By Rev. Dr. Rick Jordan
As we grow older, we sometimes look back on our experiences as superior to those of “kids these days.” However, there is at least one area of training that today’s divinity school students get that was nearly absent in my theological education: the spiritual life. I had courses in the Bible, of course, including in Greek and Hebrew. I had courses in church history, especially Baptist history. There were nitty-gritty courses in church administration. I really enjoyed my classes, my professors, and my peers. I am not knocking on anything I had; I am just noting what I now know was missing.
What was missing? How to pray. How faith matures. The role of the minister – not just as evangelist, and care-giver, and preacher/teacher, and administrator – but as spiritual director.
I was not completely ignorant of how to pray, of course. From childhood, I knew how to communicate with God, to take my concerns to God, and to pray for others and their concerns. What I was not taught was how to commune with God. I was not taught methods of prayer that encouraged me to use my imagination as I read a scripture narrative repeatedly and slowly. I missed out on spending silence in a room with other pray-ers who were also praying in silence. I learned the importance of being with “my people” and of being connected with other ministers in my community. But I didn’t learn the importance of spending time alone, in solitude.
To be perfectly honest, it could be that I was taught but refused to listen. It could be that I ignored opportunities that were offered. Maybe I just wasn’t ready to be challenged to pray in a different way, or to see doubt as a good sign of someone’s spiritual growth, or to acknowledge that others (i.e., non-Baptists) may know something about the spiritual life that we (Baptists) ignored, rejected, or even scoffed.
I must give credit to two professors who tried to give me resources to shape my soul and not only fill my brain. One insisted that I read Henri Nouwen. I protested but eventually read The Genesee Diary. I was stunned that a Roman Catholic could know so much about grace, love, and prayer. The second professor modeled disciplines such as lighting three candles (representing the presence of the Trinity) at the beginning of class. He taught us the discipline of writing prayers, particularly those to be offered in public worship.
In the intervening 40 years or so, many Baptists (and other Protestants) have become more familiar with a wide variety of spiritual disciplines. It takes an openness to change and a little bit of courage to try anything new, including a new way to pray. Yet, if we try, we will discover the excitement of knowing God in a fresh way. I invite you to hope – and pray! – with me that my work with Barnabas Partnership will encourage people to hunger for spiritual renewal.
These thoughts are from Rev. Dr. Rick Jordan, our partner based out of Lewisville, North Carolina. He is a 20+-year member of Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC where he leads an adult Bible study, serves as a deacon and on the Vision Navigation Team. He has also ministered in various leadership roles from local churches to state and national levels. Contact him for more information on how our partner can help you.