I came across this quote from Eugene Peterson yesterday, and it's been on my mind. Our worship lately has drawn our thinking and believing toward the subject of prayer, and I'm particularly struck by the way he describes it as a "determined, repeated, leisurely" meeting with God. Here's the quote:
"Civilization is littered with unsolved problems, baffling impasses. The best minds of the world are at the end of their tether. The most knowledgeable observers of our condition are badly frightened. The most relevant contribution that Christians make at these points of impasse is the act of prayer -- determined, repeated, leisurely meetings with the personal and living God. New life is conceived in these meetings."
- Eugene H. Peterson, from his book Earth & Altar
I love those words...
Determined. Because we depend on God, because sometimes we have nowhere else to turn, because the "baffling impasses" of this world are beyond our ability to manage or understand, because we don't know what else to do, because ultimately our faith is in God...
Repeated. Because prayer is a practice, because prayer over time calls us more deeply into faithfulness, because prayer is for us, too, and we struggle to listen the first time...
Leisurely. Because prayer isn't about saying the "right" things the "right" way, because God listens openly, because talking with God can be like talking with a trusted friend, because it's never a bad time...
Blessings to you in your prayerful life!
No comments:
Post a Comment