Categories: uncategorized
Date: 11 November 2005 11:03:36
I've begun listening to the first tape in the series on The Inner Life of the Orthodox Church I recently bought. I gained great value from watching a video series on the Nicene Creed that we have in our church library conducted by the same presenter, and thus was eager to get this series as well. After listening to the first tape, on a personal rule of prayer, I'm convinced it was a good decision.
I've tried to make a discipline of praying in the morning and evening at least, though I often fail. Fr David Anderson, the speaker, encourages us and insists it is the Orthodox view for once a day to be a minimum. But we should be praying whenever we can. Not to fulfill any obligation, or to try and earn our salvation: in no way. But it is good for us, and it is what we need to do to draw nearer to God and overcome our sinful nature as best we can.
Another important thing, which I struggle with, is praying when I don't feel like it. As Fr David said, our prayer is not effective based on how "well" we pray; the desire and the will to pray need to be cultivated and that is the important part. Being distracted and one's mind wandering away during prayer is normal: we merely need to slowly and steadily bring ourselves back to focus. That is what is required: not 'perfect prayer'. I also liked the saying of one of the saints Fr David gave, -- "When you can't pray, say your prayers." It communicates our need clearly.
Fr David gave a breakdown of the six parts contained within a personal rule of prayer for an Orthodox Christian:
There would be plenty to say on each of these topics, but I found a few things particularly interesting.
With regard to Psalmody, there is an Aramaic saying, still in use in the Syrian mountains, that relates distance to Psalms. The Christians do not say, "It is 5 kms to that village," for instance; they say, "The village is 30 Psalms away." They are so used to reciting the Psalms as part of their daily life, and they make it part of their daily life, so that they can say something like that. In addition, it is in the Canons of the Orthodox Church -- but not currently enforced -- that anyone to be made a priest should know all the Psalms by heart! That goes to show how important Psalmody is.
On the topic of Intercessory Prayer, the importance of naming people and remembering them was mentioned. Our name is by what we are known, it identifies us. And, in the Kingdom to come, God will give us a new name, which is at the same time, to me at least, mysterious and exciting. It is important when praying for people to say their names. One of the things I most love about our parish is that the we have a piece of paper at the back where, when people come in, they write the name of those to be remembered, both living and dead. During the Divine Liturgy, all the names are read. It struck me when I first attended this parish -- it communicated to me that this was a community. A community that loved, and prayed for, one another. I do love that.