Students in my spiritual formation class tomorrow morning can expect to see
the following question on the surprise quiz:
When Boa says that “Growth in prayer is similar to growth in marriage; just as romantic love alone cannot sustain a marriage for very long, so a relationship with God that is driven solely by feelings becomes shallow and unstable. The quest for fervent experiences and tangible results is the mark of a psychocentric approach to prayer. If we are to mature into theocentric prayer, we must be weaned of our dependence on feelings and press on to purity of intention and will even when positive sensations are absent. We must stop measuring the quality of our times of prayer and meditation by how well we feel during them, since difficult and apparently fruitless times of prayer may contribute more to our development than times of consolation and enthusiasm.” (p. 171, Conformed to His Image) he is suggesting that:
________ prayer is a psychological disorder
________ prayer is confusing
________ prayer that emphasizes feelings is shallow
________ feelings have no place in our prayer life
2 comments:
I hear Prayer will be in the DSM - V. :o)
This is a great quote given I will be married in 38 days (but who's counting?"
I've been thinking that if marriage is to witness to our relationship with God, we can accept those times when we don't feel "in love." When it is just another day. After all, that's the way our relationship with God is.
This has been important for me to continue to learn as I go through those moments that I have told other people just "feel normal and every day."
Thanks Brad for posting this.
Stan
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