lex orandi, lex credendi

Remember the mini van?  In that post I talked about how envious I am.  It is one of the strongest  of the 7 deadly sins I struggle with.  I know it.  I constantly work at turning my envious thoughts into ones reminding myself to give thanks for all my blessings.

Recently my husband wrote his newsletter article for church on "Lex orandi, lex credendi".  It is a Latin phrase translated into "as we pray, so we believe" or sometimes "the law of prayer is the law of faith".  You can also say that how and what we pray reveals what we truly believe and that what we pray will shape what we believe.

I think Lex orandi, lex credeni applies a lot to me.  I have those days when I just don't want to change my envious thoughts into ones of my blessings.  I don't want to pray that I'm thankful for my car when I really want a mini van.  Sometimes it's hard to be thankful when I listen to others who are doing, buying and saying things I wish I could also do.  It can be hard to say the words you don't necessarily agree with but we do it anyway.

Lex Orandi, lex credeni

I do it anyway.  If I pray enough times for the blessings I have and speak them out loud I will believe it.  I am thankful for my car, my family, my husband's job, my church, my house, my life.

The same goes for my faith.  It has been a dark time within the last year and a half.  There are times I just don't want to pray or can't find the time.  But you do it anyway.

A friend recently shared a story that I can't give the details of, but she had to practice lex orandi, lex credeni.  She told someone that with all she was facing, she just couldn't pray.  She didn't know what to say to God.  The friend responded that she just need to constantly say the Lord's Prayer.  She needed to speak what she believed and believe what she speaks.  She grew in the face of that trial, but I believe it was only because she kept praying and began to believe again in what she was saying.

Some don't understand the reason many churches use liturgy.  A classmate in college had trouble worshipping at our Lutheran school during traditional chapel.  He did not grow up with liturgy and probably didn't understand it.  Those services meant little to him.  I on the other hand, loved it.  I connected most with those services as opposed to some of our more contemporary chapel settings.   In hard days at college, seminary, and even our first call I love knowing that my parents, my friends, and others are all speaking some form of the same liturgy.

Lex orandi, lex credeni

I must continuing speaking and praying what I believe even when it's tough.  Worshipping with two toddlers is not always fun, but thankfully I know the liturgy inside and out.  I can be brought to tears after Lent when we can finally sing "For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign.  Alleluia.  Alleluia."  It makes me happy to hear my son already singing the liturgy.  He doesn't know what it means, but he sings it and won't soon forget it.  He will carry his faith with him just as I do.

I truly believe that how and what I pray will shape what I believe about so much. It will shape my belief in God, it will shape my faith, and it will shape my life.