In Theory: Prayer is a way of life

Q. Christian and Jewish faithful will begin to observe their respective holy days, with observances of Lent, Purim and Passover taking place all over the world. What does the Bible teach us about entering these holy days with a sense of prayer?

I hate to give the pat answer for this question, but believers of all faiths understand that prayer is a way of life, not just an act we perform while we are in church or sitting down to eat a meal, or even when trouble is on the horizon. On this I can only speak for myself (as well as I would hope) all evangelicals wherever they may be.

We believe when we pray we are literally communicating to, as well as hearing from, our heavenly father. The Bible tells us there is one mediator between God and man, and that being Christ Jesus the Lord. So prayerful communication with God through Jesus Christ is essential for our spiritual existence.

We are taught to “Pray without ceasing.” The Apostle Paul when writing his letter to Timothy said, “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:8).

Throughout the Bible we see men and women praying to God and God answering their prayer from his throne of grace. For instance when Hanna, barren and unable to bare a child, prayed to God, he answered and gave to her a male child she called Samuel who became the first prophet to Israel.

I could cite prayer after prayer which God answered with his wonderful favor. However as to the question “what the Bible teaches about these specific holy days,” for the evangelical church, Easter of course is the most important holy day celebration of the year. It is the time Christ rose from the dead for the salvation of the world.

Many churches observe what is commonly called holy week, which is a time to reflect on the days which lead up to the suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So they will start with the Passover dinner with Jesus and his disciples and take each event leading up to good Friday, his crucifixion, and then of course, celibrate his resurrection on the Sunday following.

It is a wonderful time to not only reflect, but to realize the reality of all that Jesus has done for us by His grace.

“By grace you are saved through faith in Jesus Christ.”

Celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ!  GARY RUFF is pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Foothills in La Cañada. Reach him at (818) 790-0064.

The 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, which are commemorated by Lent, provide an important basis for any prayerful approach to life, although our church is not one of those that specifically celebrates a Lenten season of prayer and penance. Other Biblical accounts involving the number 40 in association with time in a wilderness place are also helpful, such as the 40 years that the Hebrew people wandered after Moses led them out of Egypt, and Elijah’s 40-day journey to Mount Horeb.

We can all benefit from a wilderness experience. For example, at times we might feel isolated, helpless, doubtful, perhaps without an obvious route ahead.

But another kind of wilderness, indeed a form of prayer, is where we have put aside the selfishness of loneliness and want, and leave our hearts open to the God-directed “Spontaneity of thought and idea,” where “spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence,” as it was stated by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science.

When the ancient Hebrews became fearful in their wilderness journey, God showed them that He was always present to take care of them. And, of course, we have the supreme example of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness, refusing the temptation to rely on worldly means, committing himself to the realization of God’s ever-presence, after which he “returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee.”

We today have the Christly inspiration, divine Spirit, available to lead each of us, our nation and the world. This can be realized in many ways, perhaps just lending someone a helping hand, or taking larger-scale or smaller-scale initiatives to assist society and the world. And we can expect this spiritual approach to improve our own worth and welfare.

Thus we can each advance through our own wilderness of watching what we think and do, and acting as what we truly are, God’s blessed creation. As we read in the New Testament, “Ye are of God, little children.”  GRAHAM BOTHWELL is first reader at First Church of Christ, Scientist, in La Canada. Reach him at (818) 790-3493.

Since evangelicals are often not part of a liturgical tradition, we only rarely observe the current season of Lent in a substantive way. However, we note Purim and Passover with fondness, remembering the dramatic way God preserved his ancient people and led them out of bondage with a mighty hand. We note with curiosity that faithful Roman Catholics (and many others) begin a season called Lent with ashes on their foreheads. We also note that devotion to the historical liturgical church calendar year is prescribed nowhere in the Bible. Therefore we are free to fast or feast, celebrate or contemplate as the Holy Spirit of God moves us, regardless of what the calendar says.

I must confess we are not doing a very good job at Lent in our church. We seem to keep celebrating. We are celebrating God’s amazing provision in a volatile and downward economy. We are celebrating answers to prayer.

And we are making preparations to celebrate again on April 5, the day we remember that holy party that rocked Jerusalem the day King Jesus rode into the city in fulfillment of Jewish prophecy. Five days later, we’ll put down our noisemakers and party hats long enough to observe Good Friday.

My daughter asked me, “Daddy, how can the day that Jesus died for our sins be called ‘good’?”

I’m still wrestling with that one.

But then on Sunday it’s time to celebrate again! In a world mesmerized by the politically correct mantra that all religions are equally good or valid, Christ followers happily and unapologetically revolt and proudly proclaim what makes our religion unique: Jesus!

He died for us, was buried, but then rose again. Buddha never did this, neither did Muhammad or Moses.

Only Jesus predicted his own resurrection and then delivered on his promise. So only Christians can sing: “We serve a risen savior, he’s in the world today. We know that he is living, whatever men may say!” JON T. KARN is pastor of Light on the Corner Church in Montrose. Reach him at (818) 249-4806.

Jews celebrated the holiday of Purim Monday night and Tuesday. It is the fantastical story of Esther, where there is mystery, intrigue, deception and merriment. We read the whole Book of Esther, dress up in costumes, sending baskets of food to our friends and give gifts to the poor. The excitement and fun are tempered by the seriousness of caring for others, realizing that all is not what it seems and, based on the fact that God’s name doesn’t appear even once in the Book of Esther, we understand that our actions are critical in the world, that we are called upon to be partners with God in the fight for justice, righteousness and against evil.

And, we are cautioned against the allure of power and the abuse of power, as the end of the book has given pause to many modern Jewish thinkers who see an excessive use of power in Esther’s response.

We pray that we can learn the lessons and use the fun and merriment, the exposing our our “dark side” and the call to justice to live more fuller, richer and holier lives today.

Purim is an extreme day; it is good sometimes, in a safe and controlled space, to push ourselves to the extreme so we can return to the moderate balance of daily life with a greater understanding of the edges and how we all need to be careful of not falling off the cliff. RABBI JOSHUA LEVINE GRATER is spiritual leader of Pasdena Jewish Temple & Center. Reach him at (626) 798-1161.

You used to hear about people “giving up something for Lent” — sweets, snacks, alcohol, soda, or fancy coffee — as a way of emembering and honoring Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. These days, it’s more common for people to observe Lent by “taking something on” — some additional practice of prayer, devotional study or charitable work, to deepen and strengthen their spiritual life.

The ideals we’ve been meaning to get around to, but never quite do, of daily prayer and regular Bible reading or theological study, seem much more do-able for a six-week season. So Lent is an opportunity to spruce up our spiritual houses a little.

If you wanted to try taking something on for Lent, here’s a simple process to decide what you might want to do:

Open up: Spend a little time in wordless prayer, dwelling in God’s presence, making yourself available, and listening for God’s voice.

Ponder: What is your soul yearning for?

Pay attention: See what bubbles up in you. Pay attention to vivid images, words or phrases, or strong emotions that well up. What are these telling you?

In addition to prayer and devotional reading, here are a few examples of things that people “take on” for Lent:

 10 minutes of silence (try turning off the car radio!)

 Fast from something (a type of food, a bad habit, an unhealthy inner way)

 Spiritual journaling

 Observe a real sabbath (rest, pray & play only; no work or sloth allowed) one day each week

 Seek reconciliation with someone from whom you are distant

 Volunteer for hands-on acts of service

 Give money or possessions away to charity

 Work, speak, or write letters for causes of justice and peace

Whatever you may try to take on, be gentle with yourself if you forget or skip it; just get back to it, instead of giving up. And remember: Sundays in Lent are a “jubilee day” off of Lenten disciplines. Enjoy!

 AMY PRINGLE is rector of St. Geroge’s Episcopal Church in La Cañada. Reach her at (818) 790-3323, ext. 11.