I am a “non-liturgical reader.” I try to avoid reading the Bible (and other Christian writings) through liturgical eyes. I want to see beyond the ritual of routine religion and daily live out the reality that it tries to represent.
Ancient Orthodox monks wanted to do the same. They steadfastly repeated in their mind and heart an ancient prayer that dives deeply into the human soul and intimately identifies with our unceasing need for God’s mercy. It is similar to the prayer of David in Psalm 30:9: “Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me. Lord, be my help.” It’s called the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
Ancient monks resolutely repeated that prayer until it began to automatically run within them and to open their heart to incredible insights about Christ and to amazing direct encounters with Him. You can read their testimonies in “The Philokalia,” a 5-volume collection of their writings from the fourth century to the nineteenth century.
A Christian’s posture toward Jesus should be the posture of persistent personal pursuit. We need to courageously avoid the posture of perpetual personal passivity that hides behind religious formalities, performances, and institutionalism.
Unfortunately, Christians have divided into separate religious organizations and refuse to resolutely live like we are all part of the same worldwide body of Christ. When we are unwilling to humbly connect heart-to-heart with one another and “consider others better than yourselves,” we are ignoring Jesus’ desire that “they all may be one.” “Lord, have mercy on us.
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