As I shared yesterday, I am getting in on this Lent bandwagon. Â I am actually very excited about the chance to focus the
next several weeks on reflection, generosity, and increased scripture reading and prayer. Â How can that be bad?
One thing that I am using to go through this season is a book that I also mentioned yesterday. Â It is called by Stanley Hauerwas. I will be reading these prayers, in addition to scripture, and reflecting on them throughout the day.
I want to share something that he wrote on the book-flap.
If anything, these prayers are plain.  They are so because I discovered I could not pray differently than I speak.  In other words, I thought it would be a mistake to try to assume a different identity when I prayed.  I figured… that God could take it, because God did not need to be protected.  I think I leaned this over the yearsby praying the Psalms in church. God does not want us to come to the altar differently from how we live therest of our lives.  Therefore I do not try to be pious or use pious language in these prayers.  I try to speak plainly, yet I hope with some eloquence, since nothing is more eloquent than simplicity.† Stanley Hauerwas
So, I pray this prayer is an encouragement to you to reflect on today.
Peace, Jim
“Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of prayer. Â What an extraordinary thing that we can pray to you, unburden ourselves before you, place our cares, woes and joys before you. Â I confess I find praying an awkward business. Â I keep thinking, Who am I to pray? Â But I know that to be false humility, hiding my prideful desire to be my own creator. Â So we pray a prayer of joy in prayer, asking that we become your prayers for one another. AMEN.”
