Seeing with God’s eyes: Prayer as a new form of consciousness::Richard Rohr

From Len Hjalmarson over at Next Reformation...and across the water, over the hills in Kelowna;

Parker Palmer is an outstanding spiritual writer. His books, “Let Your Life Speak,” and “A Hidden Wholeness” are some of my favorites of the last five years. Let Your Life Speak is on my list of “must reads” for any Christian leader. The Center for Courage and Renewal lists three podcasts on community, education, learning and courage. And from Prodigal Kiwis, some podcasts from Richard Rohr..

Seeing with God’s eyes: Prayer as a new form of consciousnessis divided into three parts. Right click on the title of each episode to download as an Mp3.

Episode 1: A different consciousness (27 min.)
Rohr tells Tom Fox: “I am convinced that prayer is a descriptor word for a different consciousness. When Jesus goes out and prays for 40 days, he is not saying Hail Mary’s and Our Fathers. He is looking out at life with a different set of eyes.”

Episode 2: ‘We don’t have time for opposition’13 min.)
“The future of Christianity is ecumenical,” Rohr tells Tom Fox. No single denomination is big enough to contain Jesus; he says and outlines three characteristics of “the emerging church”: 1) A recognition of social justice, Christianity has to be concerned about this world and suffering, 2) Openness to contemplation, and 3) Honest scholarship about Jesus.

Episode 3: What do we mean by ‘transformation’? (15 min.)
“A lot of people still think that transformation means becoming more pious or becoming more law abiding or becoming more polite,” Rohr tells Tom Fox. “By transformation I mean a different consciousness.” It’s not about moral mandates, he said. “It’s looking at reality in a different way, which will certainly lead you to operate in highly moral ways, but you don’t start with morality and think that will get you there.

All three podcasts are well worth listening to, Richard Rohr is a great speaker, writer and spiritual director.

Comments

[Hope]

I admire Richard Rohr's work. And Parker Palmer's. The description of Rohr's podcasts made me put an MP3 player as my sole wish for Christmas. What he says there resonates with me. I have believed for a long time of transformation as being a different way of seeing. And that different way seems to piss off Christians far more than anyone else.

[ron]

I agree Hope, for many we've figured transformation all out. It's steps, a program, a list of ingredients when added and mixed in the right proportions, you have it...transformation.

It is like grace, a fathomless mystery beyond us...and in the hands of the potter, who shapes, molds and breaks and re-builds. Transformation is about the Spirit that blows when and where it wants. We have hurt too many people by our transformation.