Opportunities for Spiritual Retreats

Honestly, I'm a terrible one for getting rest.  I'm so busy because I have so much to do and it HAS to be done, and I can't wait and I can't stop because there's always something else to do.  I bet you understand that.

But if you think about it, the one who had the most to do was Jesus.  He knew he had about three years to do all his work.  He was in a hurry, and he knew it.  But he still took time to rest, and after a year he took his disciples away from the ministry so they could rest as well.  What a cool boss.  But even more than that, it shows how important Jesus considered rest.  The guy with the most important mission in the world-- EVER-- took times of retreat, times where he could get alone with God and not do ministry.

Well, if it was so important to Jesus, it must be just as important to us.

I've tried to take time to rest.  Honestly, most structured retreats don't do much for me because they have me spending so much time with other people, and as an introvert the last thing I need is to be with people.  God, yes, more chatter, no.  So where can we go to get a retreat?  If you are in the Portland, OR area, here are a couple options:

1. Sanctuary Prayer House
In the urban area of Portland/Gresham, there is a local place to have a short prayer retreat from one to three days.  It is a quiet house, with a full kitchen, a bedroom, and a dedicated prayer room.  There is a small spiritual library for use in the house.  It is pretty bare, frankly.  It is meant for prayer and it is used exclusively for that.  If you would like to have a short prayer retreat, you can reserve this house for up to three nights.

It is located on the Sanctuary property, run by the Pacific Northwest Mennonites, at 195th and NE Glisan.  If you'd like to reserve a time, call Steve at 503-888-4453.

2. The Grotto
If you are looking for a place to pray and be at peace for just a morning or an afternoon, without a reservation, the best local place to do this I know is the top of the Grotto.  You have to pay a few dollars to get a coin for the elevator, listen to the recording on the way up, but once you step out, the gardens and art and centers are restful, guiding one to the peace of God.  There are 62 acres of both indoor and outdoor places to pray or to just be silent.  Although it is internationally known, the upper level is never crowded and always ready to spend time with God.

It is located at 8840 NE Skidmore St  Portland, OR 97220.  The upper level is open from 10am to 5pm daily.

2. Lafayette Trappist Monastery
Lafayette is a small town outside of Newburg, but it contains one of the spiritual secrets of Oregon: a guest house for spiritual retreats.  The monastery, like most Trappist abbies, have worship five times a day, chanting the Psalms and honoring the Lord.  They also have guest rooms, which can be reserved for spiritual retreats from one to five days.  With the room comes meals and use of the compound.  There is a spiritual library, silent rooms, a gorgeous pond, spiritual art and hiking trails.  (Bring the map the provide for the trails, though-- you don't want to get lost like I did.)

There is a fifty dollar deposit to reserve a room, and the balance of your stay is a recommended donation of fifty dollars more for each subsequent night.  There is no wi-fi, and no real cell phone coverage.  Just ample opportunities for worship and silence before God.

Call for a reservation: 503-852-0107.  The address is: 9200 NE Abbey Rd  Carlton, OR 97111    http://trappistabbey.org/

Prayer Against Temptation

Lord Jesus, send the clarity of your light into my mind
and expel all darkness from my heart
Fight strongly for me
and drive away the temptations
that rage like wild beasts within me.
Then my conscience will be at peace,
and the praise of your name
will sound within the temple of my soul.
Command the winds and storms of pride to be still
and the sea of covetousness to be at rest.
Subdue the north wind of the devil's temptation
Then there will be a great calm within me.
                       -Thomas a Kempis

Surrender

"Lord, you know what is best for me.

Give me what you will
and when you will
and as much as you will.

Do with me as you think best
and as it pleases you
and brings you the most honor.

Place me where you will
and use me according to your wisdom.

I am in your hand
as your servant
ready to do all that you command.

I want to live,
not for myself
but for you."

-from The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis

Our Prayer in Church Today

Let us see what is beautiful in You
Let us dwell on Your mercy
Let us be overwhelmed by Your compassion
Let us bask in Your purity
Let us be vanquished by Your grace
Then let us, without reservation,
Allow those qualities so enflame our hearts
That we cannot help but express them ourselves


Yeah, I wrote this one. Worship was on the theme of God's beauty.

Everybody Pray for Christopher Hitchens

Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day-- Sept 20

Christopher Hitchens, who's book "God is Not Great" had throat cancer and it has been suggested by Christians that we should pray for his healing on Sept 20.

Atheist Christopher Hitchens, who suffers from esophageal cancer, says he would be happy if Christians didn't follow through with "Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day" on Sept. 20. In Vanity Fair's October issue, he writes, "I don't mean to be churlish about any kind intentions, but when September 20 comes, please do not trouble deaf heaven with your bootless cries." He added, "Unless, of course, it makes you feel better." Hitchens, author of the New York Times bestseller God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, says he appreciates the sentiment behind people's prayers, but certainly doesn't believe their prayers will have effect. "[W]hat if I pulled through and the pious faction contentedly claimed that their prayers had been answered? That would somehow be irritating," he writes.

Perhaps, however, it would give him a pause if all of his symptoms disappeared on Sept 20 and he was completely healed. If he is actually a reasoned creature, as he proclaims, a clear, personal miracle may be what he needs.

Pray for Christopher Hitchens!

The Centrality of Prayer

How important is prayer? If prayer and meditation are not foremost in our lives, what good are we to God? For that matter, if God (through prayer) is not first in our lives, then what good are we to anyone (i.e. friend, girl friend, family, random people we meet, who ever)? Should we not allow worldly things to get in the way of our relationship with God? ?Should not God come before other things? Such as: music, books, learning, even people? What would happen if we spent more time in prayer then reading some trivial novel (be it entertaining). Should prayer and meditation come before down time? Should prayer and meditation be our center. Should prayer and meditation be more to us than some thing we try to fit into out daily, mundane, trivial lives?
-Gordon



Excellent questions.

Prayer is one of the most significant things in our spiritual life. Without asking, God will do nothing-- God only acts when someone requests it. Apart from prayer, there is a system that God designed-- the natural world, government, spiritual judgment, etc-- that works adequately well, as far as it goes. But it doesn't work for everyone. If anyone wants God's mercy, or God's justice in an unjust situation, then they need to ask.

Prayer is not as significant among most of the the higher classes, because they already have decent lives. This is why when a country or society becomes well-off, spirituality may be significant, but devotion and supplication is little-- because so little is needed. God's special assistance is only desired when the regular systems of life fail. Those who do not need salvation rarely ask for it. After all, why pray "Give us this day our daily bread" when you have a refrigerator full of food? God's salvation is unnecessary and prayer becomes hollow.

This does not mean that the well-off cannot pray with sincerity. But it can only happen when they associate with the needy, and truly have compassion for them. Then they will find many to pray for and God will heed their prayers as long as they sacrifice what they have for the needy. But if prayer is all they offer to the needy they know, then their prayer becomes a curse to themselves, not a blessing (see James 2:14-17).

Prayer can also be connection to God. But what we don't want to ignore is that God connects to people through different ways. Not everyone is gifted with direct speech from the Spirit, just as not everyone is gifted with tongues. Some delve into the word for connection to God, some experience God through His people, some are intimate with God by living out the characteristics of God. So we can't be judging some because their lifeblood isn't prayer. That is only given to some.

Everyone should spend time with God. But it should be in the manner God has appointed them.