Ramblings from the Theologian’s Café (submitted
by Chris Longley)
Once a month, the
Theologian’s Café meets at Glen Pine Pavilion Seniors’ Centre in Coquitlam. It is free to attend, but you must
pre-register. This was my first time
attending, and I will definitely return.
The session is moderated by the very knowledgeable John Slattery. Our topic for January was PRAYER.
We started out
defining the types of prayer: petition, thanksgiving and adoration and the
belief that there is someone or something to pray to. There is also pseudo prayer, often an
expletive such as “God dam you”, quasi prayer such as “O Lord help us” (which
could be a prayer if the speaker was actually petitioning for help but
generally this is more an expression than a prayer.)
Good examples of actual
prayers can be readily found in the Psalms: Psalms 4, 22 and 72 are all petition
prayers, Psalm 136 is a prayer of thanksgiving, Psalm 135 a prayer of adoration
and Psalm 23, probably the most well known of all Psalms, is actually a bit of
all three.
We also discussed
the difference between prayer, meditation and contemplation.
Prayer is personal
and it is relational. Prayers can be individual or they can be a group
effort. Being in a group raises the
energy level, whether it be prayer, meditation or singing in the choir.
Assumptions of
Prayer:
·
That there is a being to pray to
(either God or a supreme being)
·
That the being cares and is aware of
you
·
That the being will be able to respond
in some manner
o You
cannot count on the means or timing of the response
· That there is energy to be gained
There was quite a
bit of discussion as to whether you can pray subconsciously and without
intention. Also that uniformity in prayer is different
from unity in prayer.
Effectiveness of
Prayer:
There is an
assumption that there is “someone” out there who will give a response, but don’t
ever think you know the mind of God in how He responds.
We must enter into
prayer with an open mind. When we pray
and something good happens, is is causation or coincidence? What is necessary in ourselves for effective
prayer?
· - Faith, that someone is listening
· - You don’t have to be in a certain
moral state
· - You must be sincere
- You may receive
Grace if you believe in God which may lead to Faith. What you do with it (grace) is your choice.
Until next month…..
Feb. 19, 1 – 3pm
Will the Real Bible Please Stand Up? (program #605957)
Mar 19, 1 – 3pm Religious Communities (program #605956)
April 16, 1 – 3pm
The Roles of Organized Religion in the Wider World (program #605958)
May program: The
Apostle Paul (details in next Coquitlam program calendar)
