I posted this a while back before anyone was really reading this blog. Now that more people seem to be stopping by, I thought I'd put it out there again with some edits/additons since it's been on my mind again...
Do you find it difficult to have any sort of devotional time? When I was growing up, I was almost compulsive about my personal Bible Study, devotion time, etc. Somewhere along the way, I got more and more sporadic. In part, I found myself frustrated with the devotional books that I considered theologically too conservative. I find it hard to bond with God when you're busy mentally disagreeing with the author of whatever resource you're reading. My habit was broken, and I've never gotten it back for more than a few weeks at a time.
So, a disciplined devotional/prayer/bible-reading life - is it something I should be striving to get back, or something that is filled by other ways I am close to God? This is a debate I have with myself all the time. On the one hand, God is just simply the center of my life. I don't have specific time spent with God, because I honestly feel that all my time is with God, with varying degrees of my awareness. On the other hand, is that the easy way out? Isn't there something to be said for the discipline of devotions?
What do you think? Do you have a devotional/prayer life? Are there progressive Christian resources you would recommend? This last part is my particular interest - what are your specific practices? Ironically, my older brother who is more Eastern-ly-inclined in his spirituality, and certainly went through more of a time of rejecting Christianity than I ever came close to doing - he meditates regularly. Or at least more regularly than I do.
Do you find it difficult to have any sort of devotional time? When I was growing up, I was almost compulsive about my personal Bible Study, devotion time, etc. Somewhere along the way, I got more and more sporadic. In part, I found myself frustrated with the devotional books that I considered theologically too conservative. I find it hard to bond with God when you're busy mentally disagreeing with the author of whatever resource you're reading. My habit was broken, and I've never gotten it back for more than a few weeks at a time.
So, a disciplined devotional/prayer/bible-reading life - is it something I should be striving to get back, or something that is filled by other ways I am close to God? This is a debate I have with myself all the time. On the one hand, God is just simply the center of my life. I don't have specific time spent with God, because I honestly feel that all my time is with God, with varying degrees of my awareness. On the other hand, is that the easy way out? Isn't there something to be said for the discipline of devotions?
What do you think? Do you have a devotional/prayer life? Are there progressive Christian resources you would recommend? This last part is my particular interest - what are your specific practices? Ironically, my older brother who is more Eastern-ly-inclined in his spirituality, and certainly went through more of a time of rejecting Christianity than I ever came close to doing - he meditates regularly. Or at least more regularly than I do.
Comments
Even if praying is an informal mental conversation with God, it produces communication with God that brings insights and awareness that does not come simply from "feeling" God's presence about us. At its root, it seems that this shows that the mental component of faith is as important as any other portion, and must be present to bring a completeness to our belief.
Having said that, honesty demands full disclosure: maintaining a steady practice of prayer is an area in which I often stumble, and something I must constantly remind myself to do.
A more detailed thought on this can be found at:
http://georgecurcio.blogspot.com/2004/11/purpose-of-prayer.html
My name is Kristofer and a I am a Seminary Student and candidate for ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ (UCC).
For me, it matters less which discipline a person chooses; provided they actually pursue some sort of disciplined "God-time." For example, in a meeting with my Ministry Team Chairperson not long ago he asked if I prayed in my car (a really great use of what can be tedious time) and if I knew how to do breath prayers (great to do while driving).
You are correct in saying that the conservative sorts of devotionals which get published tend to be detrimental to the faith of progressives, radicals, and liberation theologians. Perhaps someone should approach Sojorners about publishing Progressive Devotions!?!
I just found your blog last week, but it is already one of my favorites and I added it to My-Yahoo. Keep up the good work!
Kristofer K. Avise-Rouse
Eden Theological Seminary
St. Louis
I'm starting where I left off this year, and I'm finding that when I'm dealing with the Gospels and the prophets, I really love it. Most of us are intimately familiar with the Pentateuch and so forth anyway (at least those of us who grew up in conservative churches are), so it's an appropriate thing for progressives to focus on. It's certainly enriched my practice as a Christian.
Meditation is never something I've been able to get into. I sympathize with a lot of the theological directions the mystics went off on, but as far as mystical practices, that's my wife's department. I'm too skeptical to really get it.
I can identify with what you are sayinga bout devotional literature. I really like just reading the Bible. As I read I underline things that "strike" me...after a week, I go back and read what has been underlined and then journal about it. I have found this to be really effective...fter a week or so of reading I begin to notice themes or similar thoughts recurring. It really feels like God is talking to me. And I like it because it isn't dependent on what other people think about Scripture, but about what God is saying to me.
Books I like include "weight of glory" by CSLewis. He once commented that the purpose of prayer wasn't to get God to do what I want Him to; rather it is to help me be more in line with His desires.
Merci beaucoup!
As for devotional books, a must for all progressive woman is "Sacred Journeys: A Woman's Book of Daily Prayer" by Jan Richardson. It's fantastic!!!!
Prayer walks are always good for me, too (though I can't usually slow down to a walk).
Lately I've been doing Reuben Job & Norman Sawchuck's "A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants" published by the Upper Room.
As a pretty theologically conservative Christian, my question is this: why is reading authors who don't agree with your theology so detrimental to your devotional book reading? Perhaps finding a like-minded progressive-thinker and sharing critiques of said devotional literature would help - but included in that would be questions like "how does this devotion/this author stretch my thinking?" "How might I, as a Christan who disagrees with (whatever), integrate some of the thinking behind the devo into my life?"
I've found that I've grown in my faith through some of my liberal/progressive friends, even when I disagree 99% with them, but usually it's the dialogue that grows me.