Devotional Thoughts: Week #1

Practicing Our Acceptance: Contemplative Prayer

Our Foundation
- We are accepted by God and each other.

- That acceptance is what sustains us.

- That sustenance allows us to find our significance.

- Our significance is what we do to celebrate our acceptance.

- In that joy, we may get to participate in some great achievements.

Introduction

I didn't like coffee. 

All through college, I laughed at my fellow students, staying up late hours of the night by drinking a terribly bitter beverage. When I was in Costa Rica, where the mountains grow some of the most delicious coffee in the world, I refused every cup offered. When I came to Bethany to work, I was informed that there was always hot coffee in the teacher's lounge and I scoffed, saying, "I guess I won't be visiting the lounge much." I just believed that coffee was bad and gross and not worth my time.

But then, I realized that teaching is a grind and caffeine helps you make it through. So I started buying Diet Coke every day, at $1.25 a pop. That adds up to a lot of money over the course of a school year, and soda is not actually good for your health, so I figured that I'd need to stop that. So I decided to try coffee again.

And it was still gross.

But I had a good reason to believe that coffee could be good for me. And I had a lot of trustworthy friends who told me that coffee was good. I just didn't have the experience of a good cup of coffee. And so I began to practice making a good cup of coffee. I tried some cream, I tried some sweet and low. I went through a school year where each cup of coffee I drank had two scoops of sugar in it. But slowly I came to believe something new: coffee is delicious!

Acceptance

During camp week, we established that we are accepted by God, and that we are truly taking the attitude of acceptance toward each other. But sometimes it is difficult for us to accept that belief. 

Some of us have come to believe that we are not good enough.

It's strange, but beliefs actually need to be practiced as well. Just like forehands, backhands, jump shots, free kicks or free throws - we have to have experience with beliefs for them to become a part of who we are.

That's what happened for me and coffee. I had to experience that coffee was actually good. Slowly those experiences began to change my belief. 

Contemplative Prayer: The Place to Experience God's Acceptance

So let's move toward the practical. If we want to truly want to believe that we are accepted, that WE ARE ENOUGH, then how can we experience that?

One way is through contemplative prayer.

Contemplative prayer is a spiritual practice that allows you to focus on something that you know is true in your head, but haven't truly accepted with your heart. For example, if you are struggling to experience that you are enough, prayer can bring that into your heart.

There are two main ways that I have experienced this. 

Centering Prayer 

In centering prayer, we choose a word or a phrase that reveals the truth about God. I love the Bible, so I typically choose a word that comes from a Scripture somewhere. For example, my favorite phrase to contemplate is "You are my son, whom I love. In you I am well pleased." Then we take some time in silence to return to the word or phrase. It has always helped me to engage my imagination as well, thinking of God speaking that word or phrase to me.

When we are silent in the prayer, we will get distracted or may start having doubts. When that happens, we simply gently return ourselves to the word or phrase. So, as I'm sitting silent I may start to think things like "I'm not really a good coach." As I think that, I breathe in and remind myself, "You are my son, whom I love. In you I am well pleased."

Slowly, these truths begin to sink into us. Especially as we let the prayer repeat through our days. 

Imaginative Prayer

To me, this has been the most amazing form of prayer in my life. As a follower of Jesus, I have often been told that "God is with you." But I don't always notice how. Imaginative prayer has allowed me to look at this in a new way.

First of all, I will look at an experience in my life. Perhaps a situation where I got mad at my kids. Maybe where I was far too impatient and spoke harshly to you as my team. Perhaps a situation that I was very proud of, like a good lesson or practice. Then I will close my eyes and ask, "Where were you Jesus, and what were you saying?" 

More often than not, God answers me by showing me how God was interacting with me during that experience. Sometimes, he was whispering things I did not notice or chose to ignore. I see God comforting me with forgiveness, acceptance, and peace - all the things that Jesus proclaimed in his life and teaching.

What about you?

What has been a moment where you were really down this week? Can you close your eyes and see what God might have to say about that situation? My guess is that God was more proud and understanding than you might think.

What has been a moment where you were really proud? Can you close your eyes and hear God speak love about you? 

I hope you can. It's a great experience to begin to believe the acceptance!

Quotes, Notes, and Thanks

Most of the material from this blog has come from Henry Nouwen's book "In the Name of Jesus."

Here's a quote:

"Contemplative prayer keeps us home, rooted and safe, even when we are on the road, moving from place to place, and often surrounded by sounds of violence and war. Contemplative prayer deepens in us the knowledge that we are already free that we are already free, that we have already found a place to dwell, that we already belong to God, even though everything and everyone around us keep suggesting the opposite."

Also, on the topic of experience, here's a quote from Brennan Manning.

"My trust in God flows out of the experience of his loving me, day in and day out, whether the day is stormy or fair, whether I'm sick or in good health, whether I'm in a state of grace or disgrace. He comes to me where I live and loves me as I am."

Thanks for reading!