Prayer Lead to Service, Service Leads to Prayer

Prayer and Service

“Prayer and service can never be seen as contradictory or mutually exclusive. Prayer without action can grow into powerless pietism, and action without prayer can degenerate into questionable manipulation.

If prayer leads to deeper unity with the compassionate Christ, it will always give rise to concrete acts of service. And if concrete acts of service lead us to deeper solidarity with the poor, the hungry, the sick, the dying, and the oppressed, they will always give rise to prayer. In prayer, we meet Christ, and in him all human suffering. In service, we meet people, and in them, the suffering Christ.” —Henry Nouwen in You Are the Beloved.

Martha Mary

Our prayers should always lead us to service. That is why I am part of our Daughters of the King, who serve as a model of prayer leading to service. As deacons, we are called to servant ministry, leading others to servant ministry. We may be pulled in so many directions and forget about prayer. There is such a great need that we sometimes forget to pray before we start.

We may pray constantly as we try to see Christ in the people we serve or in the people we lead to serve. We strive to bring the needs of the world to the church, but they become overwhelming. Prayer helps us recognize the most pressing needs at various times in our world. Prayer helps us direct the needs of the world to others, hearing that call to serve.

mary and martha

As deacons, we stand beside those serving the world. We stand beside our bishop, our priests, the laity, and those serving the needs of the church and the world. Prayer is the glue that connects us and supports others who also serve the needs of the world in God’s church.

I think I have some good ideas, but I have painfully learned that when I don’t offer these ideas in prayer, I travel down paths that do not lead to fruitful ministry. Our prayers give us the words to say as we minister to others. Prayers give us the words to say to lead others. Our prayers remind us that we are not lone rangers, but are led by one who is always beside us as we serve alongside others.

Joanna joannaseibert.com. 

Changing Unceasing Thoughts to Unceasing Prayers

 Changing Unceasing Thoughts to Unceasing Prayers

Henri Nouwen

“Our minds are always active. Do we have to become victims of our unceasing thought? No, we can convert our unceasing thinking into unceasing prayer by making our inner monologue into a continuing dialogue with our God, who is the source of all love.”—Henri Nouwen in Bread for the Journey (HarperSanFrancisco, 1997).

The first book to understand unceasing prayer is Practicing the Presence of God. It is a small collection of the teachings and experiences of Brother Lawrence, a French Carmelite monk who served as the cook for his community in Paris during the 17th century. Father Joseph Beaufort compiled the book from letters and four conversations with Brother Lawrence, as the latter described his walk with God, not from the head but from the heart.

 Brother Lawrence saw God in every aspect, every second of his life, as he washed pots and pans, purchased wine, or cooked meals—continually conversing with God. He never became weary of doing insignificant things for the love of God, believing that intervals of prayer should not differ from other times. Lawrence saw God as a friend he would not want to be estranged from, feeling God’s presence more acutely in sickness than in good health.

My favorite fictional role model for continually being in conversation with God is Tevye in the 1971 American dramatic musical Fiddler on the Roof.

I try to watch the movie several times a year and attend the play whenever it comes to Little Rock. It is long, but worth journeying with Tevye in his ongoing conversations with God through a journey of love and many trials. 

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Spiritual Compass

Spiritual Compass

“Within each one of us, there is a spiritual compass. It always points toward the good, toward what is holy. The compass is made of our values, what we believe and hold sacred. Over the years, our experience makes the compass within us even more accurate, refining our ability to seek the right direction in life, making us even more sensitive to the pull of compassion and common sense.

Therefore, we do not have to be afraid that we will get lost, wandering the wilderness of this age. We only have to follow where our heart leads, and our reason points the way.”—Steven Charleston, Daily Facebook post.

Cynthia Bourgeault would likely agree with Steven Charleston on the importance of a spiritual compass. She calls it an inward GPS (Global Positioning System), similar to the one we use in our car to get us to the correct location. We need to know where we are—and then the address of where we want to go—and the GPS will get us there.

Sometimes, we are unsure about where we are, but we have a clear idea of where we want to go. Our primary goal, above all, is to maintain our connection to God. I love it when our ideal location is not yet on the map, and the GPS takes us as close as possible. This may also be true regarding our spiritual life.

Bourgeault calls our heart a “God Positioning System.” When it is attuned and turned on, it allows us to achieve balance in a completely different way: by perceiving things as separate and differentiating them from one another, perceiving the whole, and discerning our place within it. For Bourgeault, attuning to this spiritual GPS occurs through the contemplative practice of Centering Prayer. My own GPS is writing. We are each called to find which spiritual practice best connects us to God. Also, please note that the details may change from time to time.

Cynthia Bourgeault, The Shape of God: Deepening the Mystery of the Trinity (CAC, 2004), disc 4.

 Cynthia Bourgeault, “How Change Happens” in Transgression (CAC, 2014), Vol. 2 No. 1, p. 86.

Joanna Seibert  https://www.joannaseibert.com/