Eugene Peterson: Prayer is not Plumbing

Had to pass on these sound-bytes from Eugene Peterson on the subject of prayer. They remind me why Peterson is one of my favorite authors...on just about whatever topic he approaches.

Much talk about prayer is like reading books about sex as “plumbing.” It’s boring because it’s not real life.

Prayer is the ability to approach anything and everyone and see/respond to the face of God. It is living in God-responsiveness to the people around you. Prayer discerns the face of God in our Esaus; it sees the ladders to heaven in our Bethels.

These are via iMonk (Michael Spencer), who recently heard Peterson speak in person. Spencer points to Eugene Peterson's Answering God as an excellent book on prayer (have it, haven't yet read it). Another one that doesn't read like a plumbing manual is Telford Work's Ain't Too Proud to Beg (which I reviewed here).

I resisted the temptation there to describe Work's book as another "sexy" book on prayer. But if I had, you'd know what I meant...