c l a s s i c a l
Sunday evening at church a man came up to me and said, "You look so serious." Others have made similar comments. I responded, "I'm a changed man. This is the new me." He laughed, not taking me overly seriously. In a sense, I was being serious, though perhaps not overly serious. I mean, I do still laugh, and enjoy my life, family, and friends.
The analogy came to me recently. I feel like a house that has been damaged by a very strong earthquake. I've been shaken, no doubt, but not destroyed (cf. 2 Cor. 4:8-9). The house is noticeably distressed, but it is not condemned: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1 NRSV); "Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies" (Rom. 8:33 NRSV). American theologian Albert Barnes comments, with regard to Romans 8:33:
First and foremost, though, my relationship with God through Christ in the Spirit is maintained primarily through prayer. No other tools have shaped my prayers, faith, and worldview over the last nine months like Scripture and the Book of Common Prayer.
The Prayer Book contains prayers immersed in Scripture. Whether one is praying the Morning, Noon, or Evening prayers, line after line of Scripture is being prayed. The Prayer Book shapes the way I think about God -- as Father, Protector, Redeemer, Friend -- as well as how I view others. Vicki Black writes:
I am unaware of any sincerely praying apostate. In other words, a person who is fervently, purposefully, genuinely praying, in the maintenance of one's relationship with God, will not apostatize from the faith. Cease this spiritual discipline, however, and apostasy is not far off. In the Prayer Book we pray:
Now, please do not misunderstand me. I do not want anyone to think that I am something I'm not -- I am not an isolated monk who carries around a candle singing "Kum ba ya" all day. There is no halo around my head. I, like the apostle Paul, have not yet attained to complete holiness or perfection or purity of thought and motive (Phil. 3:12). "So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me" (2 Cor. 12:9 NRSV). But, like the apostle Paul, "I press on to make it my own, because Christ has made me his own" (Phil. 2:12 NRSV). If I fall down, I get back up, and I carry on.
Through prayer -- the vital avenue in my relationship with God -- I expect to be "built into a spiritual house" by Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). Though I play a part in this process, through obedience, I also understand that unless "the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain" (Ps. 127:1 NRSV). Rebuilding this house may take years, but I'm in no hurry.
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1 Vicki K. Black, Welcome to the Book of Common Prayer (New York: Morehouse Publishing, 2005), 16.
2 Jeffrey Lee, Opening the Prayer Book, Volume 17, The New Church's Teaching Series (Cambridge: Cowley Publications, 1999), 159.
The analogy came to me recently. I feel like a house that has been damaged by a very strong earthquake. I've been shaken, no doubt, but not destroyed (cf. 2 Cor. 4:8-9). The house is noticeably distressed, but it is not condemned: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1 NRSV); "Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies" (Rom. 8:33 NRSV). American theologian Albert Barnes comments, with regard to Romans 8:33:
Who shall lay anything to the charge: This expression is taken from courts of law, and means, who shall accuse, or condemn, or so charge with crime before the tribunal of God as to cause their condemnation? . . .
As they are the chosen of God, they are dear to him; and as he purposed to save them, he will do it in such a way as that none can bring against them a charge that would condemn them. (link)To think: Of all the sins of which I am guilty, because of the atoning death of Christ Jesus, I will stand and do stand before an absolutely holy God free of condemnation (cf. Eph. 1:4; 5:25-27; Col. 2:13-14; Heb. 7:25). Still, the effects of my sin remain, noticeably. What my dilapidated house needs is not merely a paint job, because that will not fix its instability; this house needs to be repaired and reinforced. What tools has God used to the repairing process? Several, actually.
First and foremost, though, my relationship with God through Christ in the Spirit is maintained primarily through prayer. No other tools have shaped my prayers, faith, and worldview over the last nine months like Scripture and the Book of Common Prayer.
The Prayer Book contains prayers immersed in Scripture. Whether one is praying the Morning, Noon, or Evening prayers, line after line of Scripture is being prayed. The Prayer Book shapes the way I think about God -- as Father, Protector, Redeemer, Friend -- as well as how I view others. Vicki Black writes:
The question of language is at the very heart of the prayer book: it is a collection of words, after all, and the words with which we speak to one another and to God profoundly affect what we believe to be true about ourselves and God. Our praying shapes our believing: the words we use matter.1But use of the Prayer Book is more than merely uttering some written words on a page. Jeffrey Lee explains that understanding correctly the proper use of praying the collects is not for the mere sake of liturgical accuracy, but "for the sake of the gospel." Lee rightly insists that to "know the classic shape of a eucharistic prayer is not important because it is an interesting piece of historical detail. It is important because it expresses the relationship of the church to the living mystery of the Triune God."2 This notion echoes the apostle Paul's own teaching:
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. (Eph. 1:17-19 NRSV; cf. Eph. 3:16-19; Phil. 1:9-11; Col. 1:9-12)As I pray the Hours, my beliefs are affirmed and confirmed by faith, which, in turn, strengthens my inner, spiritual being. I firmly believe that my lack of fervent prayer contributed to my downfall a year ago. If I had maintained a prayer life then as I am doing now, I fail to see how I could have betrayed the trust of my former friend, and sinned so blatantly, so defiantly, before God.
I am unaware of any sincerely praying apostate. In other words, a person who is fervently, purposefully, genuinely praying, in the maintenance of one's relationship with God, will not apostatize from the faith. Cease this spiritual discipline, however, and apostasy is not far off. In the Prayer Book we pray:
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days (BCP, 101, emphases added).Note the lines emphasized: the theme of being aware of God's mercy (and even severity and holiness) is predominant. With such a focus, I am reassured of God's goodness; but I am also in a position to surrender my inner self to Him as I live my life moment by moment in His sight.
Now, please do not misunderstand me. I do not want anyone to think that I am something I'm not -- I am not an isolated monk who carries around a candle singing "Kum ba ya" all day. There is no halo around my head. I, like the apostle Paul, have not yet attained to complete holiness or perfection or purity of thought and motive (Phil. 3:12). "So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me" (2 Cor. 12:9 NRSV). But, like the apostle Paul, "I press on to make it my own, because Christ has made me his own" (Phil. 2:12 NRSV). If I fall down, I get back up, and I carry on.
Through prayer -- the vital avenue in my relationship with God -- I expect to be "built into a spiritual house" by Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). Though I play a part in this process, through obedience, I also understand that unless "the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain" (Ps. 127:1 NRSV). Rebuilding this house may take years, but I'm in no hurry.
__________
1 Vicki K. Black, Welcome to the Book of Common Prayer (New York: Morehouse Publishing, 2005), 16.
2 Jeffrey Lee, Opening the Prayer Book, Volume 17, The New Church's Teaching Series (Cambridge: Cowley Publications, 1999), 159.
This post is very inspiring and helpful to me, Billy. I so wish that my fellow Free Methodists would rediscover the prayer book tradition of our forefather, John Wesley. The BCP, as it has been said, is basically Scripture re-ordered for prayer, which is why it safe for the soul.
ReplyDeleteRuss Veldman
That is encouraging, Russ, and I appreciate that!
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