Last night, 13 of us gathered in the imagine Art Gallery front space to make a monthly Oasis of prayer and Communion. For a while, I've been sensing we needed to gather together to pray. We've done it before with the inward/OUTWARD Missional Formation Workshop, and inward/OUTWARD Missional Formation Cohort, but they had a specific format and focus. Oasis is envisioned to just be together to seek the Lord through praying, while he may be found.
Since I was tasked with the format of the first one, I decided to keep it simple. Simple puts little pressure on folks. Simple can be elegant and powerful. Simple lets people find their own way and be themselves.We'd meet and without a structure, pray together. Everybody was equal and could contribute as each chose or not - no pressure or expectation, just praying together.
The physical atmosphere we set was quiet and lightly contemplative. We had the lights off and lit candles. We sat in a semi-circle, but people could sit anywhere they desired. One of us chose to stand, and I sat on the floor with my back resting against a wall.
After a few simple instructions from me about what we had the opportunity to do together, we closed our eyes and began. Some of the folks there I'd prayed with before, but some of them I hadn't. I've been in all sorts of prayer groups over the years, so I recognize differing styles. The introverts tend to be quiet and pray sparingly; the extroverts tend to pray more often in such a gathering. Some have much to say, and with great facility; others are more shy or reserved, and may only contribute a single prayer, or be silent the entire time which doesn't mean they're not praying. Some people can readily dominate the gathering with their prayers. I call them prayer hogs. They're no fun to pray with.
Because it was the first time, people waited for a bit to find an unforced communal prayer rhythm. I like that because it helps folks settle down, focus and "live" in a silence first before diving in. We were listening for how we'd pray together, and what kind of things we'd pray about. There are cues people look for. Such silence and settling also helps quiet the incessant chatter in our heads. It also lets everybody sense how people pray so they can blend their approach with others.
It took a little bit of time, but we began to pray together. Between each prayer there'd be a silent space, and then someone else would pray. I've experienced over the years that communal silence and can feel awkward, even unnerving for folks, but I didn't sense any substantial tension last night. It can be quite palpable at times.
I didn't check my watch when we closed the prayer, but I suspect it was 45 minutes to an hour, plus or minus. Pretty good for a maiden prayer voyage. Most everyone prayed, and we covered a range of topics , from praying for Northampton, in general, to praying for imagine/Northampton stuff, and our individual prayer needs.When we stopped, it felt right.
Then, we had communion together. Jim talked briefly about the meaning of the elements, and how Communion illustrates Jesus's desire for us to experience intimacy with him. It was simple and relaxed, a fitting end to our first Oasis of prayer.
Highlights for me were how the act of praying together solidifies our relationship with one another, and our corporate identity as followers of Jesus. We join together our hearts, minds, and voices seeking a connection with our Savior and Lord and with one another without pretense or pressure. We just pray and support one another in that prayer. I love it when we pray about the Kingdom mission we're shouldering together. Our communal identity is clarified when we do so. Add to it, the opportunity to get to know folks by what they pray for and how they pray. There is a simple vulnerability in praying with one another that is beautiful and real.
Also, prayer is spiritual warfare and Kingdom assaulting of the vile minions of darkness and death.Through such praying we say no to the evil one and his vile schemes. We call him out. We pray life and light and peace and healing behind enemy lines. We subvert his strategies for slavery and misery. He doesn't want us praying because when we do, we sabotage his strongholds and expose his lies. Praying is a spiritual laser weapon.
Our plans now are to make Oasis once a month. It might remain on that schedule or it may become more frequent, We'll see. I'm sure it will morph and develop as a we proceed. My hope is we never stray far from the sense of spiritual oasis for time to quiet and pray together in the atmosphere of the unjangling rhythms of grace.
So be it, Lord ...
Showing posts with label Missional Praying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Missional Praying. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
An Early Morning Prayer For imagine/Northampton.
"Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; establish the work of our hands." Psalm 90:17
Father,
You alone are the Lord of imagine/Northampton. You are its headwaters and its endpoint. You are its Source, Life and Purpose. Without you it is vacant of meaning. Without you it is impotent. Without you it merely is.
Let your gracious favor be upon us as we do the missional work of imagine/Northampton. Establish the work of our hands that we might see your Glory in the land of the really living.
Let us make a revolutionary difference in this small, historic, rebellious, wild hair of a New England city.
Let your redemptively subversive grace flood these streets.
Bring stunningly gifted people, young and old, to carry the work forward in creative and genuinely innovative ways. Yes, bring the Kingdom-intoxicated innovators whose spirits are full of love for you and for the people of this place.
Send the Kingdom dreamers who have "bet the ranch" on your magnificent vision for Northampton and the world, and will not turn back until it is realized by your gracious Hand.
Open the resplendent storehouses of heaven so we have all we need to settle a church of full-life and freedom, hope and healing/transforming love.
Establish our work of washing darkness with the light of truth.
Establish our work of creating music, art, dance, crafting, writing and film which show forth your majesty, setting wonder into place and opening a home for who dare to see and make what is not yet.
Bring your families and establish us as an estuary of disciple-making so young and old learn the joyous dignity of following Jesus with yielded hearts.
Send your poor, enchained, and abused; make us able to free them into hope and the simple grace of fruitfulness.
Bring your lion-hearted wondermakers who settle for nothing less than your Kingdom being now on earth as it is lived today in heaven, even if just a little bit - that will be more than enough.
LORD, establish the work of our small, weak hands and make them instruments of the truth that sets captives free and the creative love that overpowers hatred and deadening indifference.
Turn your beautiful face toward us today and smile like the sun warming the earth on a new morning, making all things alive with an abundance which cannot be stifled.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Encountering Walter
I've been praying all the time lately, (in fact, I am praying as I write this). It comes lately in five forms
1. My variation of the Jesus Prayer:
2. Praying in tongues under my breath. I received the gift many years ago. I was not looking for it. God gave it to me at the beginning of our turn toward a life of ministry. It came in my mid-30's just after going through intense inner healing counseling for a year, and learning the spiritual discipline of listening prayer.
3. Praying the Shema (with added Great Commandment) and the Lord's Prayer.
4. General Intercession.
5. Confession.
Praying like this is having an tangible effect on me and what I am doing. For instance:
On Monday, I needed to make a bank deposit. I went to our offices on Armory Street to drop off a bag of garbage from our apartment on Main Street, just around the corner from the office. From there, I decided to walk through Thorne's Market to get to the bank.
Standing just outside the back door on the lower level of Thorne's was Walter, a tall, handsome black man who can be found most days on Main Street in Northampton playing his old guitar and singing for money even in the bitter cold. Walter knows me by name and vice versa. We have talked many times as I have been out and about on errands or heading out to meet people.
He has the gift of gab. Walter loves to talk about being a musician, about learning songs, practicing and wanting to get better. He talks a lot about that. He did on Monday too. He also showed me a milk carton he had cut in half with words he had written about being a master musician and in need of prayer - interesting combination. He seemed pleased by what he'd written. He also mentioned he had written the words to hundreds of songs, and just needed someone to help him put the music to them.
In reality, he isn't very good, but not for lack of desire.
So we struck up a brief conversation. As it took its usual turns regarding music, Walter mentioned he has stage fright. He said he could really get a song down and be singing with abandon until someone would stop and listen. He would then get very distracted and nervous. He didn't like it at all. He looked truly bewildered by it.
God prompted me to tell him to ask God to help him when that happened. I did and he began to talk about the Lord and how he prayed to him all the time. In the process, he also started to talk vaguely about getting involved at an early age in stuff he was not proud of and made things hard. He hinted at serious drug use and needing to be away from "that crowd." He let on a bit that it might still be a problem.
I had been told previously he is an addict and not a good man.
I interjected he needed to work on that stuff in the company of people who had the same struggle and were striving to follow Jesus. I said he needed to let go and surrender his heart to Jesus completely. I added the Scripture from the Gospel of John that "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." He made me repeat it 3-4 times. I told him he could not do it alone. I told Him Jesus is the point of everything and I am praying for him.
The point of the story is I think God gave me more boldness in this encounter with Walter because I have been praying constantly. I had never talked to him that way before. Praying continually seems to change the spiritual atmosphere creating openness and more freedom in me to be available to his work, I think. I am experiencing similar openness every day. I like it and want more.
It's what I have been wanting since moving up here.
If you feel the tug of God to live more in the missionary mindset ask him to help you pray all the time. From our side of the table I think the Kingdom is established through fervent prayer and the freedom created in us because of it. It seems to help us be more "present" to opportunities all around us.
1. My variation of the Jesus Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. Show me favor and establish the Kingdom work of my hands that you might be glorified.
2. Praying in tongues under my breath. I received the gift many years ago. I was not looking for it. God gave it to me at the beginning of our turn toward a life of ministry. It came in my mid-30's just after going through intense inner healing counseling for a year, and learning the spiritual discipline of listening prayer.
3. Praying the Shema (with added Great Commandment) and the Lord's Prayer.
4. General Intercession.
5. Confession.
Praying like this is having an tangible effect on me and what I am doing. For instance:
On Monday, I needed to make a bank deposit. I went to our offices on Armory Street to drop off a bag of garbage from our apartment on Main Street, just around the corner from the office. From there, I decided to walk through Thorne's Market to get to the bank.
Standing just outside the back door on the lower level of Thorne's was Walter, a tall, handsome black man who can be found most days on Main Street in Northampton playing his old guitar and singing for money even in the bitter cold. Walter knows me by name and vice versa. We have talked many times as I have been out and about on errands or heading out to meet people.
He has the gift of gab. Walter loves to talk about being a musician, about learning songs, practicing and wanting to get better. He talks a lot about that. He did on Monday too. He also showed me a milk carton he had cut in half with words he had written about being a master musician and in need of prayer - interesting combination. He seemed pleased by what he'd written. He also mentioned he had written the words to hundreds of songs, and just needed someone to help him put the music to them.
In reality, he isn't very good, but not for lack of desire.
So we struck up a brief conversation. As it took its usual turns regarding music, Walter mentioned he has stage fright. He said he could really get a song down and be singing with abandon until someone would stop and listen. He would then get very distracted and nervous. He didn't like it at all. He looked truly bewildered by it.
God prompted me to tell him to ask God to help him when that happened. I did and he began to talk about the Lord and how he prayed to him all the time. In the process, he also started to talk vaguely about getting involved at an early age in stuff he was not proud of and made things hard. He hinted at serious drug use and needing to be away from "that crowd." He let on a bit that it might still be a problem.
I had been told previously he is an addict and not a good man.
I interjected he needed to work on that stuff in the company of people who had the same struggle and were striving to follow Jesus. I said he needed to let go and surrender his heart to Jesus completely. I added the Scripture from the Gospel of John that "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." He made me repeat it 3-4 times. I told him he could not do it alone. I told Him Jesus is the point of everything and I am praying for him.
The point of the story is I think God gave me more boldness in this encounter with Walter because I have been praying constantly. I had never talked to him that way before. Praying continually seems to change the spiritual atmosphere creating openness and more freedom in me to be available to his work, I think. I am experiencing similar openness every day. I like it and want more.
It's what I have been wanting since moving up here.
_______________________________________________
If you feel the tug of God to live more in the missionary mindset ask him to help you pray all the time. From our side of the table I think the Kingdom is established through fervent prayer and the freedom created in us because of it. It seems to help us be more "present" to opportunities all around us.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
On the Primacy of Listening to God
Last Wednesday, I met for an early breakfast with a dear old friend. He a man of God in the truest sense of the term. He is also a man of prayer and has been for the 20 years I have known. Prayer is his way of life.
He is also a man who listens to God as one of the key ways he relates to him. We have shared retreat ministry for years around helping people learn how to listen as a mode of prayer. We see it as an essential mode. All communication if it is true communication involves listening, especially the ability to listen well. Prayer is listening too.
In the course of our warm-spirited catch up conversation he spoke of struggling over Christmas time to connect with Jesus in prayer. He was not hearing him and wondering why. As I listened, the Spirit began to remind me of how I had largely abandoned listening prayer almost completely since I moved to Massachusetts. Yesterday, he exhorted me to "return to my strength." I know he was talking about listening to him. My entire ministry at the Center For Renewal/Klesis grew and flowed from the frequent practice of this spiritual discipline. It guided all we did.
I had abandoned my strength in favor of tackling the avalanche of minutiae attending launching a church. Really foolish. Really, really foolish!
So beginning yesterday morning, I returned to the Well to listen in the Scriptures and to the still, small voice of the Spirit. My life depends on it. I little noticed the riches of what I had forsaken. Living in this dark city without being spiritually tethered was desiccating my spirit and dimming my hope little by little. I was wandering in the wilderness of my own making.
Even after just two mornings, here's what I have been shown upon returning to the well-worn path:
1. Without listening I am largely wandering around on my own.
2. Without listening I defer quickly to my motivation for exploring without a clear design.
3. Without listening, I focus on trifles and spend my resources on what matters little, but looks promising.
4. Without listening, I stumble more easily into sin, errant passions, and foolish pursuits.
5. Without listening, I have little discernment about spiritual matters and the lying spirits who seek to entangle me in dangerous traps.
6. Without listening, I am spiritually impotent and frighteningly self-absorbed with little of true Kingdom consequence.
7. With listening, my love for Jesus and desire for his glory grows and centers me.
8. With listening, I locate his will and way; I am more able to obey and produce fruit that lasts.
9. With listening, I am more allied to my deeply spiritual wife ad partner in ministry; we are more in sync in everything.
10. With listening, wonder grows from apprehending the greatness, beauty, holiness and majesty of God.
11. With listening, I have the greatest chance of being effective in launching imagine/Northampton.
12. With listening, I am more able to love and connect my broken humanity with the broken humanuty of everyone around me.
In other words, it is my lifeline. I am a fool to neglect, much less abandon it.
Jesus, may you keep me on a short leash to help me stay near you with open ears, a soft heart, quickened mind, and a deepening love for you and those you love. Please let me never stray again from my strength and my LIFE.
In the course of our warm-spirited catch up conversation he spoke of struggling over Christmas time to connect with Jesus in prayer. He was not hearing him and wondering why. As I listened, the Spirit began to remind me of how I had largely abandoned listening prayer almost completely since I moved to Massachusetts. Yesterday, he exhorted me to "return to my strength." I know he was talking about listening to him. My entire ministry at the Center For Renewal/Klesis grew and flowed from the frequent practice of this spiritual discipline. It guided all we did.
I had abandoned my strength in favor of tackling the avalanche of minutiae attending launching a church. Really foolish. Really, really foolish!
So beginning yesterday morning, I returned to the Well to listen in the Scriptures and to the still, small voice of the Spirit. My life depends on it. I little noticed the riches of what I had forsaken. Living in this dark city without being spiritually tethered was desiccating my spirit and dimming my hope little by little. I was wandering in the wilderness of my own making.
Even after just two mornings, here's what I have been shown upon returning to the well-worn path:
1. Without listening I am largely wandering around on my own.
2. Without listening I defer quickly to my motivation for exploring without a clear design.
3. Without listening, I focus on trifles and spend my resources on what matters little, but looks promising.
4. Without listening, I stumble more easily into sin, errant passions, and foolish pursuits.
5. Without listening, I have little discernment about spiritual matters and the lying spirits who seek to entangle me in dangerous traps.
6. Without listening, I am spiritually impotent and frighteningly self-absorbed with little of true Kingdom consequence.
7. With listening, my love for Jesus and desire for his glory grows and centers me.
8. With listening, I locate his will and way; I am more able to obey and produce fruit that lasts.
9. With listening, I am more allied to my deeply spiritual wife ad partner in ministry; we are more in sync in everything.
10. With listening, wonder grows from apprehending the greatness, beauty, holiness and majesty of God.
11. With listening, I have the greatest chance of being effective in launching imagine/Northampton.
12. With listening, I am more able to love and connect my broken humanity with the broken humanuty of everyone around me.
In other words, it is my lifeline. I am a fool to neglect, much less abandon it.
Jesus, may you keep me on a short leash to help me stay near you with open ears, a soft heart, quickened mind, and a deepening love for you and those you love. Please let me never stray again from my strength and my LIFE.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Developing the Missionary Mindset Redux: Part 1.
On December 6,2009 I published on this blog a post entitled: To Help Us Grow a Missionary Mindset. The post came from a simple tool I created to help folks on our team think and act as missionaries in Northampton. If you read it you would have seen the seven questions I invited team members to measure their weekly progress against. It was designed to help us all really become missional rather than talk about it. Talking about it is easy to do and weirdly emotionally satisfying. It can take the place of actually doing it. I know I am quite brilliant at giving lip service.
From looking at the tool lately I have decided to put some flesh on each of the 8 questions I outlined. I will do so in 8 posts detailing one question at a time. I hope you all find it helpful in your own missional development.
QUESTION: Am I praying for people around me who don't know Jesus?
This first question would evoke a "yes" from many people especially in prayer for family members who have yet to follow him. For the most part, we want those we love to come to know him, and have spent time praying as such for them, even considerable time. Perhaps most of us would say we have prayed for colleagues, neighbors, our kids' teachers, someone on the TV, or even strangers we might encounter who seem in great distress or need. We have all gotten heart-wrenching pleas through e-mail about someone we don't know who is in desperate straits and prayed for them. The horrors in Haiti come to mind right now.
I am actually not posing the question in regard to those prayers. Rather, I am suggesting a fundamental shift in how we approach praying so it flows from a deepening missional mindset of persisting prayer that can unlock a person who can't see Jesus, or can open our eyes spiritually to see a stranger's need for the healing, salvific love of Jesus for him or her.
This kind of praying comes from a fervent, consistent longing to see people freed into Christ. Such prayer has a prevailing sense to it. The heart fully longs for salvation and redemption as if one's own life depended on it. Sometimes it will feel like pleading with God. It will come with many tears, and anguished crying for the person - a kind of groaning in the Spirit from a deep place in the heart. Other times, it will be simple, and matter-of-fact.
The desire to free the captive is real and focused whether or not it is accompanied by emotion. A longing for the person's liberty persists nonetheless.
This sort of prayer becomes a way of life for the person, not an occasional focus. The missional person focusses his or her life from redemptive Kingdom interests. Praying for someone who does not know Jesus is a natural and energizing outflow of those interests.
So a person who prays this way makes it a habit of asking for God's discernment as he or she moves amongst strangers: at the supermarket, a school concert, at the mall or the movies, going for a walk in the neighborhood, at the gas pump, the doctor's office or the video store. Being out and about is viewed as an opportunity to "pray in the Kingdom," in someone's life.
Such prayer becomes a lever opening a way for Kingdom leverage in the other person's life.
Such prayer becomes a seed planted unawares.
Such prayer becomes a subversive penetration breaching the adversary's claims and territory.
Such prayer becomes a softener breaking up steel-hard ground in the soul of the person being prayed for.
Such prayer becomes a declaration of the Sovereign Ownership of God over the person.
Such prayer becomes a kiss of grace given freely in hope.
Developing a missional mindset means you must begin practicing this type of prayer everyday. That's the key. Every once in awhile won't cut it. Ask God to bring it to mind each time you encounter a stranger, or someone you know who has no relationship with Jesus. Fill your days with such prayer and become more and more aware of how God desires to reveal something of the person's state of soul as you come into their presence. Ask him to open your heart and deepen your compassion for people who do not have the hope you do. Ask for the "gift of tears," so you can see into the anguish, hopelessness, loneliness and fear hidden in plain sight all around you.
Most importantly ask God to make your's the heart of a missionary from now on. Ask him to grant such favor and to teach your this spiritually rich way of Kingsom life.
Write me what happened and what you are learning from time to time. It helps me too.
From looking at the tool lately I have decided to put some flesh on each of the 8 questions I outlined. I will do so in 8 posts detailing one question at a time. I hope you all find it helpful in your own missional development.
QUESTION: Am I praying for people around me who don't know Jesus?
This first question would evoke a "yes" from many people especially in prayer for family members who have yet to follow him. For the most part, we want those we love to come to know him, and have spent time praying as such for them, even considerable time. Perhaps most of us would say we have prayed for colleagues, neighbors, our kids' teachers, someone on the TV, or even strangers we might encounter who seem in great distress or need. We have all gotten heart-wrenching pleas through e-mail about someone we don't know who is in desperate straits and prayed for them. The horrors in Haiti come to mind right now.
I am actually not posing the question in regard to those prayers. Rather, I am suggesting a fundamental shift in how we approach praying so it flows from a deepening missional mindset of persisting prayer that can unlock a person who can't see Jesus, or can open our eyes spiritually to see a stranger's need for the healing, salvific love of Jesus for him or her.
This kind of praying comes from a fervent, consistent longing to see people freed into Christ. Such prayer has a prevailing sense to it. The heart fully longs for salvation and redemption as if one's own life depended on it. Sometimes it will feel like pleading with God. It will come with many tears, and anguished crying for the person - a kind of groaning in the Spirit from a deep place in the heart. Other times, it will be simple, and matter-of-fact.
The desire to free the captive is real and focused whether or not it is accompanied by emotion. A longing for the person's liberty persists nonetheless.
This sort of prayer becomes a way of life for the person, not an occasional focus. The missional person focusses his or her life from redemptive Kingdom interests. Praying for someone who does not know Jesus is a natural and energizing outflow of those interests.
So a person who prays this way makes it a habit of asking for God's discernment as he or she moves amongst strangers: at the supermarket, a school concert, at the mall or the movies, going for a walk in the neighborhood, at the gas pump, the doctor's office or the video store. Being out and about is viewed as an opportunity to "pray in the Kingdom," in someone's life.
Such prayer becomes a lever opening a way for Kingdom leverage in the other person's life.
Such prayer becomes a seed planted unawares.
Such prayer becomes a subversive penetration breaching the adversary's claims and territory.
Such prayer becomes a softener breaking up steel-hard ground in the soul of the person being prayed for.
Such prayer becomes a declaration of the Sovereign Ownership of God over the person.
Such prayer becomes a kiss of grace given freely in hope.
Developing a missional mindset means you must begin practicing this type of prayer everyday. That's the key. Every once in awhile won't cut it. Ask God to bring it to mind each time you encounter a stranger, or someone you know who has no relationship with Jesus. Fill your days with such prayer and become more and more aware of how God desires to reveal something of the person's state of soul as you come into their presence. Ask him to open your heart and deepen your compassion for people who do not have the hope you do. Ask for the "gift of tears," so you can see into the anguish, hopelessness, loneliness and fear hidden in plain sight all around you.
Most importantly ask God to make your's the heart of a missionary from now on. Ask him to grant such favor and to teach your this spiritually rich way of Kingsom life.
Write me what happened and what you are learning from time to time. It helps me too.
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