Active Passivity
January 7, 2009
Is it possible that we have allowed ourselves to slide so far, to be so distant from the spirit of prayer, that we suppose five minutes would not do, because first we would need fifteen minutes to unwind, to prepare? Suddenly we know that the barrier is not time at all, not the pressure of events, not the many demands on our talents and our charity, but an obstacle within ourselves, a stubbornness that will not yield to Him. - Emilie Griffin, Clinging: The Experience of Prayer
I like to think of praying the office as a form of active passivity. This may sound like nonsense at first but when I consider the cajoling and pressure tactics that I formerly exerted upon myself, all in the name of developing a quality quiet time, I realized that trying harder wasn’t working. There was no lack of energy, neither physical nor emotional, to accomplish the task of prayer. I may have exerted a lot of energy into having a quiet time but I wasn’t often praying.
Plenty of exertion, plenty of control but only episodic yielding. In my attempts to create a good devotional experience each day I would frequently maintain my white knuckle grip on the process. The obstacle within me, to borrow Emilie Griffin’s phrase, was a desire for control.
One valuable contribution that the CDP (and other forms of the daily office) provide is a sense of place in prayer. We return not only to the words of the prayers but to an environment. This environment, found within the words of the Psalms and the saints, creates space for us to encounter God through prayer. Entering into prayer is an active endeavor but there remains within it a call to yield, to still oneself, to become, if only for a moment, passive before God.
My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me. - Psalm 130
There is no shortage of anxiety in both life and ministry. Our anxieties, fed by a desire for control or at least the fear of having no control, will not guide us accurately in our relationship with God. The structure and content of the office grants us, through the words of others, to settle our hearts and minds, refocus our spontaneous prayers and enjoy the simple presence of God. All of this takes place through an active yielding to God’s Spirit.
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Several years ago I began to use the CDP. I have found it to be a way to relax back into God, much like floating on my back at the swimming pool. I need to rest and allow it to hold me. It gives shape and support to my day. It helps to keep my heart in tune with God, as I pray the words of the office. It provides a rhythmn and a structure as well as focusing my heart and life in Christ. It is a great comfort against the changableness of life.Although circumstances through out the day change, my rest in the timelessness of God does not shift.
I must confess that in the past year I had slipped away from the practice. As the new year turned I have begun again to travel the well trodden paths of the CDP. Thanks for your encouraging posts here at Missional Order.
Good thoughts Keith and I am glad you’re getting involved with the CDP again. I have found it to be a wonderful resource for encountering God.
Paul, this is a very good word for me. I really like the use of “yielding.” As I participate in CDP I need to be reminded of this. I also love Griffin’s use of the word “clinging” in the book title.