Ahhh, Sweet Rest

Richard Foster, in his book Streams of Living Water, describe 6 streams that we can use to describe our work/time here on earth. One stream, the Contemplative Stream (read prayer) has been the topic of study in my graduate program.

The Contemplative Stream includes solitude, silence, short (one word) prayers, unceasing prayer, and all inclusive prayers (that is the dreaded prayer list).

Some of the benefits include:

Solitude: Affirmation of God as the only source of identity(Nouwen) and compassionate ministry (which describes our ability to "enter into solidarity with those who suffer." Nouwen)

Silence: Guards the fire within (Holy Spirit), and teaches us to speak (at God's leading)
(Nouwen)

Prayers of the heart: Leads the soul to rest (Nouwen), and produces wisdom and discernment (Foster)

Short Prayers: Leads us to rest and opens us to God's active presence (Nouwen)

Unceasing prayers: "Ceaseless interior prayer is a continual yearning of the human spirit towards God." (Nouwen)

All Inclusive Prayers: Another quote by Nouwen, "Through prayer we can carry in our hearts all human pain and sorrow, all conflicts and agonies, all torture and more, all hunger, loneliness, and misery, not because of some great psychological or emotional capacity, but because God's heart has become one with ours."

The theme of rest jumped out at me as I studied this (probably because I'm tired). In all the busyness of ministry, family and life, contemplative prayer leads to rest. That sounds good to me!


I pray you are well,

Beth