There is no question that solitary spirituality is modeled by the Psalms, Jesus and Acts. But my point is that the operation of God’s spirit in his body requires our gathering together. And by operation I don’t just mean God speaking to us. God wants us to minister to one another. That requires frequent and intimate interaction of believers.
Beware of setting your hopes on hearing the voice of God in an empty room. And likewise beware of trying to be ministered to sitting in a pew listening to a monologue. A desire to get closer to God should result in community not isolation.
If I take a hard look at the actual practice of “personal devotions” it looks something like this: I sit in a quiet room. I read my Bible and I pray. If I do that regularly enough I will have a healthy personal relationship with God. Join that with attending church once a week and I am a good Christian. But if we take a global perspective on this practice we find that it is extremely rare. Somebody give me statistics on actual Bible reading in the U.S. As a percentage of the populace it is miniscule. Step beyond the border and you will find entire civilizations where the idea of “personal devotions” isn’t just unknown, it’s impossible. Few Bibles. Low literacy. And the majority of cultures are organized around the family or the community.
That’s why I think the idea of “common prayer” is a good one. We should seek opportunity to worship with fellow believers on a daily basis. I’m afraid that the Book of Common Prayer is more intimidating than it should be but the idea is a good one: create a space and a place for worship and read the Bible and pray together.
One of the most inspiring examples of common prayer I have ever seen is the TLC group attended by my Dad and my dear step Mother (lest you think I consider her one of the wicked kind!). TLC stands for “Tender Loving Care” or “The Lord Cares.” This group was started nearly twenty years ago, back when TLC was the cool thing to do in churches. The group has grown, shrunk, and changed over time. But they keep getting together a couple of times a month and praying and sharing together. Sitting in Janet and Gary’s living room drinking lousy coffee and watching humble and hurting people minister to one another is one of the most powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit that I have ever witnessed.
Enough said. It’s time for my personal devotions.
Previous post: Personal devotions are unbiblical
14 responses so far ↓
eclexia // October 4, 2007 at 8:02 am
I’ve been chewing on some of these things for a while and you’ve helped put words and substance to it.
lingamish // October 4, 2007 at 8:57 am
I’ve been thinking about you and am glad to hear your voice.
Samuel // October 4, 2007 at 8:59 am
Ok…
Think of it like a marrigage. The bible is very very clear that we are the brides of God. So I dont know if you are married, but if you only talk to your wife and get to know her when your friends are over, then you will not know her at all. But if you and her talk one to one and get to know each other in an intimate way, then when you get with Friends the love of your marriage will be manifested, and well known.
Same with God. We need and have to have a personal, one on one, relationship with God every day or we will have no relationship at all.
And just to clear up here im talking about a relationship with God. Not calling on God for revival.
Samuel // October 4, 2007 at 9:02 am
o ya and the intimate, one on one, relationship, with God, will manifest felowship with others, just like it did with Jesus and his diciples.
God bless
lingamish // October 4, 2007 at 9:58 am
Good stuff, Samuel.
Peter Kirk // October 4, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Common Prayer, as in the book of that name, was never intended for family devotions, but “The Morning and Evening Prayer shall be used in the accustomed Place of the Church”, daily throughout the year. Some Anglican clergy still do this, but usually on their own, whereas the liturgies clearly imply that “the whole Congregation” should be present. But this tradition is not entirely dead, as Tim Chesterton reports. Many clergy simply say morning and/or evening prayer privately at home, which is of course quite against the original intention.
lingamish // October 4, 2007 at 1:00 pm
My copy of Celebrating Common Prayer says this, “This simple celebration of daily prayer is intended as something for the whole community to do. It provides a form that can be used at home and in the family, or in groups, while it is celebrated at the same time in church. It depends on care being taken to make it true community worship, even when it is used alone.”
From Celebrating Common Prayer, The Office–Simple Celebration, p. 281
lingamish // October 5, 2007 at 9:04 am
Janet contacted me and took issue with the “lousy coffee” comment! I don’t specifically remember the quality of the coffee but there’s no forgetting the tender loving care.
She also said they continue to pray for us regularly.
Peter Kirk // October 6, 2007 at 2:12 pm
I thought you were taking about “the Book of Common Prayer”, the 1662 one which was properly authorised by those authorities your ancestors (on one side at least) rebelled against in 1776. If you are talking about some modern mishmash called “Celebrating Common Prayer”, that’s another matter. But why should I take that book any more seriously than the thousands of others on prayer at any good Christian bookshop?
lingamish // October 6, 2007 at 9:06 pm
You terrible old COE snob! Well, enjoy that book along with the two guys that Tim met in the church. Even Celebrating… is a bit too stuffy for most modern usage. Again, the idea at the heart of it is good: let’s make it a practice of gathering together briefly each day to give thanks to God and pray for one another. I’d dearly love a chance to worship together with you one of these days.
lingamish // October 6, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Peter wrote: “But why should I take that book any more seriously than the thousands of others on prayer at any good Christian bookshop?”
Peter, you’re starting to use hyperbole. I think I must be having a bad influence on you.
Oh, and congrats on England over the Aussies. I watched without understanding in the least what was going on.
Peter Kirk // October 9, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Indeed, and I will enjoy tongueless worship with you as well.
“Thousands” is not hyperbole. amazon.com just offered me a choice of 251,220 books on prayer. OK, amazon.com is not a Christian bookshop, and no doubt quite a lot of these books are about other religions. But all the first dozen are about some kind of Christian prayer (well, if you count Katharine Jefferts Schori). So I suspect that there are at least 100,000 titles out there about Christian prayer. Why select this one “Celebrating Common Prayer”, when you are not even Anglican? That is a real question. I’m sure the heart of it is good. But I am always unsure about something which takes out of context words intended for a different situation, and a different age, especially if its sets them up as a new rule which can so easily become a new legalism.
Don’t ask me how we beat the Aussies. I don’t understand what’s going on except to recognise that miracles do still happen.
Christian Carnival 193: Lions in Africa edition « Lingamish // October 10, 2007 at 6:48 am
[...] presents Common prayer is far too uncommon posted at [...]
Theology for the Masses » Blog Archive » Latest Christian Carnival // October 12, 2007 at 5:15 pm
[...] Common prayer is far too uncommon by Lingamish - on the corporate worship that is common prayer [...]
Leave a Comment