My Protector

It’s 6:15pm and it’s still light outside. I love the way the days get longer. The darkness of winter is passing and my soul is happier each day.

This reminds me of summer nights. I love how it stays light until nearly 10pm. I love when the fireflies come out and dance over the yards and fields. We would play and play and play until the streetlights came on. I’m not sure if we would turn into gremlins or not, but we were never allowed out after the streetlights came on. I can still hear my mom hollering, “Do you see those streetlights? Get your butts in this house right now!”

We always had to be within yelling distance. We never wanted to hear, “Didn’t you hear me calling for you?” A statement like that was always followed by a swat on the behind. Sometimes I would be playing at my friend’s house. Her mom didn’t yell she would either whistle or ring the bell. We could play way down in the woods and still hear the bell. But even if we didn’t she wouldn’t swat us.

This week we were reading in “Purpose Driven Life” and he was talking about meditating on scripture. Warren was saying that one of the benefits of meditating on scripture is that it keeps you within the sound of God’s voice. Here’s the exact quote: “Daily Bible reading will keep you in the range of God’s voice.” (p. 188) Now that’s one voice I never want to be out of range to hear.

Speaking of quotes, (nice segue, huh?) here’s the one on Centering Prayer that I got from Jim, the worship study leader, on Sunday:

“I think it will be easy to bring you to the heart of true prayer…If you carefully keep this formula before you, and learn to recollect it at all times, it will help you to mount to contemplation of high truth. Everyone who seeks for continual recollection of God uses this formula for meditation, intent upon driving every other sort of thought from his heart.

The formula was given us by a few of the oldest fathers…to only a very few who were athirst for the true way. To maintain an unceasing recollection of God, this formula must be ever before you. The formula is this: “O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me.”

Rightly has this verse been selected from the whole bible (Ps 70:1) to serve this purpose. It suits every mood and temper of human nature, every temptation, every circumstance. It contains an invocation of God, a humble confession of faith, a reverent watchfulness, a meditation on human frailty, an act of confidence in God’s response, an assurance of His ever-present support. The man who continually invokes God as his protector is aware that God is ever at hand.”
(Abba Isaac, 4th or 5th c from “Second Conference of Abba Isaac On Prayer” quoted by M. Basil Pennington in “Centering Prayer” pg. 27-28)

I love that explanation. When I feel I’m going under and cry out “Help me, God!” all those things described above play a role in the prayer. It’s all good and good to know that my protector is ever at hand.

And speaking of hands, here’s a couple of my thoughts on Peter walking on the water. Let me start by saying I think that Peter was incredibly arrogant for getting out of the boat. In Matthew’s account (!4:25-33) it’s night and Jesus is walking out to them. They thought it was a ghost. Jesus assures them by identifying himself and telling them to not be afraid. Period. Oddly, in Mark’s gospel (which is Peter’s story) in Mark 6:45-52, the story ends there. Peter doesn’t boast about getting out of the boat. I don’t believe he felt very good about what happened.

Verse 28 seems to me to be the epitome of arrogance. Jesus doesn’t come strolling out on the water and then present the challenge to them to trying do the same. He didn’t say if they didn’t get out of the boat they’d never know the thrill of trusting God. It was Peter’s idea to get out of the boat. Peter wanted to walk on water like Jesus.

Now, why would Jesus invite Peter out of the boat? I can only surmise, but I think it had a whole more to do with teaching Peter about his limitations and his need to depend upon Jesus than upon challenging Peter with achieving the impossible. This was a teachable moment. The wind and waves rose and caught Peter’s attention and down he went. He wasn’t made to walk on water, but he was made to reach out to Jesus.

So there you have it. I think Peter was arrogant. I don’t think he should have asked to walk on the water. But I’m thankful that Jesus used the moment teach Peter. I’m glad the story of Peter’s arrogance, failure and falling are recorded in scripture because they give me hope. You see, I too was arrogant. I tried to take on more than I was made to take on. I failed and I fell. But just when I needed to, I was able to look up, cry out for help, and find Jesus reaching his hand out to me.

I guess that’s why the formula prayer means so much to me. It’s good to know my protector is ever near.