Praying Through The Hours

In our ongoing series on liturgy, not just church liturgy, but life liturgy, life rhythm, today we are talking about prayer.
Like other disciplines such as study, worship, thanksgiving, & community in the life of a Jesus follower, prayer is one of the most important tools given to us by God and exemplified by Jesus during His earthly life & ministry.
Today we explore the tradition of Praying the Hours. Unlike an ongoing, continuous life of prayerfulness, prayer necessitates a specific time, place, and focus.

Contextualize It:
-What do you do daily that is intentional?
-Where is God in your intentions?
-What should we intend in our daily rhythm at Agora?

Baptism

In our ongoing series on Liturgy, today we approach the subject of Baptism.
We have said before that a liturgy is simply a routine order of events. Each of us has q life liturgy. We have a certain routine that we follow. Some of it is automatic; some of it is intentional. Some things are planned, others are accidental.
Baptism is an intentional liturgy.

Contextualize It:
-What is your baptism story?
-Why did you decide to be baptized?
-What do you do that is intentional in order to better follow Jesus?

What’s That Smell

Smell is the strongest sense tied to memory. You may have heard this in a commercial for Old Spice, but it is also confirmed by research. They say it’s because the olfactory is tied directly to the hippocampus.
In our ongoing series on Liturgy, today we explore the use of the five senses in our search for & in our relationship to God.
The overarching question of the day is this: If God can be discovered not only through our intellect & our will but also through the senses, shouldn’t we engage them all each time we gather?

Contextualize It:
-What smell reminds you of something from your childhood?
-For which sense are you most grateful to God?
-What are the aromas, sights, sounds, touches, or tastes that inspire you & confirm your knowledge of God?

Muscle Memory

For several weeks we have been alternating between liturgical practices & the ideas & the philosophy of liturgy. Today we approach the metaphor of muscle memory.
From Wikipedia: “When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for the task; eventually allowing it to be performed without conscience effort.”
Included in our conversation is the attached worksheet* entitled: “So How’s That Working Out For You?” It is “for your eyes only.” I am not interested in “gettin’ all up in your business.”
So here are the questions for today:

-How did you do in the “So How’s That Working Out For You?” quiz?

-Identify some key areas in which you feel Christians need to grow.

-Which comes first the actions or the motivations?

*See previous post

“So How’s That Working Out For You?”

Using a scale from 1 to 5 (1 meaning “never happens”, & 5 meaning “always happens”), circle the number you think best describes you on each of the items below:

1. I communicate w/God on a daily basis in ways that help me feel close to Him.
1 2 3 4 5

2. I read & study the Bible regularly.
1 2 3 4 5

3. I don’t take my anger out on others, especially not on members of my family.
1 2 3 4 5

4. I make wise choices concerning the important things in life.
1 2 3 4 5

5. I am truthful in my job & in relationships.
1 2 3 4 5

6. I keep my commitments even when problems or difficulties arise.
1 2 3 4 5

7. I often express my gratefulness to God for His blessings in my life.
1 2 3 4 5

8. I share my faith w/others readily.
1 2 3 4 5

9. When I have to choose, I obey God’s Word rather than the opinions of people.
1 2 3 4 5

10. I share my time & possessions w/those in need.
1 2 3 4 5