First Presbyterian Church of Alabaster (Cumberland)
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Open Door Articles December Articles “ Four Crucial Commitments ” 12/18/06
Open Door Articles December Articles “ Four Crucial Commitments ” 12/18/06 | “ Four Crucial Commitments ” 12/18/06 |
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| Wednesday, 20 December 2006 | |
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In this final article involving Calming the
Restless Sea: A Journey Toward God by Ben Campbell Johnson, we will
explore Johnson’s insights into the necessity, the essentialness, of
community. Particularly, the community of faith. Johnson’s thoughts
about community are included in a section of the book he calls “ Four
Crucial Commitments ”. I will call all four to our attention but will
deal more extensively with the ideas surrounding community. Johnson
suggests that the following four commitments are important in
successfully engaging in a discipline of prayer and meditation: 1) A
time and place for prayer; 2) A time to study and learn; 3) Openness
and honesty; and, 4) Community and fellowship.
Prayer is best utilized when not performed on the run. Prayer is an active exercise of unwinding and calming to speak to God and to experience the Divine Presence. So, we are encouraged to pick a place, our place, of prayer and use that place for that purpose. The same encouragement is given about time. Our minds and our bodies will acclimate to our time and place and a holiness will develop around them. Closely kin to finding a time and a place for prayer is the dedication to studying and learning. Good study will lead to fresh, innovative thoughts and ideas about our relationship with God. In turn, our freshly energized concepts of God will likely be a positive influence on our time of prayer and meditation. Learning about God and self through study will keep us from using the same words, phrases, cliches, and approaches to God which might enable us to realize more positive fruit from our prayer and meditation. Initially, this commitment of openness and honesty may seem unnecessary. After all, we testify to worshiping the God who knows all and sees all. Why do we need to commit to openness and honesty when God already knows everything about us? Johnson’s call to this commitment is based on our understanding that God lovingly seeks an intimate relationship with us and is uniquely interested in us. That kind of a relationship requires open, honest communication. Johnson writes, “ a commitment to honesty leads to a dropping of pretensions; you come just as you are into the presence of unfailing love. Getting real with God makes your prayer real. ” Lastly, we are encouraged to commit to a community and fellowship. Johnson writes, “ a community bears witness against the culture of individualism that falsely claims sufficiency for the solitary individual. Too many have fallen prey to the false belief that your own willpower and courage will get you through. ” Reminiscent of the words written about the early church ( Acts 2 and 4 ) Johnson encourages us to find strength and support from the fellowship, the community. In our times of worship and service and study our true identity as children of God will be revealed. In the Christian community we are shown how to love others, pray for others, and serve others. We are released rom the prison of self - absorption and helped top see that the call of Christ is the call to serve among many and to live among many as one body. Johnson correctly concludes, “ we need others; we need community. ” I hope this series of articles about prayer and meditation has been helpful to you. I encourage you to involve yourself, engage yourself in a disciplined time of prayer and study. And, I encourage you to investigate the possibility of finding others who would be interested in establishing a small group that can pray and study together. Remember, the purpose is to grow in our trust and knowledge of God and to find ways to better serve God through the community of believers called First Presbyterian. Individually, we need the discipline of prayer. But, the real fruits born will be through the community. That’s as it should be. One faith. One Lord. One baptism. One body.
Grace and peace.
Pastor Mark
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 20 December 2006 ) |