I love to pray the Prayer of the Heart, also called the Jesus Prayer: Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. The ancient prayer was, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” One of my friends likes to pray, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, one whom you love.” I like that. To keep it from being all about me, I often pray, “have mercy on us,” or I name a particular person, “have mercy on _________.” The Orthodox church originated this prayer, based on the many times in the Bible someone says, “God, have mercy on me!” Especially, it has at its root the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18, where the most honest prayer was recognized by Jesus to be that of the tax collector who cried out, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” I understand the Orthodox practice is to say the prayer interiorly so often that it begins to pray itself within you.
If you want to learn more about this practice, you can find it in the book, The Way of the Pilgrim. It also shows up in J.D. Salinger’s novel, Franny and Zooey.
I once went on a Jesus Prayer retreat. What we did was, basically, sit in silence and focus on praying the Jesus Prayer over and over. When we inhaled, we prayed, “Jesus Christ, Son of God,” and upon exhaling, “have mercy on me, a sinner.” Over and over, probably hundreds of times if not, eventually, thousands. Sure enough, in the middle of the night the second night, I woke up with the prayer saying itself within me. I thought this was one of the nicest things that had ever happened in my spiritual life.
The importance to me of this kind of prayer is great. First, it gets my ego out of the way: I am actually “lost” in an awareness of the Christ present with me. Next, it keeps me from “asking” for lots of things to transpire, as though God doesn’t have a clue as to what is happening in the world. Finally, for me at least, I don’t run out of things to say before God (how often have people been told to “pray without ceasing,” only to realize that if we pray to God with a catalogue of needs, we will eventually be prayed out?).
Over the years I have used the prayer silently in all kinds of crises: at the bedside of a parishoner in ICU; while married couples argued loudly in my office; when campers worshipped God to the best of their ability; all day on September 11, 2001; with friends and family in times of crisis; when I’ve learned of the death of friends and family; and finally, every day, as I remember those on my prayer list.
I’m no saint. I’m not even holy in any way unique from the way you are holy. What I am is a person in need of an awareness of the presence of God pretty regularly. Maybe you are, too. Be my guest. Pray the Jesus Prayer. You’ll go beyond being my guest: you’ll be a guest in the house of God
About jamiebrame
Greetings, fellow earthlings. I'm the retired Program Director at Christmount, the national retreat, camp, and conference center of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), in Black Mountain, NC. From September 2019 through October, 2020, I served Timberlake Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Lynchburg, VA, as interim minister. After taking more than a year off, First Christian Church (DoC), Wilson, NC, offered me the position of Interim Minister, beginning May 10, 2022.
Originally from Eden, NC, I graduated from John Motley Morehead High School, earned a BA in Religion and Philosophy at Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College), and eked out a Master of Divinity from the Divinity School at Duke University. I served, in various positions, churches (part time and full time) in North Carolina and Georgia, and have lived in Black Mountain, NC, since 1989. I married Renae in 1992 (she refers to these years as "looooooooooong" years.
I've spent the past 50 years or so trying to practice Christian contemplative prayer with some touches of Zen meditation to help the journey along. Married to a wife who is much holier than I am, I am fortunate to learn from her daily about how to do this thing called spirituality. Being an ordained minister doesn't make me holy (but occasionally, as you'll read, a little sanctimonious, so forgive me in advance!); but I hope that I put my education to good use.
I'd love to be considered a spiritual teacher, but I know myself too well to claim that. While I do a bit of teaching, I think the best teaching we do is when we remain silent (the old desert abba said something like, "if you won't learn from my silence, you won't learn from my talking"). But silence shouldn't turn into quietism, and we do have to speak out and act for justice and fairness and equality for all.
I frequently ask myself the question, "Does it matter?" about the major - and minor - issues of the day. What I think matters: love for God, equality, fairness, loving our neighbor, feeding hungry people, housing homeless ones, clothing naked ones, and especially caring for children; basically, caring for those who have some trouble caring for themselves. AND our relationship with God.
What doesn't matter: what you think of me. I'm not very Christ-like. You won't hear me talking about all the things I do for others, or all the things I do for God - I was taught that It's not about me, and using good works to get attention for myself isn't what Christian faith is about - look up "narcissism" on Google. I'm not sure Jesus thinks it matters much that I am like him or not, but I do. The old story from the rabbis is probably apropo: when I am hauled up before God at the end of time, God isn't going to ask me why I wasn't more like someone else: I will be asked why I wasn't more like me. The rabbis tell the story better.
I'm still a work in progress, as Renae will attest to.
Finally, I just hope that something you read here will make you think. Use what you can, ignore the rest. Go read some of the desert saints. Read the classics. Take care of people, never point to yourself, and don't follow me: I'm just hoping to be one more signpost to God.
And as one friend reminded me the week before I left Christmount, "It matters."
Oh, and my favorite color is probably blue, and I love cats, and I love my wife's music. I don't like beets.
Does It Matter 