In the morning, while it was still
very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there
he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they
found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you."
He answered, "Let us go to the neighboring towns, so that I may
proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do."
- Mark 1:35-38
This Saturday, I will be helping to
lead a contemplative
skills training for folks in the DC area who want to deepen their
spiritual lives and explore contemplative practices that help ground
us as we engage in social witness. This day-long retreat will be held
at the William Penn House,
just blocks away from the US Capitol, the Supreme Court, and many
other centers of power.
It is, perhaps, a bit ironic for us to
hold this retreat on Capitol Hill, in the geographical heart of the
very system that often threatens to overwhelm us. Would it not make
more sense to hold our retreat outside the city, in a more secluded
and idyllic locale?
Maybe. But the reality is that most of
us do not have that luxury. While many of us occasionally escape from
the pressure cooker of life in Washington, these times away are
generally too short and infrequent to form the basis of a healthy
lifestyle. Washington is simply too big, and there is too much work
to be done. If we are not able to make a sustainable life here where
we live and work, this city will eat us alive.

Jesus' practice of cultivating inward
groundedness and equilibrium is crucial, because he has nothing else
to lean on. Jesus has nowhere to rest his head - literally or
figuratively. He is chased from one place to another and rarely
allowed much time to simply breathe and settle. Those few moments
where Jesus can retreat and remember his mission are truly precious -
like oases in the desert.
The two places where Jesus seems to
feel most at home is in the solitude of deserted places and in the
company of his intimate friends. Jesus demonstrates a deep affinity
for deserted places and time alone with God. Before beginning his
ministry, Jesus
spends 40 days fasting and praying in the wilderness before
finally being tested by the devil. It is only after this time of
solitude, prayer and preparation that he is ready to take the plunge
into a three-year ministry that will cost him everything. Throughout
those intense years, Jesus withdraws
as often as he can, taking opportunities
to be alone in prayer with his Father.

Yet, though Jesus is rarely permitted
to be totally alone, it is clear that he finds solace among his inner
circle of friends. He does not retreat with them only in order to
teach and lead them more effectively - it seems that he also draws
strength from their presence. Perhaps the prime example of this comes
on the night he is betrayed. Jesus has retreated
along with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, as usual. This
night, however, is different from the others, and Jesus spends an
extended period in fervent prayer, asking God to take away the cup of
suffering and death that he sees before him.
At this time of greatest vulnerability,
Jesus
turns to his most trusted disciples. He asks them to stay awake
with him and pray through the night. The fact that he asks this of
the disciples demonstrates how Jesus relies on his friends for
support and a sense of "home." The fact that the disciples
fail to stay awake with him reveals just how homeless Jesus truly is.

Why Bethany? That is where Lazarus,
Mary and Martha live. It is a place of safety, comfort and support.
It is one of the few places on earth where Jesus knows he will be
accepted and welcomed in as a friend. Jesus knows that he will never
experience that kind of reception in Jerusalem. The capital city is a
place of public praise and hidden plots - not friendship. It seems
significant that when Jesus does spend the night in Jerusalem it is the very night that he is betrayed and handed over to death.

God knows we need it! Jesus' ministry
was of the most intense variety, but it only lasted for three years.
What kind of intentional practices does it take to labor for decades
in America's fallen
Jerusalem, constantly irradiated by the spiritual energy of a
city that is founded on the raw exercise of human power? What could
it mean to find our own little Bethany,
an intimate and supportive community of friends who remind us of who
we truly are and encourage us to greater depth and boldness?
5 comments:
I think this is vital Micah, you have hit on something really important. When we have even two or three gathered in the spirit of Christ, we can be 'home' for each other in this world where otherwise we are homeless. We can encourage each other to drink deeply from the well of life, the source of our hope and strength.
I think we need to spend at least twice as much time in the place of healing power as we do confronting the problems of the world. That way we don't turn into part of the problems we spend so much energy on.
Has anyone pointed out to you that this title is offensive?
Jesus was consistent in his conduct and his instruction re: prayer -- doing so in private. In the Sermon on the Mount, he instructed doing so and also (in effect) that rather than asking in prayer for God to do for us (or another), to be open in prayer to understanding God's will. Two mega-changes in the practice of prayer.
Jesus' Teaching on Prayer
Lk. 11.2-4
5 ¶ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Lk. 18.10-14 Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 ¶ But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
MacKenzie is right.
And the title does not reflect the text.
Revise.
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Yes, community is important, indeed, essential.
Supportive but not blocking data and new perspectives.
Hmmn: As one who battles in a backwater, I think your title is fine as is. It expresses MY reality. Thank you.
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