The Church at Prayer

My Apartment at GTS

Idea for building a glass reef when sea levels rise because of Global Warming

Museum of Modern Art Installation

Christian. He thinks he looks French in this picture.

Trump Tower – with trees!

Central Park. It’s enormous!

Downtown Manhattan

Broadway

Upscale Apartments

I’ve had something of a break through in my understanding of the Church at prayer (despite it being day three of orientation here at Seminary!), especially in terms how a common liturgy functions within a community.

It seems to me that the prayers of the Church are a participation in the prayers of Christ to the Father. The church, as the Body of Christ, exists to possess and manifest the life of Christ. We give Christ a Body on earth together — and part of what we do as his Body is continue his prayers to the Father (in the daily offices, weekly worship, etc). This is not to say that Christ is not at work elsewhere, or that Christ does not continue his own eternal prayer to the Father without the Church. It is to say that the Church is the visible embodiment of Christ in this world, and no more so than when it’s Bishops, priests, deacons, and parishioners are all gathered for prayer to the Father.

Thus, liturgical prayer is not a form of self-expression (there are other times and places where this kind of prayer is appropriate). We give ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ together so that we can continue his prayer in the world. Common prayer requires emptying ourselves for Christ’s sake, just as he emptied himself for the sake of the Father. There is an element of surrender in saying the daily offices together, in saying the same words together, as prescribed by the prayer book. Common prayer requires us to say one thing together, similar to the way an orchestra functions. An orchestra cannot function properly if every instrumentalist shows up and plays their best, whatever that music might be, and everyone simply hopes it all somehow comes together. Rather, by submitting to doing the same piece of music, an orchestra can produce a single, powerful expression of music together.

I’m excited, because for me I believe that this theological understanding of our prayer life together is going to take me miles forward . . .

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