Norris Chumley

Reviewed at my blog: http://throughaglassonion.com/2011/08/02/book-review-mysteries-of-the-jesus-pray...

Chumley wrote this book mostly as an introduction for readers that may not have heard about the Jesus Prayer before. In it, Chumley tells us of the origins of the prayer—a second century response to Paul’s call to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). It developed as a means of experiencing God in the silence. The early desert fathers escaped the world in order to embrace the solitude and silence that would keep their minds and hearts focused on God. The twelve simple, yet powerful, words of the Jesus Prayer helped them do just that: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner. In those words is a testament of faith, an acknowledgement of Jesus as the son of God, and a cry for mercy upon our human weaknesses.

Chumley takes the reader from monastery to monastery where we are presented with the timeless wisdom of men and women that have devoted their entire lives to prayer and union with God. Reading about the simplicity of their everyday lives is refreshing and learning about their prayer lives is an inspiration for those of us living in the hustle and bustle of the busy 21st century. I was moved by the way each monk or nun spoke of prayer and relationship with God. For them, God calls the individual to be in a mystical union with Him. The Jesus Prayer, with its simplicity and repetition, helps the individual to empty the mind of everything except unity with God the Father. It is a way in which we speak to God and allow God to speak to us. In the words of Sister Angelina, of Pokrovsky Monastery in Kiev, “God is love. God is quietness, God is peace; and if I feel love and peace in my heart, I know that I am close to God” (144).

Unlike the rosary of the Western Church, the Jesus Prayer is not meant to be recited in a group setting. It is meant for individual prayer and reflection. It can be prayed at anytime and in any place. The prayer is so engrained in the everyday life of the monks and nuns that they even pray it while doing everyday tasks, such as gardening, baking, and walking. It really is meant to be prayer without ceasing.

The beauty of the Jesus Prayer is that any of us can pray it. We don’t have to be a monk or a nun to dwell in the stillness of prayer and let God take over our hearts. We don’t need to reside on a mountaintop, desert, or some far off place. We can live amidst the noise and busyness of the modern world, but find ways to connect to a God who is beyond time and beyond all we see and hear in a noisy world. With twelve simple words we can disconnect and reconnect with the very source of life, love, and peace. We can become contemplative moderns in union with God and open ourselves to experiencing Him.

I highly recommend this book, as I do the film. The Jesus Prayer is not new to Christianity, but is little know in the West. Chumley is not the first to educate us about the beauty of the prayer and the monastic practices of the East, but, hopefully, this book and the film will reach more readers and viewers—more hearts. If you’re looking for a book that looks to help us journey deeper into the heart of God, then this is a read for you.… (mehr)

Norris Chumley has undertaken a mission to familiarize western Christians with the Jesus prayer, which goes "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner" in its long form. The short form is "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me." The prayer is quite common in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and those who pray it have experienced great blessings. Chumley travels to monasteries and churches in Egypt, Mount Athos, Romania, Ukraine, and Russia to talk with those who regularly pray the prayer. The book is a combination theological piece and travelogue. A companion DVD has been released, and I look forward to seeing what was described in the book. I found this to be a very uplifting book.… (mehr)