Our group finishes with Postcards from Babylon on the first Wednesday in March. Our next selection, Praying with the Church by Scot McKnight, will take us through Holy Week. Altogether we plan to spend seven weeks with this book. 1
Prayer is a practice that the vast majority of us have in common. Although we pray in many ways and for vastly different reasons, there are common elements. Chief among them is a lingering doubt about whether how we pray affects the outcome.
Let’s answer this question upfront — it doesn’t. However, attitude is critical. And Jesus tells us that persistence is essential. Nevertheless, we all can use some work in this area of our spiritual lives.
Whether you’re a regular on Sunday mornings, only attend on an occasional holiday, or don’t cross the threshold of a church building without coercion, there is something for everyone in this conversation.
For these conversations, we join with three other Flint area churches. We’re planning two sessions each Wednesday. Our regular Noon sessions are co-led by Pastor Jeremy from Court Street. A 2nd session is planned for Wednesday evenings, led by Pastor Carol from Hope and Pastor Greg from Calvary. Both sessions follow the same outline so you can attend whichever sessions best fits your schedule from week to week.
The write-up found on Amazon has this to say about our next book:
Scot McKnight, best-selling author of The Jesus Creed, invites readers to get closer to the heart of Jesus’ message by discovering the ancient rhythms of daily prayer at the heart of the early church. “This is the old path of praying as Jesus prayed,” McKnight explains, “and in that path, we learn to pray along with the entire Church and not just by ourselves as individuals.” Praying with the Church is written for all Christians who desire to know more about the ancient devotional traditions of the Christian faith, and to become involved in their renaissance today.
Professor McKnight has published over 80 books in his 40 plus years as a teacher and theologian. He is known for getting to the heart of theological concepts through practical and memorable illustrations from everyday life. In his book, we’re invited to learn about the prayer practices of Jesus. In addition, our study takes a peek at prayer practices among Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, and Anglicans.
If you prefer to avoid groups or live too far away, I encourage you to join us online for our Wednesday gatherings. Alternatively, you can call in by phone, be heard, and hear what others say by calling (929) 436-2866 — enter the meeting ID, 282 039 5568#.
We are a diverse group, delighted when new people join us. I hope that you will join in on our discussion.
You can contact our office with questions, by phone or simply type your question on our website’s homepage — FlintAsbury.org.
1 Scot McKnight. Praying with the Church. Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2006.