Missional Metrics XIII

Number of people who grow deep and wide in their prayer life.

Today I want to begin building on the work of Hugh Halter and the folks at Missio, by adding some of my own metrics to the missional conversation.  One of the hardest things to measure is the depth and breadth of someone's spiritual life.  And because it has proved so difficult, I find that most churches don't even try.  Reminds me of something G.K. Chesterton once said, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting...it's been found difficult and therefore left untried."  I believe this is exactly the crux of the issue when it comes to measuring the spiritual life. 

One of the reason it is so difficult is because of how easily we lapse into legalism.  How many times have we discovered something in our own spiritual lives, been touched in a powerful way by the Holy Spirit, experienced a deep, profound communication with our God and then set that as THE standard for holiness in the Christian life?  We expect everyone to have this same experience or something very similar or they are not really, truly Christian.  Here I think of an experience I had in high school where a friend of mine tried to convince me that if I didn't speak in ecstatic tongues, that I was not truly living in the full abundance of the Christian life.  When we talk about metrics, it is critical that we remember everyone's spiritual journey is unique and therefore our metrics must strike a balance between measuring something concrete and encasing everything in stone. 

A second reason spiritual metrics are hard to pin down is our sinful competitive nature.  Like some of Jesus' first followers, we love to compete with one another to see who is "greatest among us."  So again, when we experience something deeply moving or profound spiritually, we see it as a sign that we are more holy, more pure, more righteous than the person sitting next to us in the pew.  We put them down and lift ourselves up.  We start to brag about how deep our spiritual lives are, always finding ways to insert our spiritual qualifications subtley (or not so subtley) into our conversations with other Christians.  And again, it is important that when we draw these metrics, we must resist the temptation to take it beyond where it is intended to go.  Metrics in the spiritual life are intended SOLELY to help people (and the community charged with their spiritual care) chart their own path on the journey so they can determine their next step...they are not to be used as a tool to measure one Christian against another. 

With those two caveats now firmly in place, lets turn to the metric for today...measuring the number of people who grow deep and wide in their prayer life.  How does one begin to measure this?  Here are a couple of ideas...(and I am sure there are others as well!)

1. When sharing prayer requests, people do not only ask for prayer for others but actually ask for prayer for issues they are struggling with personally.  (I can't even begin to count the number of prayer meetings I have participated in where NOT EVEN ONE personal prayer request was shared...)  Think about what this says about us...are we that self-deceived that we believe we don't really need prayer?  Are we that fearful of baring our souls to our brothers and sisters?  Is the blood of Jesus not powerful enough to create a safe place for vulnerable sharing? 
2. When praying together, we actually engage in real, authentic confession of our sins.  The other night we were praying wth a group of folks that included my daughter.  She started our prayer time by confessing her jealousy of a new friend, how she spoke to this new friend about it, how they reconciled, and how their friendship is already stronger because of it.  Amazing!  And it lent a depth to our prayer time that would not have been there had she not been willing to share so openly.  Why is it that a nine-year old can touch the heart of prayer so deeply while us adults who are so learned don't feel nearly as free to share?  Surely this is why Jesus said, "Unless you become like a little child, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven." 
3. Our prayerful petitions include a range of concerns (the lost, the least, the world, our enemies, etc.) and are not just limited to people we know and love.  A friend of mine likes to pray each day, "Lord, break my heart with the things that break Yours..."  What a bold prayer!  Imagine if this actually happened!  Imagine the prayers that would pour forth on behalf of Al Qaeda, Republicans or Democrats, that neighbor who makes us angry because he won't keep his lawn up!  Imagine the prayers that would pour forth on behalf of those who don't yet follow Jesus, on those whose lives have been broken by tragedy and pain, on those who are locked in sin!  Imagine the prayers that would pour forth on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ, for the church of Jesus Christ and her mission and ministry!  Lord, break our hearts with the things that break yours, indeed!

These are just a few of the ways one could measure whether or not the people of God are growing deep and wide in their prayer life and all it requires is some active listening.  Just pay attention.  Listen to how people talk about their prayer life and their connection to God.  How vibrant and life-giving does it sound?  How quickly do they move to prayer?  Is it instinctual?  Or more something we feel we have to do because we know we should?  I will be quick to say that I am struggling just as much as the next person with each of these so I don't propose them as one who has it all figured out.  I am a fellow traveler on this journey, not an expert guide.  There is only one Guide I am seeking to follow and I continue to pray for the faithfulness to walk in His footsteps!