April 4, 2020 The Spring of our Discontent Scripture: Hebrews 12: 2a
The Message Bible renders this little verse this way: “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it.”
It is easy sometimes to run out of words in prayer. On 9/11/2001, that happened to me. Maybe it did to you as well. It just seemed I ran out of any more to say to God about the situation, about my fears and hopes, about the people who died and their families, about the people who perpetrated the whole thing. No more words. What do you do when that happens?
One of the things I was taught by my mentors, especially the monks, is that it is perfectly normal to run out of words in prayer. When we believe that praying is about what we say to God, we have missed out on the other half of prayer: what God is saying to us.
I go to two places when this happens: first, to the Psalms; and second, to the Jesus Prayer, or Prayer of the Heart: Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. It is a prayer of repetition and comes from the Eastern Orthodox traditions of Christianity. The prayer is practiced by many in this way: as you inhale, think the words, “Jesus Christ, Son of God.” Exhaling, think, “Have mercy on me.”
The original prayer is more like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” An Episcopalian priest friend used to say, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, one whom you love,” which I found to be a wonderful prayer and might just be the prayer for us at this moment in time.
What I love best about the Jesus Prayer is that as you repeat it over and over, slowly, following the rhythm of words and breath, it can actually begin to pray itself. I’m not kidding! I did a Jesus Prayer retreat many years ago and sure enough, I woke up in the middle of the night after two days of repeating the prayer and, yes indeed, it was still going even in my sleep.
There are differing opinions on this next thought, but I use the prayer when I pray for others: “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on N., one whom you love.” It becomes a prayer of trust, knowing that God knows what each person needs so that I don’t have to remind God of God’s knowledge.
Today, I would recommend that you take three minutes to sit in God’s presence, follow your breathing, trust God completely, and pray, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on our world.”
Prayer: Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, this world which you love.
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 