Faith stuff, church stuff, and life stuff in the heart of the city.
31 October 2005
Thesis #62
A little Reformation special for my Lutheran friends...
"The true treasure of the Church is the holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God."
Way to go, Father Martin. Reformandi continuo.
2 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I don't really want to dwell on the previous discussion, but I was pondering this question before I read your response to my previous comment. How should I pray? I feel as though I am simply giving God a laundry list of concerns and nothing more. My prayer life is becomming more and more lifeless. Where do I begin?
Have you ever tried "centering prayer?" For lots of folks, it sounds kind of goofy...but for a great many others, it becomes a helpful tool for getting out of our own way and opening up to God. There are lots of ways to employ this technique, but the easiest is usually to find a quiet place where you can light a candle to use as a visual focus. Take some deep breaths and try to clear out the anxieties of your mind either with relaxing music or a simple, spoken chant. I particularly like the words the writers put in Martin Luther's mouth from the recent "Luther" movie: "Father, I am yours. Save me."
Laundry list prayers aren't necessarily bad. But they can be kind of one way. Centering prayer techniques, as a way to start praying, can help establish a kind of two way dialog with God...a listening time...so that our even laundry list can take on deeper meaning.
Try it. Experiment with it. Look for good resources from your local library or pastor or a trusted spiritual friend.
2 comments:
I don't really want to dwell on the previous discussion, but I was pondering this question before I read your response to my previous comment. How should I pray? I feel as though I am simply giving God a laundry list of concerns and nothing more. My prayer life is becomming more and more lifeless. Where do I begin?
Have you ever tried "centering prayer?" For lots of folks, it sounds kind of goofy...but for a great many others, it becomes a helpful tool for getting out of our own way and opening up to God. There are lots of ways to employ this technique, but the easiest is usually to find a quiet place where you can light a candle to use as a visual focus. Take some deep breaths and try to clear out the anxieties of your mind either with relaxing music or a simple, spoken chant. I particularly like the words the writers put in Martin Luther's mouth from the recent "Luther" movie: "Father, I am yours. Save me."
Laundry list prayers aren't necessarily bad. But they can be kind of one way. Centering prayer techniques, as a way to start praying, can help establish a kind of two way dialog with God...a listening time...so that our even laundry list can take on deeper meaning.
Try it. Experiment with it. Look for good resources from your local library or pastor or a trusted spiritual friend.
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