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Pray as if Praying
Text and Audio by
Michael Lee
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
First commentor (commenter?) on the first Addison Road podcast!
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You ever do poetry slams, Michael? You should think about it. I raise my single-shot Americano to you.
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Cerise
no, i never have. I had the experience of watching a true master in the form, Steve Connell, perform one of the most intense ensemble shows I’ve ever seen, so I suffer under no illusions about where my skills lie.
Husband, Father, Friend, Accomplished Musician, Master of Theology, Poet, Damn Fine Poker Player and PODCASTER!!! I’m glad I’m not easily envious, or else my soul would be in mortal danger. Nice work.
very moving…thanks for this, Michael.
-jeremy
link to the lyrics
“New glass houses with comfortable seating” sounds like the Emergent Camembert Movement. Or did pews get comfy when I wasn’t looking?
morph - it’s directed at any gathering of believers who view prayer as a way of creating service flow, smooth transitions, rather than as, ya know, dragging our prophane asses into the presence of the Holy.
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When our church met for worship this past Sunday, we took about 10 minutes of just open and public sharing, people expressing needs and joys, before our pastor led us through a time of prayer. It was not very seeker-friendly, pretty uncomfortable for some people, and totally real. It was prayer as if praying.
Real prayer, especially the bare-your-soul-before-god-and-in-front-of-people kind, never IS very comfortable in my view. I know what you mean about the transitions; that’s one of the bits of your piece that struck me most forcibly, actually. I think that the kind of not-seeker-friendly, raw and needy sharing before god is essential and essentially lacking from the church I attend. I miss it. Reason # 23 for me to visit the local ECM church and see if they’ve got something like that going on from time to time. And I wouldn’t worry about the seekers too much, mon ami. Since I’m pretty much an outsider, still and by choice, to most Christianity, I can tell you that from my point of view real and uncomfortable is better, much better than slick and pretty and fluffy. Even if I’m not a part of it and just looking on. But then I’m an extrovert, too, so maybe the raw sharing and receiving thing’s easier for me anyway. But I’m sure you know all this already.
I finally got to listen to this today - stupid busy week.
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If you were going for content, I think you arrived.
Hello!
Spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam
Everyone now in their best silly British accent!
“I Don’t Like Spam!”
I disagree Chad - I think Christian Singles has a very valid point.
We could all stand to be a bit more “cheerful greeting” in our spiritual walks.
Scripturally we’re to greet each other with a kiss (and perhaps there’s a socially acceptable equivalent in this day and age, not that I want to deviate from the Bible’s true and clear teaching in this or any other matter), though, so I find that their greeting, while very cheerful, lacks depth and a proper sense of gravity, especially since this is our first meeting with Christian Singles.
And if they’re spamming Addison Rd., isn’t that almost certainly contrary to scripture? I will pray for them…
Cerise
Morphea, the modern day equivalent is the platonic facial licking.
We evangelicals prefer to lick the right cheek, but some among us are starting to say that the left cheek is equally acceptable, or even the occasionaly forehead lick. I, for one, see this as an abomination.
Right Cheek is Right Belief!
I prefer neither the left or the right and tend to lick my brethren and sistren on the nose. This makes defending myself against disease problematic in the cold season, but the middle ground is my road and I will walk it come what may. Even if that means I’m lukewarm in the Lord’s eyes. I’ll say, though, here and now, that my family at Addison Rd. may lick me wherever they like without fearing my speculation into their preferences or beliefs.
Cerise
Well,
I lick elbows for Jesus, so you better get ready.
I’ll betcha you can’t lick your own. D’you think that’ll affect your salvation? I mean, you were BORN not being able to lick your own elbows, so surely that won’t count against you when the sheep and goats part ways. Jesus, grant that it be so. ‘Course, I can’t lick my own nose, either…
Cerise
This whole thread went in a very strange direction, even for us.