Prayers from Hauerwas

Years ago, I was wandering through the clearance books and I stumbled upon Stanley Hauerwas's Prayers Plainly Spoken at Lifeway on SEBTS' campus.** I picked it up and opened to the a prayer that struck me. As a believer we are often taught that prayer is an essential spiritual discipline. We are taught that good prayers often include such aspects as thanksgiving, supplication, intercession and so on, however, I was struck that day by the way that Hauerwas spoke poetically, but casually with God. God seemed less like own to fear as a angry demigod and more like a Father to be conversed with.


I was brought back to that prayer yesterday. My shortcomings were before me. My sin was before me. I stood and listened as accusations were laid before me. Knowing that I was remade, renewed and restored by God, I still felt made wholly unworthy by the accusations of those who claimed to "know" me so well. My wife has since reminded me that God knows me better than all others and it is He that will tune my heart to sing His praise. I do desire to sing His praise, even if my desire to carry a proper tune is often marred by selfish desires. When these things happen, as they tend to do, I desire to seek harbor in the things that I think might bring refuge, but everywhere I turn, God is confronting me with the truth that I cannot go back, I must go forward. I cannot seek safety in the past or find strength in hiding behind anything. To be with the Lord, I must obediently follow where He leads. I must be unafraid and get out of the boat, not fearing water that no longer can threaten or those that are drowning in it. I can't lead others to dry ground if I'm afraid to touch it myself.


Here is the prayer:


Reborn and Unafraid
"Lord of the Flood, wash us with your Spirit that we may be your ark of life, your peace in the sea of violence. Water is life; water cleans, water kills. Frightened, we are temped to make a permanent
home on the ark. But you force us to seek dry ground. We can do so only because you have 
taught us to cling to our baptisms, where we are drowned and reborn by the water and fire of your Spirit.
So reborn, make us unafraid. Amen."



**Dr. Hauerwas is a brilliant man, but we theologically break on some major issues, however, his teachings and writings out of Duke Divinity School are highly acclaimed.