Jay: Last week, we began to discuss the factors that influence transitions between stages of faith, including the factors of prayer, faith, free will vs. god’s will, community, teacher, grace and works, and time/maturity. To what extent can we direct and control these various influences? The stages progress along a continuum from selfish (stage 1)…

Jay led the discussion. He prefaced it with a reminder that god’s word is not difficult to understand and that there may be dangers in over-analyzing it. In Matthew 11:25, Jesus said: “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed…

Harvard professor James Fowler’s book Stages of Faith opened my eyes about matters spiritual in general. In relation to our discussions of prayer, it occurs to me that there must be a link between our prayer and our stage of faith. How we define ourselves in relation to god very much influences what we pray…

Don: We have noted that prayer has been ubiquitous throughout all cultures and all times, which hints rather strongly of its universality and its fundamental importance in life. In our six-month discussion of prayer to date, what has emerged as its most important aspect? What have we learned? What insights have helped us in our…

Don: Last week, Kiran reminded us that Romans 7 and 8 have a lot to say about the contrast between the flesh and the spirit, and might help us understand what Jesus meant and how prayer might overcome the weakness of the flesh. Galatians 5 and 6 also discuss the topic. In 2 Corinthians 5:7,…

Don: Last week, Alice pointed out that the fall of Man from the Garden of Eden came about through his exercise of his will, whereas the restoration of Man—the way back to the Garden of Eden—came about through Jesus’ relinquishing of his will in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus raised the issue of will with…