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Written by Craig Bosnick
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Friday, 19 December 2008 |
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I came across this Advent prayer this season that has really gripped me.
We give you thanks for the babe born in violence.
We give you thanks for the miracle of Bethlehem, born into the Jerusalem heritage.
We do not understand why the innocents must be slaughtered;
we know that your kingdom comes in violence and travail.
Our time would be a good time for your kingdom to come,
because we have had enough of violence and travail.
So we wait with eager longing, and with enormous fear, because your promises
do not coincide with our favourite injustices.
We pray for the coming of your kingdom on earth as it is around your heavenly throne.
We are your people grown weary with waiting.
We dwell in the midst of cynical people, and we have settled for what we can control.
We do not know that you hold initiative for our lives, that your love planned our salvation
before we saw the light of day.
And so we wait for your coming, in your vulnerable baby
in whom all things are made new. Amen.
(From Walter Brueggemann's book, "Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth”)
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Last Updated ( Friday, 19 December 2008 )
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Written by Craig Bosnick
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Friday, 17 October 2008 |
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 I was recently given a book that I am beginning to think would be helpful to chronicle as a resource, to reflect upon quotes and to wrestle with questions that may help us (me) in our practice of Sabbath. Could turn into a series of posts - no promises.
A couple quotes from the Introduction that have caused me pause already.
"Preparation for the Sabbath is as important as the day itself."
"The other six days of the week are a pilgrimage to the Sabbath."
So many times the Sabbath (if we even have a day that we have set apart as Sabbath) sneaks up on us or the quality of our Sabbath time is infringed upon by the normal practices of everyday life. While I think some traditional practices of Sabbath can take things to far, what really does differentiate this day from others? I hear of stories of people who weren't allowed to play games or soccer on Sundays growing up. In one sense this may be missing the heart of the sabbath but on the other it is an attempt to set apart a day as other. Do we plan for our Sabbath? Do we look ahead and take care of details so the Sabbath can be meaningful? I hope to discover what some of those practices could be as I journey through this book.
The Sabbath is not disconnected from the other days of the week. It is a reality that there are demands on us as we journey throughout the week: work, housekeeping, parenting, chores, friendships, teams, activities, school... but put another way, "The world has our hands, but someone else has our souls. Healthy sabbath practices acknowledge that we need to work and raise our families with due effort and sacrifice, but if we sacrifice the health of our souls we are in some danger. I like the imagery of the week as a pilgrimage and not just something to bear and get through. The Sabbath, instead of being a day to be exhausted or to escape the hardships of the week, has the potential to be than a day of celebration and resurrection. Yes, the resurrection and renewal of our souls each week.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 17 October 2008 )
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Prayer Pursuit 13 'Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Spiritual Growth' |
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Written by Craig Bosnick
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Friday, 10 October 2008 |
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 There are times in my prayer life when the practice becomes routine, predictable and frankly boring. I have often turned to prayer books when I feel like this for new language, new approaches and fresh expressions of prayer.
Most Recently I have begun to use Kenneth Boa's 'Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures as part of my prayer practice. Two things has been particularly refreshing. First, it is all scripture that it prayed (though he suggests various reflections after scripture readings).Second is the structure. Each day moves through 5 progressions:
1. The attributes of God
2. The Works of God
3. My Relationship to God
4. The Character I Want to Cultivate
5. My Relationship to Others
I have found praying through scripture and these 5 areas to be quite holistic and refreshing. I have also found that it can be done in 10 minutes or an hour. The flexibility is helpful. Boa suggests that this book is particularly helpful for end of day prayer. Chapters has it.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 10 October 2008 )
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