During advent we had a clergy quiet day with the wonderful Jane Williams. One story that she told was of a fast growing underground church in China. She was in conversation with the leaders, and she asked them how they discipled the many people who were coming to faith. Did they have a particular course or programme of teaching? They looked a little confused, and said we just teach people to pray.
It’s quite a striking contrast to the cerebral and doctrinal faith that we value in the west. Those things are very good, but the heart of the life of faith is prayer, and that is often the thing we struggle the most with.
I’m struck that we need to learn to pray. Jesus’ disciples watched his remarkable life of prayer and asked him to teach them to pray like that. We need to be serious students of prayer throughout our life. So join us over the coming weeks for a series of sermons not just about the Lord’s Prayer, but seeking to put into practice Jesus teaching on prayer.
Our new series starts tonight. Throughout this term we will be studying some of the most famous stories in the Bible, stories which have shaped our culture, and still have the power reshape our understand of ourselves and our world. We are haunted by Genesis – the Promised land, Forbidden fruit, The Garden of eden, ashes to ashes, my brother’s keeper, be fruitful and multiply, breath of life, fire and brimstone – words and ideas that have this deep resonance, and all all have there origin here.
