Prayer and Scripture (Essentials Red)

For: The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt

 

I wonder if these writers of centuries old prayers had any idea of the longevity of their writings. Did they consciously sit down and say to themselves, “I’m going to write a prayer that the church will use for centuries. One that will stand the test of time. One that will be recited over and over again, long after I’m dead”.

 

What is it about these old prayers that can still capture my heart today? I know that I love the pictures that are painted by them. Maybe it’s the language; the use of words and phrases that are unlike contemporary speech. Definitely inspired by the Spirit!

Time and Space (Essentials Red)

For: The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt

 

Well, must say this is a first for me. Not real sure what to do. I’m guessing I should just write about what things have stood out to me this week in the course materials.

 

A couple of things have been on my mind this week. The concept of Daily Time has gotten me thinking. It seems that getting into the habit of praying in this way throughout the day is a practice worth doing. Lately I’ve been reading through the Bible with my kids every morning before they go to school and I go to work. Since working through the course this week, I’ve started to consciously implement a beginning to the Daily Time prayer pattern by making sure we do that together after reading. Next step will be to identify a good time during my work day for a second regular, dedicated time with God.

 

Another thing that has stuck with me is tied up in the Yearly Times discussion. I’ve never really given a lot of thought to events such as Advent, Epiphany, and Lent. I have of course been very focused on events like Christmas and Easter. Now I’m starting to see that I’m missing out on the excitement of the “looking toward” and the general expectation of those events. This is something I would like to change.

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Just testing because I am blog-illiterate!