1. Spirituality & Prayer MC Saskatchewan
Betty Pries
L3 Consulting Group

2. Opening Welcome & Prayer Hymn Singing Acts 2:1-8, 11 - 13
What is this place? HWB 1
Now thank we all our God HWB 86
Lord of Mercy
Acts 2:1-8,
Introductions

3. Lord of Mercy
Lord of mercy breathe o’er us Your warm breath of life Remind us who we are again Prince of Peace call your people To rise up as one The Kingdom of God is at hand

4. Spirit blow through us the fire-winds of hope ‘Till our hearts burn for justice in love Blow soon on this dry, frozen land Have mercy upon us once more

5. Purpose Friday evening focus: Spirituality and Prayer
Saturday focus: Congregational Life Cycle & Renewal

6. Friday Evening Agenda Opening Remarks The Grand Narrative
Spirituality & prayer for the 21st C (and any other century)
Closing

7. Why a Session on Spirituality & Prayer?
Because our lives, the life of our church and the future of society depends on it.

8. Why a Session on Spirituality & Prayer?
Because our lives, the life of our church and the future of society depends on it.
Finding our way through times of social upheaval depends on spiritual renewal.

9. Why a Session on Spirituality & Prayer?
Because our lives, the life of our church and the future of society depends on it.
Finding our way through times of social upheaval depends on spiritual renewal.
(Re)claiming a focus for MC Saskatchewan (or any congregation) is always first and foremost a spiritual journey.

10. The Grand Narrative Suffering Awe, Wonder Transformation
Note a linear trajectory...

11. The Grand Narrative Wonder Suffering Transformation Via Illuminativa
Life
Praise
Creation = good
Orientation
Faithful
Egypt
Suffering
Via Purgativa
Death
Confession
Fall/Sin
Disorientation
Unfaithful
Wilderness
Transformation
Via Unitiva
Resurrection
Consolation
Grace
Reorientation
God calls back
Promised Land

12. The Structure of the Grand Narrative
More like a spiral
The down is as critical as the up
“Three things of which you can be sure...” (Rohr)

13. The Structure of the Grand Narrative
More like a spiral
The down is as critical as the up
“Three things of which you can be sure...” (Rohr)
Not a straight line: Creation>sin>Jesus

14. Awe & Wonder Original Blessing Joy
“And God saw that the world was good”
Associated with Kataphatic knowing
Un-tempered by the Grand Narrative, awe and wonder can = ego
Where you begin changes everything.

15. Suffering Original Sin> suffering = human condition
Brokenness – wilderness
Dying before we die
Associated with apophatic knowing
Dark night of the soul
Fertilizer is in the valleys
“God’s love can save you from nothing but can sustain you through everything.” (James Finley)

16. Transformation Acceptance & Surrender (Gelassenheit) Wisdom Inner rest
Alignment with God
A sense of purpose
A kind of oneness with God

17. Why is this important?
The church in Canada is in the “suffering” –wilderness stage.
What we knew to be true about how the world worked (and our role in it) is being stripped from us.
E.g. United Church (being kicked out of the room); sense of wilderness.

18. Why is this important?
The way out of suffering always involves surrender.
It is about reconnection with God, returning to faithfulness but transformed and different from before.

19. Why is this important?
Where we begin changes everything. It determines how we live into the journey.

20. Opening to Transformation
Identify examples of people/groups in the Bible who experienced “wilderness/suffering” & who opened themselves to transformation.
How did they open themselves to transformation?
What can we learn from these examples?

21. Biblical Transformation Principles
Watch out for “wilderness” or “desert” moments in the Bible.
They act as a sign to pay attention: Transformation is about to happen.

22. Biblical Transformation Principles
Jesus is our archetype for the desert journey. 40 days in the desert. Wrestling. Stripping away. Clarifying.

23. Biblical Transformation Principles
Our Biblical ancestors expected/sought an encounter with God in wilderness/suffering.

24. Biblical Transformation Principles
Our Biblical ancestors expected / sought an encounter with God in wilderness/suffering.
With lament, confession, complaint, wrestling, argument, silence, petition, praise...

25. In Our Time...
Sometimes prayer is our way of crying out while in wilderness/suffering.
Sometimes prayer is our way of voluntarily entering wilderness/suffering.

26. In Our Time...
Mostly, prayer is about our desire to encounter God.

27. In Our Time... Mostly, prayer is about our desire to encounter God.
In the 21st C, this is a pretty urgent matter.

28. In Our Time...
Renewal for pastors, for lay people & at MC Saskatchewan depends on... prayer, listening for God’s leading, encounter, waiting, longing for God...

29. Forms of Prayer Speaking prayer Listening prayer Walking prayer
Singing prayer
Scripture reading
Lectio Divina
Spiritual reading

30. Forms of Prayer Speaking prayer Listening prayer Walking prayer
Singing prayer
Scripture reading
Lectio Divina
Spiritual reading

31. Listening Prayer What has been your experience of listening for God?
How have you sensed God speaking into your own life?

32. Listening Prayer Opening heart, mind, soul
Practicing listening in prayer
in order to hear God speak in the 24/7 of life
Like going to the gym for the soul

33. Why Listening Prayer?
Because we can’t be transformed if we are talking all the time.
Speaks to a longing of our time.

34. Listening Prayer
For most of us, this is very hard to do.

35. What does Listening Prayer do?
Strips away our attachments, ego, pain
Finlay and wedding image

36. What does Listening Prayer do?
Strips away our attachments, ego, pain
Allows us to practice returning to God
Finlay and wedding image

37. What does Listening Prayer do?
Strips away our attachments, ego, pain
Allows us to practice returning to God
Opens us to burning bush moments
The burning bush is in the wilderness!
Finlay and wedding image

38. What does Listening Prayer do?
Strips away our attachments, ego, pain
Allows us to practice returning to God
Opens us to burning bush moments
Drives us along the Grand Narrative spiral.
Finlay and wedding image

39. What does Listening Prayer do?
Strips away our attachments, ego, pain
Allows us to practice returning to God
Opens us to burning bush moments
Drives us along the Grand Narrative spiral.
Aligns us with God, our identity and calling.
Finlay and wedding image

40. Listening Prayer Sit comfortably.
Make space for pouring out your soul.
Identify your intention to God.
Notice your breath or choose a breath prayer.
Use your breath prayer / breath to return to inner silence.
Start with 2 – 5 minutes; work up to 20 – 30.

41. Listening Prayer Practice self-compassion.
Practice non-resistance to your thoughts – accepting them & releasing them to God.

42. Listening Prayer Goal is not to achieve perfect silence.
Goal is to practice returning to God.
God will speak – but outside of the listening prayer time.

43. Listening Prayer Discussion
What questions / comments emerge for you re: listening prayer?

44. Listening Prayer Practice
Choose a word/breath.
Invitation (let yourself speak to God)
Be still & know (1x)
Silence (use word/breath to return to God)
Be still & know (2x)
Lord’s Prayer

45. Prayer Prayer bathes us in God’s love, in whom we are made whole.
Prayer bathes our world in God’s love, in whom our world is made whole.

46. Closing