The "Thursday night group" is reading along in the book by James C. Howell - The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2003). This book is written as 31 short chapters - each a brief essay on learning to pray.

The group gives the book a "thumbs-up" ... and especially appreciates how normal it makes them feel: that learning to pray is not easy, but we can learn to do it; that it's never too late to learn; that it takes practice, practice, practice; that we begin by praying as we can, not as we can't. But as one group member noted, it also reminds us that learning to pray is also taking a risk ... that in developing our relationship with God through prayer we might indeed be called and invited to change.

This past Thursday night from our reading of the first few chapters, Howell encouraged us to think about when in our lives have we been doing something that becomes a prayer?

We also considered what it is we do that renews our spirits ... would we be willing to call those things prayer? What is it that we know nurtures our spirit but have not done in a long time?

Great conversations ... great group! For those reading along in the book ... chapters 6 through 12 for next Thursday.

I'm learning about this blog thing and the group has told me that unless they have a special email account for gmail or yahoo or some other such things that they can't comment on the blog. My apologies for all of you who might want to do that and can't - so feel free to write to me via email or Facebook!

Sara

Diana Butler Bass on Lent & Dying To Self [HQ]

From a Facebook friend, I saw this brief (3+ minute) video clip ... food for thought on the back porch this Lenten Saturday:

Diana Butler Bass on Lent & Dying To Self [HQ]

Sara

One of the things our discussion group talked about last Thursday was the questions we all have about prayer.

As children, some of the questions we might have had included: Where is God and how can God hear all the prayers all at once? How will I know if God answers my prayer? Does everyone pray?

As youth, our questions about prayer became: Why bother? Why pray when it doesn't seem to change anything? Why are some prayers answered and some aren't?

As adults, our questions don't go away, and often include the questions we had growing up. In addition, our questions also become: What if I'm praying for the wrong things? How is prayer more than just "saying" prayers? Am I just trying to persuade God to change his mind or is prayer more than that? How do I pray without "ceasing"?

So what question would you add to the list?

Our group meets again tonight ... join us in the conversation.

Sara

Psalm 51 – David Carr | Isaac Everett

Psalm 51 – David Carr Isaac Everett

As I work on this coming Sunday's worship service, we'll be taking a look at Psalm 51 - traditionally read for Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of Lent. For a background on the Psalm and a very different way of hearing it, check out this "Emergent Psalter" by Isaac Everett.

Sara

Our Thursday night group met last night for our first "Lenten study" on learning to pray. We all come from a variety of backgrounds and from religious traditions so we began last night talking about our experiences with learning to pray ... so I will ask you as well ... (and invite members of our discussion group to post some of their answers, too):

Who taught you to pray?
Were you taught to memorize a prayer? What was it?
As you were growing up, who did you see pray - and where?

Well, the "Thin Mint" Girl Scout cookies providentially showed up last night - on Mardi Gras. I've never been very good at "giving up" something for Lent - particularly when it involves chocolate. So I won't even pretend that I won't eat my favorite cookies in the whole world during the next 6 weeks. But it does remind me that God has a sense of humor ....

In the meantime, here it is once again - Ash Wednesday - and we begin our journey through Lent.

This morning in the Mission Yearbook of Prayer (http://www.pcusa.org/missionyearbook/) the Rev. Jeffrey Lawrence said: "Today we begin the holy season of Lent, a time of self-examination, a time when Christians are challenged to make changes in their lives as they remember the passion of Jesus Christ. The heart and soul of Lent is to admit our failings humbly, to seek God’s forgiveness, and to make a fresh start. We have a choice. We can go on with life as usual, continuing in our unhelpful patterns and believing the lie that there’s not a thing we can do about our weaknesses and shortcomings .... Or we can, with God’s help, make a fresh start. The ashes we receive today are a stark reminder that we will someday die and return to dust. They remind us that we have a limited time in which to act — to make a choice about how we want to live. So, day by day in this Lenten season, rely on God for assistance, and with a loving and peaceful heart, honor your commitment to change as you await the coming of Easter. "

So I begin my Lenten journey asking myself what I will change this season as I wait for Easter? What is it you want to change?

Let the journey begin.

Welcome to the Back Porch! Our congregation (the Presbyterian Church of Chestertown, Maryland) started as a small group of folks gathered on a back porch in Chestertown, and imagined the day there would be a Presbyterian congregation in our town. Twenty-five years later we are here - "planted deep, growing strong, reaching wide" - and celebrating our 25th anniversary this year.

My hope is that this new "back porch" can be a place like that first one ... and also like a lot of back porches everywhere ... a place to gather, to talk, to share stories and ideas, and to explore our questions of faith together.

Come along and spend some time on the Back Porch with us.