Guest Strahan Coleman, a writer, award-winning folk musician, and spiritual director from New Zealand, discusses moving beyond consumeristic Christianity, the transformative power of suffering, creating space for God, and the significance of prayer and contemplation in a journey of meaning making.
Consumeristic prayer focuses on transactional exchange with God, while beholding prayer involves being present with Him without expectations or agendas.
Suffering can be an opportunity for spiritual transformation, allowing us to know and commune with God in a deeper way.
Deep dives
Consumeristic Prayer and Transactionalism
Consumeristic prayer involves a transactional approach to prayer, where one expects to ask God for things in exchange for offering what they think God wants. This mindset views prayer as a currency exchange, where both parties are primarily concerned with what they can get from the other. This transactional view extends to church dynamics, evangelism, and spirituality, resulting in a consumeristic approach to faith. This leads to a focus on productivity and quantity rather than true spiritual formation and maturity.
Beholding Prayer and Slowing Down
Beholding prayer, on the other hand, involves gazing into God and being present with Him, without expectations or an agenda. It is about creating space to be in God's presence and allowing oneself to be seen by Him without the need for constant activity or productivity. It is a practice of existing before God, receiving His love, and reshaping one's definition of experience to appreciate the divine in ordinary life. Slowing down and making room for silence and contemplation are vital components of beholding prayer.
Suffering as an Opportunity for Knowing God
Suffering can serve as a liturgy that draws us closer to God by allowing us to identify with His suffering through our own pain and struggles. Rather than seeing suffering as a hindrance, it can be an opportunity to know God in a deeper way. Embracing suffering as a means of knowing and communing with God, not as something good or intended by God, opens doors for spiritual transformation and understanding.
Practical Steps: Creating Space and Embracing Silence
Practical steps towards a deeper prayer life involve 'unnoising' or creating space in our lives by reducing distractions and slowing down our pace. This can include consuming less media, finding moments of stillness, and being open to the possibility of encountering God in the mundane. Embracing silence as a daily practice, even just for a few minutes, allows us to relax and be vulnerable before God. It is a time to open ourselves up to Him and receive His love and acceptance, without seeking immediate results or profound experiences.
Strahan is a writer, award-winning folk musician, and spiritual director from Aotearoa, New Zealand. He is the founder of Commoner's Communion and the author of Beholding: Deepening Our Experience with God.
Make sure to listen to Part 1 of my conversation with Strahan before listening to this one.
In today's episode, we discuss the need to move beyond consumeristic, transactional Christianity into a more healthy and less anxious view of God. Strahan offers his insights and wisdom on how to move beyond this kind of spirituality.
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