.

* Wake us from our slumber.

* Call us to action.

* The hour has come.

Prayer Trail - The Last 24: Gethsemane to the Grave

Common Heart has created a prayer garden and trail at The Commonplace. When folks are on mission together they need a quiet place to recharge and renew. That is why this space exists. It can be used for private prayer anytime and other times groups will be invited to come together. For this season of Easter we have posted 14 pieces of art and wrote 14 meditative prayers along the trail. If you would like to join us on Good Friday a group of us will pray together at 6pm. But feel free to come anytime after 3pm and walk the trail on your own.

Details:

Friday, April 2, 2010
6:00pm - 7:30pm

Location: The Commonplace
225 Garmon Rd
Indian Trail, NC

You are invited to come and experience with us a time of prayer and meditation based around the events of the last 24 hours of Christ's life this Good Friday (April 2). We will gather at the cross and then walk a wooded trail guided by a series of pictures, meditations and prayers.

The Scriptural Way of the Cross is the focus of this first trail ...

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane,
Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested,
Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin,
Jesus is denied by Peter,
Jesus is judged by Pilate,
Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns,
Jesus takes up His cross,
Jesus is helped by Simon to carry His cross,
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem,
Jesus is crucified,
Jesus promises His kingdom to the repentant thief,
Jesus entrusts Mary and John to each other,
Jesus dies on the cross,
Jesus is laid in the tomb

On Easter Sunday at 7:05 am you are invited also to a sunrise gathering of brothers and sisters on mission together celebrating the Lord's resurrection.

Prayer of St. Patrick

As I arise today,
may the strength of God pilot me,
the power of God uphold me,
the wisdom of God guide me.
May the eye of God look before me,
the ear of God hear me,
the word of God speak for me.
May the hand of God protect me,
the way of God lie before me,
the shield of God defend me,
the host of God save me.
May Christ shield me today.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,
Christ when I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Amen

Confession for Lent

Thanks to Chaplain Mike writing at internetmonk.com for sharing this. I attended Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church on Ash Wednesday. They used this form of confession from The Book of Common Prayer (or one nearly identical). It served my soul well and I will be using it regularly during my way through Lent this year. Thought I would share it here in case there are other pilgrims seeking a means of repentance this season.

Litany of Penitence

Most holy and merciful Father:
We confess to you and to one another,
and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth,
that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed;
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and
 strength.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We 
have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
Have mercy on us, Lord.

We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us.
We have not been true to the mind of Christ.
We have grieved
your Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on us, Lord.

We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness:
the 
pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our self-indulgent appetites and ways,
and our exploitation of other people,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our anger at our own frustration,
and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts,
and 
our dishonesty in daily life and work,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our negligence in prayer and worship,
and our failure to
commend the faith that is in us,
We confess to you, Lord.

Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done:
for our blindness to human need and suffering,
and our 
indifference to injustice and cruelty,
Accept our repentance, Lord.

For all false judgments,
for uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors,
and for our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us,
Accept our repentance, Lord.

For our waste and pollution of your creation,
and our lack of
 concern for those who come after us,
Accept our repentance, Lord.

Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us;
Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.

Accomplish in us the work of your salvation,
That we may show forth your glory in the world.

By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord,
Bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.

Way of the Cross

Last year on Good Friday was the first time I meditated on "The Stations of the Cross." It was at St Michael's Anglican Church in Charlotte. My mom, Bene' (my son) and I went and it was a good experience. They also had outdoor "Stations" set up so I went on my own on a couple other occasions last year. When I prayed those outdoor stations I used a less traditional form I found in Celtic Daily Prayer. I really found it to be a sobering and encouraging spiritual experience.

I have always wanted to weave spiritual formation opportunities in with the missional activities we promote through Common Heart. Last month we began planning and working on a prayer garden and prayer trail at The Commonplace. The first theme for the wooded trail is a "Scriptural Way of the Cross".

Several people have volunteered create artwork to focus our attention on 14 separate events startin with Gethsemane and ending with Jesus' burial. I have begun to work on the meditations for the trail. These meditations will be put together in a booklet and can be done as a private meditation or in a group. We would love to have others involved in these creative aspects of the project. There are also opportunities to help reclaim the space for the prayer garden and prepare the trail. If you would like to help in any way contact me.

As we get closer to Palm Sunday and Passion Week on March 28th, watch for a post with times to join in and walk the trail with us.

Abba Zeno said,

"If you want God to hear your prayer quickly, before you pray for anything else, even your own soul, when you stretch out your hands toward God pray with all your heart for your enemies. When you do this God will respect all that you ask."

By Way of the Desert, compiled and modernized by Bernard Bangley

Hear the voice of our pleading

Creation groaning,

hearts cry out,

pain, cares, woes,

sobbing, wailing,

hopeless, helpless,

looking ...

waiting ...

Silence.

The earth waits,

I wait.

Waiting no longer,

I act.

You've answered.

I wrote this poem in response to a time of meditation during a prayer event that my friend Steven Burleson held at Hope Church. We were combining art and an ancient Bible meditative practice known as Lectio Divina. As I was meditating on the word "voice of my pleading" my heart was drawn to the pain of the world. When we look around it seems as if God is not answering the voice of our pleading. Silence seems, too often, to be the response. We say that God answers our prayers, but sometime the answer is no or wait. Sometimes his answer is silence. Maybe when we cannot stand the silence any longer we will hear his simple call to act. could we be God's answer to our pleadings?

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8:19

So Little Time for Prayer

The past two days the reading in the Celtic Daily Prayer have included thoughts on prayer from Horatius Bonar, a 19th century minister of the Church of Scotland.  I found this to be challenging and encouraging to me as I seek to renew my rhythm of prayer in this year.  It both corrects my heart and holds out a promise.  

"Why is there so little concern to get time to pray? Why is there so much speaking, yet so little prayer? Why is there so much running to and fro, yet so little prayer? Why so much bustle and business, yet so little prayer? Why so many meetings with our fellow men, yet so few meetings with God? Why so little being alone, so little thirsting of the soul for the calm, sweet hours of unbroken solitude, when God and His child hold fellowship together as if they could never part? It is the lack of these solitary hours that not only injures our own growth in grace, but makes us such unprofitable members of the church of Christ, and that renders our lives useless. In order to grow in grace, we must be much alone with God. It is not in society, even Christian society that the soul grows most rapidly and vigorously. In one single quiet hour of prayer it will often make more progress than in whole days of company with others. It is in the 'desert' that the dew falls freshest and the air is purest. So with the soul. It is when none but God is near; when His presence alone, like the desert air in which there is mingled no noxious breath of man, surrounds and pervades the soul; it is then that the eye gets the clearest, simplest view of eternal certainties; it is then that the soul gathers in wondrous refreshment and power and energy."  Quoted from "Ministerial Confessions"

The Missio Dei Breviary

I recently came upon this online guide to morning and evening prayer put out by an intentional Christian community in Mineapolis, Missio Dei. I like it for its simplicity and for its focus inward on our heart, as well as outward toward the world. Being thouroughly based in scripture and drawing from a variety of Christian traditions, it seems to anchor my heart in the steadfast faithfulness of God while awakening my heart to grater faithfulness in living as a follower of Jesus today. Check it out .... thebreviary.com

How do you not forget? - Part 4

This is the last part in my series of posts stemming from an email from a friend asking me, "How do you keep talking to God throughout the day? I mean, how do you not forget?" My first two principles had to do with how I approach my life. It is key to realize that my life is hidden with God in Christ and that in him I live and move and have my being. These form a foundation so that I can build the spiritual practices I enumerated in parts 2 & 3. But now the principle I want to briefly talk about here in part 4 deals with time.

One of the distinctives of our modern existence is that we no longer have "any time" for truly important things. Our lives are busy. Quite frankly, we are to busy caught up in so many things. My life is full. I commute 2 hours a day. I am at work 9 hours. I personally answer all calls to Common Heart and respond to emails. Most Saturday mornings I help out at the cupboard, deliver groceries, or lead outreaches. I have friends I visit, write, call, try to stay in contact with. I have two active boys that I endeavor to love, spend time with and bring up in the Lord. I love my wife and spend time with her talking about the day, our plans, our life together, I volunteer at church. Yet, I still daily and regularly spend time with Jesus. One key is my daily rhythm I shared in part 2, but the main thing I do is I endeavor to "redeem my time".

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:15-17

Time belongs to God. He is the Lord of time, the Lord of my time. This includes time I spend waiting on line. The time I spend walking back to the shop to check on a project at work are included as well. It includes each moment I use up muttering impatiently as I wait at a stop light. It includes time spent on cleaning, grooming, and necessities. I have found that I can redeem those mundane moments by, as the NIV translates Eph 5:16 ,"making the most of every opportunity".

For instance, I have been known to read my Bible while I wait on hold on making a phone call to a prospective customer. I actually once meditated on Psalm 23 while having a cavity filled. It sheds new light on "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" as the dentist drills out a cavity.

These verses are about much more than just redeeming moments to pray or meditate on scripture. It is about living our lives fully for the Lord. Allowing his purposes to fill all that we do, causing all our moments to bring glory to God. There is an old hymn I love by Frances R. Ha­ver­gal that expresses this fuller thought.

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

(Read the lyrics and hear the original melody at cyberhymnal.org)

Now I hope you have not gotten the idea that I am perfect at any of this. I am truly no expert in the answer to the original question my friend asks, "How do you keep talking to God throughout the day? I mean, how do you not forget?" These are just a few things I do. How do you keep talking to God through out the day? How do you motivate your thoughts heavenward?

How do you not forget? - Part 3

The question was ... "How do you keep talking to God throughout the day? I mean, how do you not forget?" When my friend first asked me that in an email, my email response just poured out in a form of a list. In parts 1 & 2 I looked at the two foundational principles that make up my mind set as well as my daily rhythm of prayer. With parts 1 and 2 covering the first 3 on my list I am now on number 4.

4. I pray in the Spirit often through out my day. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:15" I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also." The Spirit making intercession through the prayer language he has given me is just a part of who I am in the Lord. My experience is that it releases me to just trust him more. As Jude encourages, "Building yourself up in your most holy faith, praying in the Spirit." (Jude 20)

5. When I find myself in need I look to heaven in my heart. (Psalm 121:1-3) It usually takes the verbal expression of "Help me Lord". It often comes when I can't find something. Or if I am running late. In these kinds of mundane situations, but it also comes when I am at the end of my rope and I just don't understand what God is doing.

6. When something good happens I thank God. I just say "Thank you." I have not yet achieved the admonition of Paul in 1 Thesalonians 5:18 - "In everything give thanks ..." I am working on it!

7. I try to stay away from being religious, and I walk with God and talk with him as my true friend. This means that I carry on conversations with him as I go about my day. I just talk to him about anything. Micah 6:8 tells me that to walk humbly with God is one of the 3 biggies that God requires along with doing justice and loving mercy.

8. I verbally remind myself to trust in God, to not trust in my self or my strength. (Psalm 28:6-8) I might say something like, "Keith, you can trust God in this." Sometimes I remind myself to praise God, or to thank him. Others may not be around to encourage me not to forget, so I have to remind myself sometimes.

9. I confess my faults, but don't let them get me down. I am depending on Christ's perfection not mine. (1 John 1:6-10) The key really is that I can't let them get me down. A friend of mime, Doug Roberts, says it pretty clearly, "That is not who I am, that is just the dumb thing I did."

10. I meditate on scripture. (Psalm 1:1-3) I used to memorize scripture a lot. (Psalm 119:11) So now I have a number of scriptures that are brought to my mind. I also meditate on the daily readings I do as part of my rhythm in part 2. Meditation in its simplest form is just thinking deeply about scripture. Applying it to your daily life. Allowing it to question you and responding in prayer to God about it. One resource I have used recently, is a podcast called "Pray as You go". It is available at iTunes and is also available as an mp3 download at http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/. It is a daily 10 minute guided meditation. I like to use them as I commute.

I have one more item on my list. But that is for another day.

How do you not forget? - Part 2

This is the second part of an answer to a question a friend asked me - "How do you keep talking to God throughout the day? I mean, how do you not forget?" My last post on this topic could be called my outlook on life. My (undivided) life is "hidden with Christ in God" and "in him I live and move and have my being". This seems to set my heart to realize that God is at work all around me and in me, and if I seek to see my life and my world this way, how can I not "not forget".

But this post and the ones following are in the realm of practice. What do I do?

I used to have a "daily quiet time". You know what I mean, don't you. Set apart an hour with God a day, at the same time every day. Pray and read your Bible. This works for many people, I suppose. It did for me at a certain time in my life. But I don't do that any more. For me it seemed to condense God to just an hour of my day.

Instead I have come to practice what may be called a daily rhythm of prayer. What I mean is that I pray daily at the specific times throughout the day, following the pattern of the Hebrew prophet Daniel (Daniel 6:10). For me this rhythm generally follows the pattern of my commute to and from work and lunch. Also I often pray before I go to bed. I use a form known as the daily office. I generally use a Celtic Christian liturgy posted on this site ... NorthumbriaCommunity.org. (You can find a link posted to the right under my profile.) Although I have memorized the psalms and prayers that make up the “liturgy” of this daily office, I mix it up with spontaneous non-written prayer. Also I employ periods of silence, meditation and singing as well. There are daily bible passages that are scheduled to be read, and I generally pull them up on my computer at work and read and meditate on them by “stealing a moment” while waiting on hold or between customers or at other times.

This practice or using a rhythm of prayer according to the cycles of my day, has helped to transform my days and my moments from just hurriedly moving to my next destination or chore, to realizing God is present in all the times, seasons, cycles and patterns of my days. It helps me to move from mere mundane to recognition of Emanuel, God With Us.

Am I perfect at this? No. After 18 months do I still struggle at times to implement it? Yes. Do I always sense God's presence in it? No. Do I sometimes miss a beat in this rhythm? You bet ya. But I have found that by having my prayer follow the patterns of the ebbs and flows of my day, it makes it easier to get back on track and in tune with God, when I skip a beat. I also find that this rhythm helps me to keep Jesus in the center of the simple patterns of my day, and so I look to him through out the day.