Prayer.
What is the connection between the practice of prayer and the practice of ministry?
The responses to this question could fill many pages of many books. (My own responses fill many posts in this blog.)
The connections we make between prayer and ministry also depend on how we understand each practice.
I grew up in a noisy, talkative tradition, where prayer was mostly words and communication with God – in the power of the Spirit and in the name of Jesus. In that same tradition, ministry was something white men called by God did. How they prayed outside of public worship was mostly hidden and unclear to me.
My journey of following a call to ministry took me on many unexpected turns of learning to pray as a spiritual leader as well as a person of faith. Prayer has reshaped my heart, mind, and body.
Finding Silent Prayer
There came a time in my travels through congregational ministry when I felt like simply ran out of words. All the words I used to pray, publicly and privately, felt empty and in vain. You can hear my story of what happened when I reached that point in this week’s episode of the Three Minute Ministry Mentor.
Interested in guidelines for Centering Prayer? You can find it here!
As I write this post, it is the evening of Transfiguration Sunday, the day of the church year when we travel the road with Jesus up the mountain with his friends, Peter and John and James. This is the day we see prayer transforming and transfiguring the face and whole body of Jesus into something full of light and life and awe.
In just three days we will gather in chapels and sanctuaries and in the streets to receive the mark of life and death on our bodies. Ash Wednesday is coming. I hope this week’s episode of 3MMM will inspire you to think about how prayer and pastoral practice are connected. I also hope it will help you consider what practices of prayer you might take up this Lenten season.
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Also coming soon…. 3MMM Podcast! Stay tuned!
Want to see earlier episodes of the Three Minute Ministry Mentor? We have them here for you!
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