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Welcome to OneLife Ministries. This site is designed to lead you prayerfully into a heart experience of Divine Presence, Who is Love. While it focuses on Christian teaching, the writer hopes persons of other faiths find inspiration here. Indeed, "God" can be whatever image helps you trust in the Sacred, by whatever means Grace touches you. Please share this ministry with others, and I hope you return soon. There is a new offering daily.
Blessings,
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox, MDiv, MFT, PhD
Ecumenical Pastor-Teacher, Author, Workshop Leader,
Spiritual Counselor, Chaplain
LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURES
Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous rules.
*Psalm 119. 164 (ESV)
ORIENTATION OF PRAYER
The early Christians based times of prayer on Scriptures, as the one above - Psalm 119.164. This practice - or practico - is embodied in the practice of the Hours: certain times of day for regular prayer. Early within the Church, an act of praying three times daily - morning, noon, and evening - was already a widespread custom. And the Apostles followed the Jewish custom of practicing Hours:
15These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o'clock in the morning is much too early for that.
The coming of the Holy Spirit like tongues of fire seems to have happened at the morning time of prayer - a traditional Hour in the Jewish practice of Hours.
*Acts 2.15 (NLT)
Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o'clock prayer service.
*Acts 3.1 (NLT)
One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.
Here, Cornelius was practicing the regular three o'clock prayer Hour.
*Acts 10.2 (NLT)
9 The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the housetop at about noon.
Here, Peter was observing the noon prayer Hour.
*Acts 10.9 (NLT)
25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
This would be at a midnight Hour of the Hours.
*Acts 16.25 (NLT)
33Just as day was dawning, Paul urged everyone to eat. "You have been so worried that you haven’t touched food for two weeks," he said. 34 "Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish." 35 Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. 36 Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat - 37 all 276 of us who were on board. 38 After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.
This appears to correspond to the early morning Hour of prayer.
*Acts 27.33-38 (NLT)
This daily regularized praying is known now as the Liturgy of the Hours. Thankfully, more Protestants are entering this stream of the Hours. And there are helpful resources online and in book form to assist in this practice.
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Having a Liturgy of the Hours that fits you would be helpful to your Christian discipleship in Prayer. I suggests three or four Hours daily - but, remember, "Hour" does not mean sixty minutes, but refers simply to a set aside time. I recommend a combination of three or four Hours, from between early morning and midnight.
We are given twenty-four hours a day. Is it too much to ask for us to have one or two longer prayer times daily, and two or three shorter ones - even if the shorter is very brief? No, it is not asking too much. And, if we say that is too much, we are only saying how far we have gotten from appreciating the centrality of Prayer in the Christian Way.
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Likewise, the prayer Hour is Prayerful in the sense of being able to include different acts of devotion. The time can include, for example, spiritual reading, lectio divina, singing, different forms of verbal prayer, meditation, contemplation, ...
QUIETLY RESPONDING
Prayerfully set up a schedule of regular daily prayer times. You may wish to extend your Prayer on days you are off work, or have more free time. Likewise, one day, or more, set aside for retreat monthly, even if in your home, is a good practice.
Blessings!
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox
May 7, 2009
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*OneLife Ministries is a ministry of Brian K. Wilcox, of SW Florida. Brian lives a vowed life and with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis. Brian is an ecumenical spiritual leader, open to how Christ manifests in the diversity of Christian denominations and varied religious-spiritual traditions. He is Senior Chaplain for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, Punta Gorda, FL.
*Brian welcomes responses to his writings or submission of prayer requests at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Contact the above email to book Brian for Spiritual Direction, retreats, or workshops. You can order his book An Ache for Union at major book dealers
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