This is another post in my series of reflections on my two days with Eugene Peterson at Q Practices.

Our focus was on Cultivating the Inner Life in an Age of Distraction.

I continue to marinate in all of the wisdom that was shared…

Our third and final session on Day 1 was focused on Prayer.

As Peterson spoke, you could tell that his wisdom was gained through the long, challenging task of living a praying life — and not merely through studying the subject.

Prayer has its origin in God’s movement towards us — God always makes the first move.

We need to learn to pay attention to the Trinity! We’re invited, even pulled in, to participation in the Trinity. (What a fantastic image!)

Breath is Spirit… So pay attention to your breathing.

Be there.

Be present.

Show up and be with the praying community. Let them do it at first. You’ll learn, and then you can join in.

The privatizing of prayer is a HUGE mistake!

We need to pray together.

We need to be willing to bear one another’s burdens — this is the work of intercessory prayer.

We need to be willing to listen to the witness of our ancestors, and listen to the witness of Scripture — Psalms are great fixed prayer.

When it comes to the diversity of prayer experiences — accept it all, but don’t expect it all.

We’re not in charge of this… The Trinity is.

We’re not called to do programs. Yes, programs are necessary, but that’s not what we’re called to do.

We’re called to teach our communities how to pray… in the context of relationships.

There was so much to take in — and I fear my words to do not do Peterson justice.

But what I have, I offer to you…

How do you understand prayer? How do you help your students to understand prayer?

How are you challenged by Peterson’s comments about the praying community vs. privatized prayer?

How do you receive Peterson’s admonition to teach our communities to pray — over and above programs?