Dear Brothers and Sisters,
For this letter we find ourselves back in Seaford following two delightful weeks in Northumbria.
The planned purpose of this time was to consider and reflect upon all we had heard and learned over the past six weeks. We had reached the mid-part of the sabbatical time. We arrived full of expectation of what we would discuss, reflect over, of what God would say during this time.
Grindon Farm was the perfect place for this kind of prayerful reflection, situated a few minutes from Hadrian’s Wall, close to Sycamore Gap (as was), with twenty-mile views (on a clear day) along the valley. The Tyne flowed through Haydon Bridge (the nearest village), we got familiar with the lyrics “the fog on the Tyne is all mine, all mine” as on several days we watched the fog run down the valley and back again only to return and then retreat again to reveal a beautiful sunset.
The three cloud-free nights we had revealed the most stunning starscapes, the sky felt like a universal chorus of praise and worship as we were silenced by the magnificence of what we were seeing.
So, the venue was perfect for our purpose of prayerful reflection.
We spent considerable time considering prayer. We might assume that we know how to pray, after all we pray in so many ways and contexts. Corporate prayer, personal prayer, in prayer meetings, in our personal quiet spaces, in daily ‘quiet times,’ Sunday mornings. We engage in different types of prayer, intercessory, healing, personal or individual needs, corporate prayer, special prayer needs, e.g. national emergency, we pray for the church, family, all people everywhere. There is much guidance throughout the NT, e.g. 1Tim 2:1; Eph 6:18-19; 1Thes 5:16-120; and Lk 18:1-8 just for starters!
Even the disciples who had Jesus as their example were ignorant of how to pray, they came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” (Lk 11:1), it was then Jesus taught them a framework of prayer which came to be known as, ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ For many (like the disciples) this is the beginning of prayer and learning to converse and engage and discuss and hear God’s voice in our lives.
In the previous weeks especially at Nether Springs and in our reading we were re-introduced to ‘Contemplative Prayer.’ It’s not a way of prayer that we have considered seriously for some time, but at Grindon Farm reflecting on all that had passed it unexpectedly came into focus. But what is contemplative prayer? It’s easier to describe what it is not. It is not corporate intercessory prayer or praying through a personal prayer list – that can smack a little of giving God our shopping list of wants and needs, as if somehow we can tell God our agenda and expect Him to fall into line! Neither is it personal prayer in the quiet spaces where it is so easy to project our own egos and priorities into our prayer.
Contemplative prayer is not necessarily focussed upon specific requests, or in any way controlling the direction and emphasis of prayer. It is non-directed prayer, and that is a difficult concept to get our heads around. But, if we are to follow the injunctions of the NT to, ‘pray in all ways’ (Jesus), and ‘pray without ceasing’ (Paul) we need to take it seriously. Contemplative prayer is unplanned, unconfined, open to be led and directed by the Holy Spirit without the interference of our self-will. It is a style of prayer that just enjoys being alone with God, a prayer that allows God to read our hearts in the quietness of silence and solitude, but also in the hustle and bustle of life. It is a prayer that recognises that we are knowingly in God’s presence ALL the time, otherwise how can we begin to ‘pray without ceasing’?
The nearest I have got to this form of undirected prayer is using the ‘Jesus Prayer.’ Well known and used by the Orthodox and Catholic expressions of the church, it is the simple mantra of, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Repeated over and over until the words drop into the background and things in my heart come to the fore, and I find myself speaking the Jesus Prayer and yet praying from my heart the things that are uppermost or are brought to my attention by the Holy Spirit. I find it a wonderful way to pray in this manner when out walking at it can be quietly unheard by those passing on the path. I suspect that contemplative prayer is an attitude of prayer that moves from ‘if it be thy will’ to ‘may your will be done.’ I often wonder why we pray ‘if it be thy will’? If we don’t know something is God’s will why do we pray it? If it is not God’s will then at best it won’t be accomplished, at worst we might find ourselves praying in opposition to God’s will plan and purpose – not a good place to be! But, ‘may your will be done’ is a declaration of submission to Jesus and His work in our lives, it is non-directional but all-accepting.
This style must be learned (like the disciples) and I am not conversant in this ‘dialect’ of prayer yet, I suspect it will take years to grow into it alongside all the other modes of prayer. One thing I know and am confident in is the Holy Spirit’s place in our prayer lives. Guiding, leading, prompting, bring the prophetic, words of knowledge and wisdom, vision, and discernment into this central aspect of the Christian walk. The Holy Spirit’s dynamic influence in prayer cannot be ignored, for even when we totally fail and have no words, thoughts or understanding of what we should pray, “…the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;” (Rom 8:26). Many times down the years I have had to resort to just praying in tongues, in God’s language of ‘men and angels’ that Paul so clearly describes in 1Cor ch12-14. That Holy Spirit inspired and given language that is common to humanity and heaven that expresses what I want to say in prayer and worship in a way and with words that mean what I mean to say – even when I am at the ‘end of myself’ with no words left to pray.
I have still much to learn about prayer, and being reminded of this contemplative style of prayer so clearly understood by the desert saints and fathers, the pillar saints, the hermits down through the ages has been both a current joy and an ongoing challenge.
STOP PRESS!!! STOP PRESS!!! STOP PRESS!!! STOP PRESS!!! STOP PRESS!!! STOP PRESS!!! STOP PRESS!!!
In the last Letter from Sabbatical I mentioned that in obedience to God we put our house in Berkshire up for sale. Well, while we were at Grindon Farm praying, we accepted an offer for the asking price which was confirmed when we got home…… yeehah!
So, we can now start to look for our next home and our next step. Do keep praying for us in this.
Love and blessings,
Derreck & Corrinne