“The one thing I ask of the LORD – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life…”
Psalm 27:4 NLT
Jayne and I live in St Cuthbert’s Oratory. It is our home, yet also a place for consistent prayer, presence and possibility. When at university I was deeply impacted by Psalm 27. I returned to it regularly and it became a familiar part of my prayer life early in my Christian adventure. I’m sure there are scriptures that have a special meaning for you. As the years advanced I couldn’t get away from verse 4. Initially I feared it was a temptation to escapism, to shut myself away in the “house of the LORD”. This was because the image that came to mind was the modern-day equivalent of the Jewish Temple, my local church building. Only slowly did I realise that by “house” the psalmist is identifying the space in which I encounter God.
I’ve spoken with thousands of people about where they encounter God. It varies from “chuntering” to God while driving to work, walking in the garden, withdrawing to the study and even taking time out to visit a sacred site. Each of us will have a preferential place to encounter God. As I considered all God was saying to me I realised that my home was to be that place. I wanted to encounter God in every room and through every activity associated with maintaining and running our home.
My first 25 years of married life were in an extended household or community. We prayed and lived together. It reduced all our financial overheads, offered mutual support and encouragement, letting us get on with life in the knowledge and safety of a community. We learned how to disagree well, take decisions with respect for the insights of others and to address our selfishness. Those years were joyful and seriously testing. We learned both the art and the benefit of open hospitality and how Jesus is working in everyone’s lives.
So, married to Jayne, no longer in community, we decided to establish St Cuthbert’s Oratory with the intention of offering hospitality born out of prayer. We expect God’s presence to fill our home. We are committed to sharing the hope it offers to all who visit.
QUESTION
What place does prayer play in your home life?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, please grace my home through the presence of your Holy Spirit.
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