I may have already said that I grew up in a church that was completely void of liturgy. We celebrated Advent, but not really. Lately I have been completely enthralled by the practices of the Church through out history. I don't know a whole lot about "high" church, but over the last months I have been exploring some practices that have been part of the Church for the better part of two thousand years.
The practice/discipline I picked up first was fixed hour prayer. Fixed hour prayer is not only done at specific points in the day but specific prayers are said for the time of day, the week, and the season. These prayers are also saturated with scripture and psalms. I am completely in love with this new ordering of my life. When I miss a prayer for any reason I feel a loss.
This new (new for me) way of praying has already begun shaping my life and my relationship with my Creator. I do not limit my prayer to just these prayers that are already laid out for me but still I pray spontaneously. I have found that these fixed prayers are giving me the words to pray the way I already wanted. My spontaneous prayers are becoming more frequent and more natural, which is the purpose of fixed hour prayer. Fixed hour prayer is the discipline to help us be in constant prayer.
Other practices I have been learning are Sabbath, and fasting, and I have begun following the liturgical year. These are topics for another day.
The "low" church is right to fear the use of ritual. Rituals can become gods and idols themselves instead of directing us to proper worship. These things that the Church has been doing for all these years have a rich history and great rewards. These are the things that the Church needs to do to right itself and to be the Body of Christ.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Agreeing with Adam
A man I consider to be one of my best friends is someone who I often disagree with, especially when it comes to politics. I don't remember the last time we talked about politics and agreed. Adam is one my dearest friends and when it comes to how we read the Bible I would say that we are very different. We do usually come to the same conclusions on what it means for our lives.
Adam's, http://adamheffelfinger.blogspot.com, missional approach to doing church is something that I can get behind. I have long thought that the Church in North America, and maybe the world, has lost track of what it should be doing, and how it should be doing it. The main culprit is denominationalism. The endless splitting and growing and splitting again of the Protestant church has caused the division of the Body of Christ. My heart tells me the solution is to start a church of my own and hope that it changes other churches. My brain tells me that doing that would only cause more division. The solution is in the churches themselves. They, and me as well, must put aside all we think we know but Christ crucified (Paul says, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2).
I think that debate about theology and doctrine is important and I am not advocating theology outside of orthodoxy. I think that it has a place in the Church, but when it divides the Church what good is it doing?
I told Adam the other day that I felt like Martin Luther did, all he wanted to do was help fix what was broken. Instead, we got the reformation. Maybe, we are do for another, what do you think? I would like to see this reformation bring the Church back together. Besides if Adam and I who are so different can get along, everyone else should have it easy.
Adam's, http://adamheffelfinger.blogspot.com, missional approach to doing church is something that I can get behind. I have long thought that the Church in North America, and maybe the world, has lost track of what it should be doing, and how it should be doing it. The main culprit is denominationalism. The endless splitting and growing and splitting again of the Protestant church has caused the division of the Body of Christ. My heart tells me the solution is to start a church of my own and hope that it changes other churches. My brain tells me that doing that would only cause more division. The solution is in the churches themselves. They, and me as well, must put aside all we think we know but Christ crucified (Paul says, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2).
I think that debate about theology and doctrine is important and I am not advocating theology outside of orthodoxy. I think that it has a place in the Church, but when it divides the Church what good is it doing?
I told Adam the other day that I felt like Martin Luther did, all he wanted to do was help fix what was broken. Instead, we got the reformation. Maybe, we are do for another, what do you think? I would like to see this reformation bring the Church back together. Besides if Adam and I who are so different can get along, everyone else should have it easy.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Starting Fatherhood
In just over a week I will be a dad. I will be joining the ranks of those who get ugly ties on Father's days. My wife and I have decided to skip the early childhood years and go strait to having teenagers. O, and we are going to have 3 and are expecting a 4th sometime soon.
We are going to be houseparents in a long term residential program for at risk teen boys. We are very excited, not only because we have been out of work for so long and were feeling the tightening of our belts, but we are called to this. In my heart I am a pastor, I think. I am very excited to share my life and my God with these boys and help them figure out how to be men.
The other day I had a scary revelation. I am going to be filling the role of a father for these guys. The father role is one of the primary ways we think of God. (No pressure right?) The thought still freaks me out a little bit. But I am being sent for a reason. So here we go. Pray for me.
We are going to be houseparents in a long term residential program for at risk teen boys. We are very excited, not only because we have been out of work for so long and were feeling the tightening of our belts, but we are called to this. In my heart I am a pastor, I think. I am very excited to share my life and my God with these boys and help them figure out how to be men.
The other day I had a scary revelation. I am going to be filling the role of a father for these guys. The father role is one of the primary ways we think of God. (No pressure right?) The thought still freaks me out a little bit. But I am being sent for a reason. So here we go. Pray for me.
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