Shannon Rose: Prayer 2

12/5/2013

In discussing Phenomenology of Prayer, one thing that caught my attention was the idea of humility through prayer. The book addresses the fact that we are called to a certain de-centeredness so that we may communicate with the Divine more effectively. We are also called to praise God through prayer (among other things-see ACTS prayer). Through this form of adoration, the focus shifts from ourselves to something much greater. When we focus on the One True King, our minds are no longer cluttered with things of this fallen world. True praise rules out worry and doubt. Genuine adoration nullifies negativity and amplifies positive outlook. In this form of prayer, we gain a heavenly perspective. Why, then, does our outlook shift so much when we do not consciously adore the Lord? Simple. When we praise God, we are intentionally worshipping him; that is what our mind is on and that is what influences our thoughts. There is no such thing as an absence of worship. The absence of praise is just the absence of worship geared towards the Lord. When we are not worshipping the Lord, we are worshipping something else. If one’s thoughts are consumed by concerns with money, that is worship of capital. If a person is constantly worried about appearance, that is an example of worship of other people’s opinions. And so on. We are a people designed for worship. If we are not worshipping the One that we are designed to worship, the one who brings ultimate satisfaction, what are we worshipping? Admiring anyone is a humble experience. When that experience is shifted to God’s level, it is possible to achieve full humility in Christ.

Shannon Rose: Prayer 1

The call and the fall 10/23/2013

In talking about the phenomenology of prayer, we discussed the concept of the call. We described the call as a direction from God that is not determined by the notion of expectation. The story of Samuel in the Bible is referenced and the fact that Samuel did not wait for Go to call was highlighted. Samuel was simply put in a situation that played out the way it did because of God’s intentional, yet subtle initiation.

The call is seldom a thing that is ever written out, plain for the eye to see. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it is not exactly probable. That being said, the Lord is all powerful and could very well write out everyone’s calling on a little index card and mail it to us via pigeon.  Thinking about it now, that would actually be pretty nice. No! That’s just not how it works. And I don’t think it’s just me saying that. In the beginning of time, man walked alongside God and they existed together in a perfect, open, clear relationship. However, when man sinned, there was a tragic separation that took place. Man noticed his state of nakedness and was ashamed; the openness of the relationship was destroyed. No longer did man walk alongside his creator… The separation caused by the fall of man prohibits us from communicating perfectly and clearly with God. Sin is the wall that muffles the Lord’s voice when we try to listen to Him.

One of the main points that we touched on that I really liked was the fact that the call is dialogue-even though it comes from outside oneself. That is something that I know I struggle with a lot; dialogue. I am a monologue prayer by nature. I ramble on and on about whatever pops into my head-and I might be ADD, so it’s a pretty steady flowing stream of thoughts at all times. The Bible gives us a rough outline for prayer (Matt 6:9-13) and I definitely follow it, but another part of the outline should include “listen”.  Without listening, how does one expect to hear what he Lord has to say back?

Shannon Rose: Outside Reading 3

12/12/2013

I have been reading Blind Courage by Bill Irwin as research for our final paper. Irwin has a heck of a testimony, not only had he lost his sight to a rare eye disease, but also, he had four failed marriages, struggled with alcoholism, and ran into problems with his kids.  Everything that happened in his life conditioned him for the most beautiful thing that a man can come across on this earth; a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship was then to lead him to make the journey, blind, along the entirety of the Appalachian Trail.

I think this book was the first book that I have read from a blind author. The imagery is certainly atypical in a new and refreshing sort of way. Instead of descriptions of color, the reader experiences descriptions of smell and feeling. The picture in my head as I read is darker and less detailed in ways that it is usually more detailed. However, Irwin’s writing provides and imagery that provides unusual sensations. I am enjoying Irwin’s story very much. It is captivating and convicting as well as moving and freeing. Irwin’s experience with the Lord is inspirational and definitely kick-starts my excitement and passion for our Savior.

Shannon Rose: Outside Reading 2

12/10/2013

After months of strong suggestions from my friend, I read Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. The book itself was delightful to read overall, convicting at times, but mostly eye opening. The perspective of a mind such as Lewis’ is refreshing and incredibly insightful.

Lewis talked about coming to know God in one of the chapters and it reminded me a lot of the devotion that I led last summer at Camp Highroad. The lesson revolved around the story of the Prodigal Son. I highlighted the aspect of the story that discussed the second son’s jealousy of the first son. The first son was being celebrated after he went away and spent all of his father’s money and the second son was confused as to why in the world the first son would be celebrated after he did such terrible things. The key is in this passage from Mere Christianity:

“When you come to knowing God, the initiative lies on His side. If He does not show Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to find Him. And, in fact, He shows much more of Himself to some people than to others—not because He has favourites, but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition. Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites, cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as in a clean one.”

The first son did terrible things; he desimated everything that his father spent his life working for and brought shame to his family name. However, that did not matter. It’s sad that it took the first son such a dramatic experience to realize how good he had it, but he still realized how good he had it. It took him running himself down to rags to be humble enough to accept what the father had to offer the entire time. The first son’s heart was conditioned by his experience of running away to seem as a favorite to his father. In reality, he just saw the blessings and his father’s presence more clearly. It is the same way with God. A lot of Christians are like the second son-not necessarily jealous, but constantly working and working, thinking that it is pleasing to God.

Romans 5:8 - But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Shannon Rose: Outside Reading 1

12/11/2013

Honestly, this reading was from the summer before this semester, but I reread a majority of My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir and absolutely fell in love with this one quote from the text. It reads, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” I took the entire passage to be referring to nature as a whole and the necessity that it is in human life. It explicitly reflects on topics that we covered in class about communication with the Divine through nature and spiritual journey. Nature offers a sort of disconnect from the typical hustle and bustle of the life that has been given to us. This disconnect provides a means of introspection and opens up an opportunity for communication with God. In the above image is another John Muir quote from a letter to his sister. He does not mean to say that the elevated terrain is simply yelling at him to come for no reason, there are many different, subtly implications of this quote. When Muir first was exposed to the unique and serene environment of the nature in the mountains, his soul had been opened up to an experience that would alter his worldview and even the condition of his soul. With that altered worldview, he would then realize that he’d been missing out on the enlightenment of the intimate connection with nature and the Divine his whole life. With a revelation that great and an emotional and spiritual alteration that significant, Muir cannot fathom the idea of letting “the mountains” become a fading memory. His soul thirsts for more; his heart is drawn back to the elevated wilderness. That place is what Muir correlates with God. There, he is a man meeting his creator, a son in the arms of his father, a weary traveler resting in the comfort of a place that feels like home.