Christian prayer foundations: Extravert and introvert

Thursday, 10 March 2016

Extravert and introvert

In Exodus 32 the children of Israel in the wilderness abandon God for idol worship. Moses foresees fatal consequences to this rebellion. He engages with God, arguing on behalf of the people,

'Why should your wrath blaze out against this people of yours whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with arm outstretched and a mighty hand?' (Ex 32:11)

He pleads with God not to tarnish His reputation as their liberator from slavery, by going back on his covenant promises. The conversation represents an anthropomorphic idea of the divine, but contains the thought that prayer involves free and honest exchange between a human being and God. This is more important than the primitive ideas of divine volatility and vindictiveness it also contains.

Over several millennia, ideas of God evolve significantly and are expressed with both simplicity and sophistication, as the creative use of language develops. The nature of the prayer conversation changes, but the honest personal quality of the relationship between man and God remains. God doesn't take offence when we remind him of his promises.

'Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.' (Psalm 106:4)

In the Psalms as well as in everyday life we hear from people who tend to take time to think out what they wish to say before saying it, and people who tend to discover what they think by talking things through. There can be an element of each type in each of us, in response to different circumstances, and this affects how we come to prayer.

Some find settling into silent adoration easy, since their natural tendency is to turn and look within. Others tend to look outward more naturally and only when they are at ease and in connection with their environment, do they come to rest. For some, time in silence issues in an expression of praise and thanks, whilst for others the expression of praise and thanks gives away to silence eventually.

In each instance, the fruit of the Spirit is recognisable, and the peace of God's love prevails in relationships with each other, and with Him at all times. He is the focus of our inner stability and our outward responsiveness.

'I praise the Lord, who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord always before me; He is at my right hand, and I shall not be moved.'

(Psalm 16:7-8)

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About this blog

The basis of Christian Prayer.

Christianity born of Judaism, owes its spiritual mother an immeasurable debt in many dimensions of faith; e.g.

Belief in one living eternal God, infinitely just, true and good, creator, source of all that exists.
Belief that time and the cosmos, despite the repeated cycles of nature, is a process of change with a beginning and end.
Belief that human beings are made in the divine image and likeness of their creator.
Belief that each person is called to find the meaning and purpose of life in relation to God, and develop this by means of prayer and worship throughout life.
Belief in the essential value and importance of understanding who and what we are as spiritual and moral beings, conveying this understanding through stories told about God in relation to humans.
Belief that remembering the story humans tell about themselves in relation with God is at the core of the personal relationship each has with God.
Belief that the rich record of these stories in sacred scripture has a life of its own and can inspire those who read and study them with a sense of meaning and to creative responses that nurture human existence intellectually, morally and spiritually.
Belief in the value of repeating the same annual pattern of scriptural story telling, in response to the cycle of the seasons, as a prime means to development as human beings as our creator envisaged.

Jewish believers derive their core sense of identity and cohesion from remembering the Exodus story and performing the rituals of Passover, and belonging to their ancestral homeland, Israel. Christian believers, keep Lent, Holy Week and Eastertide, to remember the ministry, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, two thousand years ago.

This story is understood as the foundation of personal relationship with God. It imparts a sense of belonging to a global fellowship of believers not dependent upon a specific homeland. The land of Israel plays a central part in the Christian story of faith, yet it's a story that's considered relevant to life, wherever it is told and awakes people to faith.

Forty days of Lent, fifty days of Eastertide is a season to work with the essentials of the Christian story and rediscover their meaning and relevance to lifes today. It is a time of returning and renewal, offering an enriched understanding of faith, and way to deepen the life of prayer.