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"Lord, Teach Us To Pray"
In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year 'Pilgrims of Hope', 2024 has been designated a Year of Prayer by Pope Francis. Undoubtedly, prayer is a fundamental part of the spiritual life, but it can also be a daunting concept for many people. What do I say? How do I say it? What does prayer even mean, or what are some good examples? For our Summer Scripture School this year, we aim to provide a biblical approach to these questions by exploring some of the examples of prayer that can be found in the Bible.
The Psalms & the Journey of Faith
The Psalms are often noted as examples of prayer in Scripture, and so Jessie’s presentations seek to explore the importance of the Psalms for our life of faith, highlighting this through the ups and downs we experience in our lives.
Presentation One:
The Psalms & the Journey of Faith
In this first presentation, Jessie introduces the Psalms and provides some foundation on how the Psalms are structured and read, as well as their importance in the life of faith.
Presentation Two:
Praying the Psalms in Good Times
In this presentation, Jessie explores the Psalms, which might be read in good times, or 'times of orientation,' and how one's prayers of praise can be achieved.
Presentation Three:
Praying the Psalms in Crisis
In this presentation, Jessie looks at the "lament psalms" which are the most common type in the Psalter. These psalms put words on our broken experience – they are prayers which are offered from a place where one might feel God is more distant than ever.
Presentation Four:
Praying the Psalms in Gratitude
In this final presentation, Jessie looks at the Psalms of gratitude or thanksgiving. While Psalms of praise come from a community which acknowledges the good in the world, Psalms of gratitude are slightly different – they come after a journey or time of testing.
The Our Father
The Our Father quickly became the characteristic prayer of the early Church, and it has remained central to Christian worship for nearly two millennia. For many, its dynamic call to living a transformed life may be lost through familiarity. Seán will explore the prayer in its context in the life of Jesus and the early Church (the Gospels of Matthew and Luke) as well as its relevance for our faith life today.
Presentation One:
Calling God Father
In this first presentation, Seán introduces his topic and provides some foundation on the Our Father prayer itself, before then exploring the idea of God as father in the Scriptures.
Presentation Two:
The Reign of God
In this second presentation, Seán looks at how God is portrayed as "king" in the Scriptures and how Matthew may be seen to interpret Jesus and the reign of God through the apocalyptic passages of Daniel 7.
Presentation Three:
Providence & Mercy
In his third presentation, Seán looks at the concept of "God's will," a phrase which is often used in our daily lives that we risk missing the depth of its significance in the Scriptures, specifically "The Our Father."
Presentation Four:
Testing Times
In his final presentation, Seán examines the final two petitions of "The Our Father" in Matthew's Gospel, "lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil," and how this is of importance in a prayer that is concerned with discipleship.
Paul & Prayer: Master of the Spiritual Life
Kieran's presentations will explore St. Paul at Prayer and ask, “Can we learn anything?” This short programme will begin by looking at the prayers in the letters of St Paul (chiefly the thanksgivings, which are so rich). Psalms for our life of faith, highlighting this through the ups and downs we experience in our lives.
Presentation One:
The Prayers of St. Paul
In his first presentation, Kieran provides an overview of prayer in the writings of Paul, focusing in particular on the greetings of his letters.
Presentation Two:
Faithfulness
In this second presentation, Kieran explores faith in the letters of Paul and how God's faithfulness is disclosed through Jesus's own faithfulness.
Presentation Three:
Participation
In this presentation, Kieran explores "participation" in the spirituality of St. Paul, which the apostle understands as being "in Christ." Kieran will focus in particular on parts from Romans 5-8 and how Paul presents the concepts of communion, body, and members.
Presentation Four:
Transformation
For his final presentation, Kieran explores "transformation" in St. Paul, looking at the apostle's own conversion and encounter with Christ, as well as the calls for transformation found in Philippians 2:1-11 and Romans 12:1-8.
Praying the Word in 2024
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