Divine Hours

"The hyper-individualism and narcissism that have taken deep root in America have led to a current notion that the only good prayers are spontaneous, created on the spot and issuing from the unique persona of the one praying. Conversely, there's a pervasive sentiment that to recite the prayers of others is somehow less authentic, less real, and certainly less efficacious. It only takes a moment's reflection to see that both of these views are nonsense. The fact that Jesus memorized and prayed the Psalms, using them extensively in his teaching, should adequately squelch any doubts about the validity and helpfulness of praying 'second-hand' prayers." (Dave Nixon, someone who is almost famous.)

We chant the Psalms like a bunch of nuns and monks, only without the robes. This is definitely uncommon for a Vineyard and something that, in the beginning, we never imagined doing. So how in the world did we arrive at this practice?

Well, have you ever felt that, outside the time you spend at work (but maybe even there, too), your life is just a series of hectic comings and goings, a long string of commitments and obligations, unseized opportunities and squandered moments, without any rhythm, rhyme or pattern? Do you often feel at the mercy of your day rather than in control of it?

If so, you're not alone. We've found that modern urban life can bear down hard on the individual, quickly obscuring the lines between day and night, work and rest, the important and the trivial—to the point that we can quickly find ourselves drifting around exhausted, without any landmarks or sense of direction.

We've been there too often and it's no fun at all. The journey to solid ground is helping us see the importance of establishing fixed points in our day, times when, despite what's going on around us (and maybe precisely because of what's going on), we stop, take a deep breath, collect our wits, and turn our hearts to God.

This is where the Divine Hours (or Divine Offices, as they're sometimes called) come in. The Divine Hours are, simply put, fixed points in each day when we stop whatever we're doing and come together on the hour or half hour to pray, meditate, and chant Scripture for about 15 minutes.

The effect of establishing fixed times in the day for centering attention on God is that your life starts to bend around these significant moments. A rhyme and pattern develop to your day, and the recital of meaningful prayers and psalms slowly fills an interior spiritual reservoir which carries you through the craziness of modern life with your head screwed on straight. You become, as the ancient poet says, "a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither."

In convents and monasteries there are as many as seven Divine Hours, beginning in the middle of the night. For now we're content with these: 7 a.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday at St. Elizabeth's Community House: 1757 Mills Ave., Norwood, OH (next door to the auditorium (directions). If you have fairly normal working hours, you're welcome to begin your days with us in a meditative atmosphere of silence and reverence.

If, however, none of these times is available to you, there are still great ways to add fixed-hour prayer to your life and to join us in spirit. If you'd like to know more about bringing the Divine Hours into your life, contact Dave Nixon.

"The third clause of the Lord's prayer is repeated daily by millions, who have not the slightest intention of letting any will be done, except their own."
(Aldous Huxley)

Copyright 2008 • Vineyard Central
1757 Mills Avenue, Norwood, OH 45212 • 513-396-7202