In the company of saints...

Oswald Chambers. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Rich Mullins. Hannah Whitehall Smith. Dennis Kinlaw. Evelyn Underhill. Jackson Lashier. What do these seven persons have in common? Each are saints of the Lord Jesus who are dear to me; each possesses a heart that I admire, even as they bring me to Christ. Some names you will know from the media, sermons, or Sunday school lessons. Others you can search and find their writings or albums on amazon.com. Others aren't on amazon.com at all, but they're pictured in my photo albums--friends and counselors who have helped me pray and grow in Christ. The company of saints in my story of following Jesus. Whether they whisper counsel through books, speak with me over the telephone, or encourage me over coffee, the saints of the Lord keep me pressing on, and I could not persevere without them.

When I think back on the turning points in my life, I can't imagine praying as I do now without the experience of daily prayer with my best friend from seminary, Jackson Lashier. I never would have appreciated the important of naked honesty in our faith journey without Rich Mullins' song, 'Hard to Get.' Without Evelyn Underhill, I wonder how I would have understood that worshipping God is the most beautiful, fulfilling way I can spend my time. If Dietrich Bonhoeffer had never lived and died in Christ, I wonder who would have passionately communicated that following Christ requires everything. With the saints, I have never been 'without.' With them, I am always within the presence of God.

So what about each of you? Who has walked alongside you? Which saint, whether living now or present with the Lord, has inspired you to be more like Jesus? Selfishly, I look forward to increasing my own company. Even more, I look forward to being drawn into those saints who have been in your heart these many years. Let's share with one another and see how the Spirit unites us in the process!

Blessings

Jack

The Challenge of Prayer

Last night at Theophany we began talking about living a life led by the Spirit and devoted to prayer. The reflections I offered in the sermon last night were designed to give us a broader understanding of human nature from Genesis 3 and Romans 8 in regards to prayer and the Spirit--namely, our tendency to 'hide' in the things of this world and to 'cover up' our loneliness, contrasted with a life that 'shelters' and abides in the Spirit through prayer.

This week I hope we can use Table Talk as a place to continue our discussion on the life of prayer/life in the Spirit. Specifically, I thought it might be helpful to discuss tangible ways we can work out our callings to be devoted in prayer.

With that said, I'll throw out a few beginning questions and see where you all take the discussion.

What is the most significant challenge that you face when you pray? What methods, techniques, or patterns have been helpful to you in prayer? Where do you find direction from the Word to help you pray?

Also, when you get a chance, check out http://www.rejesus.co.uk/spirituality/index.html. This is a website that fuses ancient spiritual practices with our present day culture. I've found it helpful when working at a computer to have guided prayer online, just to offer a break during the day. There's even an online labyrinth there. Definitely worth a quick browse!

Peace...

Jack