A sample from Rea McDonnell’s From Glory to Glory All Rights Reserved © 2010 New City Press

A Guided Prayer Passage and Small Group Exercises from the chapter entitled, “Paul: An Apostolic Spirituality”

Philippians 3: 3–14

… we who worship God in spirit and glory in Christ Jesus put no confidence in the flesh. I have good reason to put confidence in the things of the flesh. If anyone thinks he has credentials “in the flesh,” I have more. Here are my ac-complishments according to the flesh: I was circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews. According to the law, I was a Pharisee; according to my zeal for the law, I persecuted the Church; according to the keeping of the law, I was perfect. But these deeds which once for me were great gain I now count as total loss because of Christ Jesus. I value all things as loss because of the excellence of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. On account of him I consider everything so much manure in order that I might gain Christ and be found in him.

I have no more righteousness because I keep the law. It is because of faith in Christ. The righteousness that comes from God is due to faith in Christ. Oh, that I might know Christ and the power of his resurrection and, — if I am able — to share his sufferings, being like him in his death so that I might be raised from the dead too. Not that I have already received this, not that I have been made perfect. Rather, I press forward, reaching to grasp hold of Christ who has already grasped hold of me.… I stretch forward to what lies ahead … the call of God in Christ Jesus.

Much had to be emptied from Paul’s life. Before he was converted to Christ, he had clung to the law, to his own righteousness. He thought he was holy. That “saving” of himself through his good works was just garbage, or manure as he called it (Phil 3: 8–9). Now he wants only to cling to Jesus, even if that means sharing his sufferings. For us, that suffering will sometimes mean always running forward, never thinking we have finished growing, never congratulating ourselves that we have “arrived” in the spiritual life. Ask Jesus to strip you of your own ideas of holiness, so that your only holiness and freedom may be Jesus himself. Ask that he may live in your joys and loves each day and that he continue his saving death as you “die” through your small day-to-day sufferings. Pray that you may continually know the power of his resurrection.

Have you lost anything? Do you count anything as garbage because of knowing Christ? Tell Jesus how you feel about it.

Toward what goals do you press forward? Be honest and tell him what you really want, even if those wants sound insignificant and maybe “unholy.”

How does Jesus feel about your goals? Ask him. Talk them over with him.

Small Group Exercises

1. Imagine yourself (or your group) sent by your parish or congregation to a small tribe of people who have never heard of Jesus. You know their language but you have absolutely no money. You also have only one year to be with them. How will you be with them? What will you say? What will you do?

2. Imagine that your pastor and any other ordained leaders are called away from your church indefinitely. How would the community operate? Be specific and try to list about twenty things your community would need and/or do. If a crisis came up, where would you turn? Would you write to your pastor? Why or why not?

3. Paul sometimes quotes “a saying of the Lord.” What words of Jesus come to your mind often? Why? Do you ever use any of Jesus’ sayings out loud? Why or why not?

4. Once Christians were taught to “prove” the resurrection, to “prove” Christ’s divinity. But what we can prove we need no longer believe. What has faith meant to you over the years? How has the meaning of faith changed? Do you know any people whom you could describe as faith-filled? How do they act? How do you link beliefs about Jesus with belief in Jesus?

5. Return to a faith-sharing atmosphere. Take some quiet time to reflect on some beliefs about Jesus which are precious to you. Then share them with the group. Conclude with silent or spoken prayer for a deeper belief in, trust of, clinging to the person of Jesus.