PRAYER AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD

On weekdays, I usually read the Scripture passages assigned for the day in the Lectionary and pray the morning, noon, twilight, or evening prayers in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church. Some days, I am distracted nearly the entire time, at times to the point that right in the middle of the prayer time, I think of something I must jump up and do right this minute.  At Sunday services, it's the same, except I don't jump up and leave, but I stay and mouth the words of the prayers with thoughts mostly wandering elsewhere.  Most days are better, days when I'm middlingly focused, wavering between attentiveness and distraction.  Of course, I believe God is always present, but oftentimes I am not fully present with God. 

Ah, but some days are different and quite special, for prayer is easy because I am enfolded in and filled with God's loving and powerful presence in a way that is close to tangible.  If I'm at home, the best response is to continue with the prayers and then remain silent with God.  The felt presence of God is a wonder and a joy, but, in the end, the experience is ineffable, beyond description.  And, at least for me, it is something not to be too much looked for or ever to be counted on.  Nor is it merited by my doing good or avoiding evil, but is rather all gift, all grace.  And who knows, perhaps only God, but that perseverance in prayer in the face of great distraction is more efficacious than prayer that flows easily.

Last Sunday, the felt presence of God happened during the Eucharistic service, and it was quite lovely.  Thanks be to God.

Image from Wikipedia.

PRAYER TIME

G K Chesterton - Tobias Haller

Some days while praying The Daily Office I am distracted the entire time to the point that right in the middle of the prayer time I think of something I MUST jump up and do right this minute.  Other days I'm middling focused.  God is always waiting for me, always present, but sometimes I am not truly present.  Ah, but today was different.  From the beginning, I was right in the groove with God.  The grace of the felt presence of the loving God is a wonder, but it is not to be counted on, and who knows (only God)  but that prayer in the face of great distraction is more efficacious than the prayer that comes easy.  And so I persevere.

O God of earth and altar, you gave G. K. Chesterton a ready tongue and pen, and inspired him to use them in your service: Mercifully grant that we may be inspired to witness cheerfully to the hope that is in us; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The icon is a selection from “quick ikons” of Holy Women and Holy Men written by Tobias Haller.

IT'S STILL EASTER - AND ST. THOMAS SUNDAY

 

The altar at St. John dressed for the Easter season. That's Julie, who served as crucifer today. I hope that she doesn't mind the view of her back in the picture.

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

(John 20:19-31)

I've read, and heard it read, and heard sermons on the passage from John time and time again, but today I was quite moved by the words. I felt a frisson, especially at the words in bold text.

Our rector is on vacation for a couple of weeks, but we are fortunate to have a retired priest and his wife in our congregation, and our priest-congregant took the services today and spoke in his sermon of the diciples' experiences of Jesus' presence after the resurrection. As the priest spoke, I remembered a few of my experiences of the presence of God, which remain vivid and full of power long after they happened.

I know godly Christians, folks who are far better disciples than I, who say that they never feel the presence of God. I don't believe at all that the felt presence of God is a necessity to the Christian life, but I thank God for the experiences of God's presence in my life. People may say I'm deluded and tell me that it was not God that I was experiencing, but I believe that what I felt was real and that the presence was God's. The true test of the experiences are whether they move me to more closely follow Jesus' teachings in the Gospels and thus bear good fruit.