Prayer

The ancient philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BC) struck upon a novel idea for attaining happiness. Pagans typically lived in fear of the gods and scrambled about like so many unabashed brown-nosers placating the deities at every opportunity. Epicurus drew the conspicuous conclusion that such a life-orientation was the mother of all sorts of misery. Little argument from anyone on that point, but what was a pagan to do?

^{Author’s Note: For the past nine months, I have been consumed with the vision of planting a church in downtown Denver. This vision has called me and my family to a life of travel, a part-time job, and constant change. As the owner of SI, I have felt detached from the site I started almost three years ago. I appreciate the crew that has pinch-hit for me.}

By Todd Wood.

A while ago, a 70-year-old single man took me out to lunch at a fast-food joint. Innocent enough. Yet while I was hungrily munching on my thick Arb’y roast beef sandwich, loaded with special sauce, my friend point-blank asked me how much time I spend in prayer.