Comments on: The Methodist Covenant Prayer: Beautiful, but Unnecessarily Extreme https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/ Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art Thu, 14 Nov 2013 01:05:53 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 By: Anita Mathias https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18567 Thu, 27 Sep 2012 22:18:10 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18567 Thank you, Pastor Mack and LA. If I trusted the goodness and wisdom of God as much as I should (and as much as John Wesley who wrote the prayer?? did) I should be able to say it without blinking an eyelash.

My fears are revelatory!!

]]> By: LA https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18566 Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:50:41 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18566 Pastor Mack, I agree and believe that all too often we ascribe to God things that happen in order to gain meaning that isn't always there. I do think that we have something to learn from every encounter, even the ones that hurt or infuriate us. But to me the prayer is disconnecting our imperfect lives from a faith filled life. That belief in God and faith are not directly related to the amount of suffering or joy…He's there no matter what. It does do a bit too much of “God made me suffer” kind of ascription, but I can relate that to the time in which it was written.

]]> By: pastormack https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18565 Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:20:15 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18565 I'm not sure that the prayer asking for God to “put me” to all manner of things for His sake is the same as thinking that every terrible thing that happens is God's “discipline.” There is such a thing to suffering for the mission of Christ, but that is not identifiable with suffering as such. Sometimes suffering just is, and has no greater cause or purpose. God can redeem it and use it and be present in it, but that doesn't mean He sent it.

Glad you highlighted the prayer though. It's part of a larger service that is great to do at the first of the year.

]]> By: Anita Mathias https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18564 Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:15:29 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18564 Thanks both. What interesting and diverse perspectives.
I clearly have a lot more thinking to do on this 🙂

]]> By: Leanne Bell https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18563 Sun, 23 Sep 2012 19:14:18 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18563 It is so interesting to see the different perspectives people bring to prayer, isn't it? I didn't read the Methodist Covenant like that at all. I read it as something joyful in its complete and utter surrender to God. A prayer of someone who has truly taken that final leap of faith and let go of the safety rope – that step of complete and unconditional trust in God. I got to the end and felt uplifted and peaceful and hopeful that such utter devotion can be achieved! Maybe I am just a bit soppy!

]]> By: LA https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18562 Sun, 23 Sep 2012 13:37:28 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/23/the-methodist-covenant-prayer-beautiful-but-unnecessarily-extreme/#comment-18562 I have to disagree a bit here. I'm not a fatalist, but the blue-sky thing sounds a bit too Prosperity Gospel for me. Here in America, there is a trend amongst some preachers to indulge in the Prosperity Gospel where the amount of “blue sky” in your life is directly related to your level of faith. These preachers actually use the size of their house, the smile on their wife and children's faces and the make/model of their car to prove how much prosperity and therefore how much faith they have.

I find it to be a dangerous road because it creates situations of utter self loathing and despair if people's material wealth or family situation or the number of their dreams coming true is made to be synonymous with their faith in God. I suppose a qualification of what those dreams may be could sway me, but in general, dreams that people have in this world are for a good life here…and that usually involves things strictly of this world. God's gifts are not of this world. Jesus' faith was ultimate and so was the faith of his disciples yet they certainly didn't lead very blue-sky lives.

I think this prayer says exactly what this life is about. That our prosperity here or non-prosperity here has nothing at all to do with our faith nor God's love of us nor His redemptive power. That He comes to us the same whether broken or exalted, first or last. Sorry it sounds very downer, but the people who amaze me and I admire the most are those in my life who have very little blue sky in their lives, do not live out their wildest and most joyous dreams, yet they lead incredible faith filled lives of service to and love of all God's creation. I believe I must surrender *my* wildest dreams to the dreams God has called me to live and not all those dreams lead to blue skies.

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