 Opening PrayerTake heart, God will rejoice over you in gladness, and will renew you in love (Silent reflection) Prayer of the BiblePraise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, -I Chronicles 29: 10-13 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of SinLoving Father, please accept my distractions, my fatigue, my irritations, and faithless wanderings, forgive me all of my sin and help me to rest in your loving embrace. (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. -Matthew 5:27-32 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayers for Ourselves and OthersIn all my prayers for others, I always pray with Joy -Philippians 1:4 (Bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing PrayerI am no longer my own, but Yours. Do to me as you desire, place me among those you see fit Put me to service and put me to suffering, let me be commissioned by You or laid aside for You Let me be exalted for You, or brought down for You; Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Thou are mine, and I am Yours and the covenant which I have made on earth, Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen -The Wesley Covenant Prayer (This prayer was first used in a service in 1755) (Go now, sent out by the Father into the world to love and serve in the name of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit)  photo 1 taken in: The Eifel, Germany. Ethan Thurman holding fresh soil in the shape of a heart
photo 2 taken in: Public domain hand written letter of the Wesley Covenant Prayer
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 “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him…” ~ Mark 3:14a
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” ~ Revelation 21:3 We were created to be with God and our existence is to be one of abiding communion in him. It forms the bookends of scripture, being embodied in the Edenic picture of God walking with man in the cool of the day, and then forms telos of redemption where the Lord eternally dwells with man. In the space between there is Christ, the word who became flesh and dwelt among us. In Christ we find not only our way back to God, but the perfect vision of what a life with God looks like, a life we are being invited into with Jesus. Yet our world is one of confusion and chaos, hardship and struggle. Busyness grows exponentially and often we find ourselves struggling to know how to live life with the God who invites us to call him Immanuel, God with us. The challenge is then how do we live out the truth that Christ promises to be with us. The Psalms A great place to begin this journey of learning to be with Jesus is in the Psalms. Apart from being the prayer book of Israel and the Church, the Psalms found their words on the lips and tongue of Jesus more than any other book of scripture. In the Psalms we then find: The Language of Communion - The Psalms teach us how both be with God, but also how to speak to God. They give us permission to be honest with ourselves, our circumstances, and with God himself. The Totality of the Human Experience - The Psalms also let us know that the totality of the human experience is part of our sacred journey with God. It is not only the set asides times that God is attentive to, but the whole of who we are. It speaks to our failures and brokenness, but also to God’s faithful love and the joy that is ours in him. In the Psalms we find permission to lament and cry out, to extol and proclaim, and to find the one who promises to never leave us or forsake us. Approach Taken from the Benedictine tradition, where the Psalms have been prayed weekly for nearly 1500 years, we have adapted them to a monthly reading plan that has morning, midday, and evening readings. Psalms that are prayed within the Benedictine tradition daily have been kept with some greater regularity. As we do these monthly readings it is also important to remember the following: Daily Engagement - While our lives and schedules may not allow for the full engagement of the readings each day (generally 9-10 Psalms; about 30 minutes of total reading daily), being daily in the Psalms, even if we can only read one that day, allows us to grow together in being with Christ. Consistency - The goal is not perfection, but consistency. This is a practice of learning to habitually come before God, realizing that in Christ he has already come to us and is present. If a time is missed it is important to remember that the purpose of this study is not to check a box off a list or merely get through the Psalms monthly, but to be with God. There is no merit in this process so be gracious with yourself with the goal of growing in your ability to be with God, who in his love and mercy is already present to you. Prayer - At their core the Psalms are prayers, the prayers of individuals and of the people of God. It is important for us to approach them as such. We have been trained to read analytically, yet the Psalms are lyrical and poetic, inviting us to not just read them, but to experience them. To help combat our tendency towards reading them analytically, it can be helpful to read the Psalms aloud, even if doing so by one’s self. This slows them down and allows the heart to hang onto each word spoken out loud, finding the cadence and rhythm of the Psalm and discovering the emotions of each prayer. Mindfulness - We must grow in our awareness of what these readings and this process stirs up within us. For some the emotive nature of the Psalms may bring up painful and challenging memories, areas of our heart and life that we have not yet learned to bring to Jesus or may still need his healing presence to touch. That can at times feel overwhelming and cause us to be anxious. For others this can be a source of joy and a gift, giving words to experiences and feelings and thus be a source of a relief. Remember that as we journey together in the Psalms that our collective experience will be shaped by our individual experiences. Monthly Order Psalms Readings "You know very well, my brother, that someone who wants to set out on a long journey will first of all examine himself, and then he will attach himself to other travellers with whom he is able and willing to keep up; otherwise he may get left behind by his companions on the journey and come to harm. It is exactly the same with a person who wants to travel the road to righteousness. First of all let him look into himself and see how strong he is, then let him choose a way of life that is appropriate for himself. It is better to begin from one's feeble state and end up strong, to progress from small things to big, than to set your heart from the very first on the perfect way of life, only to have to abandon it later, -- or keep to it solely out of habit, because of what others will think -- in which case all this labour will be is vain. Anyone who wishes to embark on the labours of the virtuous life should train himself gently, until he finally reaches the perfect state. Do not be perplexed by the many paths trodden by our Fathers of old, each different from the other; do not zealously try to imitate them all: this would only upset your way of life. Rather, choose a way of life that suits your feeble state; travel on that, and you will live, for your Lord is merciful and he will receive you, not because of your achievements, but because of your intention, just as he received the destitute woman's gift." ~ Evagrius ~created for the A2J Quarterly Gathering 10-14-2017  Opening PrayerO Lord Jesus, you who came to us to show the compassionate love of your Father, make us, your people know this love with our hearts, minds and souls. So often we feel lonely, unloved, and lost in the valley of tears. We desire to feel affection, tenderness, care, and compassion, but often suffer from inner darkness, emptiness, and numbness. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Do not just come to our understanding, but enter our hearts, our passions, emotions, and feelings. -Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) (Silent reflection) Prayer of the BibleAll: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity Side 1: It is like the dew falling on mountains, where the LORD promises to bless his people with life forevermore. Side 2: How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity! Side 1: It is as if the dew were falling on God's mountain. Side 2: For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Side 1: How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! All: It is like the dew falling on the mountains, there the LORD ordains his blessing, life forevermore. (Free prayers of thanksgiving and loving words to God)  Confession of SinLet us pray for the reconciliation of peoples and nations: Recognizing our personal responsibility and the responsibility of our own nation, races, and even churches for alienation and injustice, we offer these prayers in a spirit of penitence and faith, Coventry Litany of Reconciliation All: For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class, Father forgive. The covetous desires of men and nations to possess what is not their own, Father forgive. The greed which exploits the labors of men, and lays waste the earth, Father forgive. Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others, Father forgive. Our indifference to the plight of the homeless and the refugee, Father forgive. The lust which uses for ignoble ends the bodies of men and women, Father forgive. The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves, and not in God, Father forgive. (Bring our own confessions, personal sin, sins of our people, sins our unique Christian traditions) Father forgive All: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. The Words of JesusWhat do you want? What are you after? What are you seeking? –John 1:38 NIV, The Message, & ESV versions (Silently reflect on how would you answer Jesus) Closing PrayerEternal God, you are the hope of those who have been omitted from the agenda of our world. You hear the cries of the wounded hearts and the voices of the despairing souls. Teach us in the power of your Spirit to hear with your ears and reach out through the silence to hear the voices of suffering and longing. As one body in Christ, make us more and more a communion of compassion and a prophetic sign of your incarnate grace, mercy and justice. Amen.  photo 1: Rembrandt's Prodigal Son (public domain)
photo 2: 'One Body' photo taken 8 years ago @ A2J's year-one Celebration, Woodland Prayer House photo 3: Father's Heart Fountain taken at Canaan in the Desert  Opening PrayerTeach me, my God and King, in all things thee to see, and what I do in anything to do it as for thee. -George Herbert, (1593-1633) (silent reflection) Prayer of the BibleHear my cry, O God; Listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe -Psalm 6:1-3 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of SinHave mercy, tender God, forget that I defied you, wash away my sin, cleanse me from my guilt. I know my evil well, it stares me in the face, evil done to you alone before your very eyes. You love those centered in truth; teach me your hidden wisdom. Wash me with fresh water, wash me bright as snow. Oh God, my Father, reshape my heart. -Psalm 51 The Message (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. -Matthew 5:21-26 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayer for Ourselves and OthersDuring the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. -Hebrews 5:7 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing PrayerMighty and tender God who holds us by the hand, cast out our fears by your love. Help us to love our enemies, to accept our hardships and to cling firmly to you, for you have power over all, in the triumph of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever (Go now, sent out by the Father into the world to love and serve in the name of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit)  photo 1 taken in: Mosta, Malta. This photo is taken of a painting by my friend Patrick O'Cock
photo 2 taken in: Assisi, Italy. This is where Francis of Assisi started the Franciscan Order  Opening PrayerDe-clutter my heart, O God, until I am quiet enough to hear you speak out of the silence. Help me in these few moments to stop, to listen, to wait, to be still, and come to recognize your presence with me, in Jesus name, Amen. (silent reflection) Prayer of the BibleHow good it is to thank you, Lord, to praise your name, Most High, to sing your love in the beginning of each day. I am in awe of who you are and what you do, Lord how deep are your thoughts. -from Psalm 92 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of SinIt is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. The Lord says to us, ‘Turn to me with all your heart, for I am tender and compassionate’ (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 5:17-20 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayer for Ourselves and OthersDo not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests me made known to God. -Philippians. 4:6 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing PrayerForth in thy Name, O Lord I go, my daily labor to pursue; Thee, only thee, resolved to know in all I think or speak or do the task thy wisdom hath assigned, O Let me cheerfully fulfill, In all my works thy presence find, and prove thy good and perfect will. -Charles Wesley, 1707-88 (Go now, sent out by the Father into the world to love and serve in the name of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit)  *photo one: a small village in the Czech Republic-while driving from Lodz, Poland to Wieselburg, Austria
*bottom two: Monte Cassino, Italy-where St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery around the year 529  Opening PrayerCome, O Christ, and fill us with quiet confidence; help us trust that your love will never disappear (Silent reflection) Prayer of the Bible When I was desperate, I called out, and GOD got me out of a tight spot. GOD's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see —how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to him. -Psalm 34:6-8 The Message (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of SinShow me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Save me from all my sins -Psalm 39:4-8 (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. -Matthew 5:13-16 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayer for Ourselves and Others Oh, God, listen to my prayer; please open your ears. -Psalm 39:12 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing Prayer Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our fellow man throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them, through our hands this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love give peace and joy. Lord make me a channel of thy peace, that where there is hatred I may bring love; that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; that where there is discord, I may bring harmony; that where there is error, I may bring truth, where there is doubt- faith, where there is despair-hope; where there are shadows-light; where there is sadness-joy. Lord grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted; to understand than to be understood, to love than be loved, for it is by forgetting self that one finds it; by dying that one awakens to eternal life. Amen -Mother Teresa (1910-1997) and Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) (Go now, sent out by the Father into the world to love and serve in the name of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit)  photo 1 taken in: Bamberg, Germany
photo 2 taken in: Mother Teresa  Opening PrayerLord I am not proud holding my head to high, reaching beyond my grasp. No, I am calm and at rest like a weaned child resting in its mother’s arms: My whole being is at rest. -Psalm 131 (selah/Pause) Prayer of the BibleYou are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent, you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind, you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! -Psalms 104:1-4,35 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of SinO God, we belong to You utterly. You are such a Father that You take our sins from us and throw them behind Your back. You clean our souls as Your Son also washed the disciples’ feet. We hold up our hearts to You: make them what they must be. -George MacDonald (1824-1905) (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of JesusSeeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. -Matthew 5:1-12 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayer for Ourselves and OthersI urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone -I Timothy 2:1 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing PrayerTo Him who loves us and freed us form our sins by His blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen -Revelation 1:5-6 (Go now, sent out by the Father into the world to love and serve in the name of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit)  photo 1 taken in: Taize, France
photo 2 taken in: Thale, Germany We have created these 31 prayers, one for each day of the month, as a way of giving structure to our daily prayer time. These prayers are primarily composed of Scripture, especially from the book of Psalms, which has been the primary prayer book of God’s people. There is also an emphasis on the Words of Jesus, especially taken from the Sermon on the Mount, historically seen as powerful summary of Jesus’ call to discipleship and description of life in the kingdom of God. We have also included prayers by those who walked closely with Jesus throughout the centuries, who represent different Christian traditions, reminding us that God’s beauty, and fullness cannot be contained in just one Christian tradition. We have found that these prayers can help us go deep with God by rooting us in who He is and His grand story, that we are part of. They connect us with the Church universal. We join with others who are praying the same prayers. They give us words when we lack our own and strength during the days of darkness and doubt that we all encounter. These prayers are framed around six sections:
These prayers are the creative outflow of the Apprenticeship to Jesus fellowship, as we have journeyed the past ten years together seeking to grow in our love for Jesus, as his friends working with him to see his kingdom come and will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. It is our hope that these daily prayers be a conduit of grace to help us grow in the practice of being with God This is where our hearts will be reshaped into the likeness of Jesus. It is in His presence where we will receive clarity and strength to face each day with all of its challenges, ready to be a servant of all in the name of Jesus. -Ryan Thurman, friend and follower of Jesus More Thoughts on PrayerPrayer is Being with GodPrayer means yearning for the simple presence of God. It is, loving communication with God. All we need for prayer is an open heart When we talk of prayer today it can bring up a variety of emotions and ideas. For some prayer can trigger a sense of shame because they think they don't do ‘it’ enough. While for others the topic of prayer can reveal deep rooted anger or frustration because they feel ‘it’ does not work. Many of us know prayer is important and desire like the first friends of Jesus to not only learn how to pray but also to grow in it. I wonder if we might benefit from a fresh perspective; a rethinking of what prayer is. I believe prayer in its essence is about relationship. It is longing for the simple presence of God, who created us, loves us and is always with us. George Miley writes, In its most basic form, prayer is simply coming present to God and dwelling in His Presence. God is always right there near us. It is not God who has left us, but we who have left Him. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, in their un-fallen state, knew unbroken communion with God. This is the condition for which the human soul was created. Our fallen state has left us spending large amounts of our time without a conscious awareness of God’s Presence. This absence has left a huge, inescapable hole in our hearts. In moments of honest self-awareness, we know that there is a profound yearning within us for the Presence of God. What is essential in our journey of prayer is to keep it centered on relationship and recognize like any relationship we have, it requires quality time and effort to build and maintain intimacy and trust, which is essential for a loving relationship. This is what we were created for; just like fish were made for water, so are we are made for prayer. Being with God is deeply satisfying! Jesus knew this, for him, prayer was always more than a form of words expressing praise, sorrow, needs, or desires. Prayer, was recognition that God was constantly present at every moment. For Jesus, prayer involved speaking with God, and a turning towards God and most deeply it meant being with God.  We learn to pray from Jesus We who long to walk more closely with our Father and be drawn more deeply into his heart, can learn so much from Jesus. Perhaps the most important and foundational lesson about prayer that we can learn from Jesus is that there is a rhythm of prayer which can be integrated into our everyday life. For Jesus prayer was habitual. Most individuals and communities who develop a meaningful life of prayer that grows over the years do so because they develop regular habits of prayer. What this looks like—how often we pray, or where, or when, or how—is not the point. What is necessary is to discover a pattern of prayer that fits well with our personality and unique situation, and then commit ourselves to do everything we can to plant it into our lives so deeply that it becomes difficult to uproot. Prayer can become as natural and integrated in our lives as eating or sleeping. But it takes work to develop the habit. Again, looking at Jesus, we see he had the custom of going to the synagogue to pray. He was known by those around him for his habit of withdrawing into solitude to be with His Father., as well as slipping away in the early mornings to pray. We learn from Jesus that being with God is about knowing our Father’s heart and his will and receiving the grace to hear and obey him.  We grow in prayer as we receive the gifts of the Church The Church is the body of Christ. The Church is holy and beautiful because of Christ and at the same time it is frail and broken because it is made up of men and women. Throughout history Christ has inspired many gifts to be created through the Church. Christian worship is a primary gift that goes back to the writing of Paul in Colossians where he encourages Christians to, “let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your heart.” From its earliest beginnings Christian worship developed within two settings: The first was the gathering of believers on the first day of the week. Here worship was structured around the gospel and the shared meal. The second was a rhythm of worship and prayer ordering weekdays. This was typically done in smaller groups, such as families, or individually. It came to be understood as the Church’s work. One of the fruits of this second rhythm of worship and prayer was the development of written prayers that would eventually be compiled into prayer books so that followers of Jesus could have a guide for their daily prayer time.  Written Prayers help us in our prayer journey
In our current Christian culture we tend to see ourselves as having the primary role in prayer and worship and we feel pressure to express our love and devotion to God in a genuine way. This can lead us to rely heavily on our feelings, do we feel close to God, do we feel passion, do we feel good. Written prayers remind us that God is the primary actor. He initiates relationship. He is always with us, and pursues us when we leave Him. We learn to trust that whether we feel God’s presence or not, He is with us and we will be met and reshaped by Him. God initiates we respond. 1) Written prayers give us words: I would imagine that there have been multiple times in which you, like me, felt the need to pray, but felt at a loss for words. Written prayers can help us learn Scripture and specific prayers, “so that one day when you are so completely low, so profoundly desperate that you cannot call out of your soul any spontaneous expression, any spontaneous wording, you will discover that these words come up and offer themselves to you as a gift of God, as a gift of the Church, helping our simple lack of strength. And then you really need the prayers you have learnt and made a part of yourself.” 2) Written prayers create a structure that can help us remain balanced, so our time with God does not focus too much on ourselves but remains rooted in God and also on others, both near and far. They remind us their are prayers that we share in common, as part of the human family. It is deeply encouraging to realize that other followers of Jesus have walked the same path we are walking and felt the same sorrow, pain, joy, and hope we are experiencing. 3)Written prayers connect us with the Church universal. It is humbling to know that around the world many are praying these same psalms and prayers that we are. In fact, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1-3) who are the authors of some of these prayers and have prayed the same prayers that we are now. Finally, we are joining with a large heavenly host who are forever offering similar words of praise and blessing to God. (Revelation 7:11) You are warmly invited to our next A2J Quarterly!
by Ryan Thurman  Me with my Grandam Willo My journeyIn my early twenties I learned a lesson that marked the trajectory of my life. Like most meaningful lessons, pain was essential. I was broken and confused by my duplicity. I loved God, or at least I wanted to love Him. I was effective in Christian ministry but I was lacking in character. The cry of my heart was for wholeness in my life. I knew that if I stayed where I was, I could easily hide behind gifting and competency and avoid the need for healing and maturing, at least for a while, so I packed up my truck and left my family, community and city. I took six months off to drive across the country to visiti friends and family. The majority of my time was living in a small town in Michigan with my grandparents. Their love for God and for each other provided the environment needed to allow God to begin in me a deep work of healing. I was in awe of their simple yet profound faith. Each day I joined them for morning prayer. You can learn a lot about someone by being invited into their conversation with God. I learned from their prayers and by watching their lives what they had discovered, in their many years, to be the most important things in life. God used my time with them to be a corrective in how I viewed older people. I was malformed by our society that places ultimate value upon physical beauty, strength and productivity. Because older people generally do not have this in abundance they are greatly undervalued, unappreciated, and to our collective shame, even at times treated as burdens. We've got is so wrong! They are treasures that have so much to offer. This is especially true for those who have navigated life's hardships and have not given into the temptation to 'lose heart.' Who have not become hardened and cynical, but in glaring contrast, with God's help, have grown in grace, wisdom and beauty.  The Cry for Spiritual ParentsWe live in a time that has a shortage of healthy families with healthy parents. We have a generation of young people crying out for parents in their life. Many have broken lives and have experienced more rejection and pain than most of us can imagine. They come from all walks of life, and they’re desperate for a nurturing spiritual parent, someone to really care and help them find their identity and life in Christ. The good news is that when we come into relationship with God we gain a new family, a spiritual family. Jesus promises this in Mark 10:29 My time with my grandparents taught me the importance of honoring and learning from those who have gone before me and I have made it a priority to have older people in my life that I can follow. Not to try to become them but to learn the habits and convictions that have contributed to them becoming like Jesus. Once again I have had to unlearn the patterns of this world that tells us we need to find our own way, to be our own persons. It was Frank Sinatra who exemplified this many years ago when he sang, "I did it my way" But the biblical instruction is that we learn from others who have gone before us in the faith: Paul writes, I urge you to imitate me. (1 Corinthians 4:16) And later writes, Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who live according to the pattern we set for you. (Philippians 3:17) This is what spiritual parents offer us. They help us become all that God has for us. It is that uncomplicated and that profound. It is simply helping someone take the next step ahead in their life as they learn to become more like Jesus. The Bible is full of this language and understanding. Job referred to himself as a father to the needy (Job 29:16). Peter referred to Mark as his son (I Peter 5:13). John continually referred to those he was writing to as his children (I John 2:1). Paul wrote, "Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel." (I Corinthians 4:15) God has provided for me a many spiritual parents. I want to highlight George and Hanna Miley and give a brief overview of how our relationship developed and what it looks like.  Birthday lunch with George and Hanna Miley
 The Call to become Spiritual Parents: to become the FatherFor about twenty years I have been captivated by Rembrandt's painting of the Prodigal Son, and it was Henri Nouwen who helped me pay attention to the centrality of the Father. Nouwen writes, But what of the father? Why pay so much attention to the sons when it is the father who is in the center and when it is the father with whom I am to identify? Why talk so much about being like the sons when the real question is: Are you interested in being like the father? It feels somehow good to be able to say: “These sons are like me.” It gives a sense of being understood. But how does it feel to say: “The father is like me”? Do I want to be like the father? Do I want to be not just the one who is being forgiven, but also the one who forgives; not just the one who is being welcomed home, but also the one who welcomes home; not just the one who receives compassion, but the one who offers it as well?
The call of spiritual parents is too bless, extend mercy and love, even when, like our Heavenly Father, we may be unappreciated, taken advantage of, and even rejected The call is for spiritual children to to come as they are to spiritual parents and allow them to become channels of God’s mercy and blessing Parents need their children and children need their parents. This is just as true of our biological families as it is with our spiritual families |
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