BOOK REVIEW: PRAYING LIKE MONKS, LIVING LIKE FOOLS

PRAYING LIKE MONKS, LIVING LIKE FOOLS | Tyler Staton

PRAYING LIKE MONKS, LIVING LIKE FOOLS is the first book that I have read authored by pastor and writer Tyler Staton. This is a brilliant scholarly, inspirational igniter of a prayer movement. Tyler weaves the stories of personal prayer seamlessly alongside the Truth of Biblical narrative and complex theological understandings published by recognized authority on Christian prayer.

Organized around the Lord’s Prayer, Tyler engages with a historical perspective that brings new life to what can be a tired practice. Leading from his life honed by personal practice, he cleverly raises the value of traditional practices in the face of modern enlightenment. Tyler challenges us to hold the tensions of mystery, relentlessly trusting in God’s perfect faithfulness.

I don’t (and never could) understand everything about God. But I can trust the God who is revealed in Jesus—the God who has never looked down on suffering from a lofty throne but has always looked into the eyes of suffering from level ground. I can trust the God who refuses to offer platitudes from a safe distance, the God who descends into the mess with me.

This book is one that I hope transforms my personal prayer life and in doing so draws me deeper into the love relationship with Jesus—the kind of love relationship that changes an entire community.

Gaps in Coverage

So . . . streaking continues. While there is a significant (3 year) gap in posting, the running has mostly continued. At the time when I last posted here, I was 390 days into a running streak that continued uninterrupted until January 3rd, 2022. COVID almost killed me—true story—and forced a break in my running streak that no other illness or injury had been able to do. According to my Garmin, I took 11 days off running and started running at least 1 mile a day again all the way to today. In 2022 my streak reached 935 consecutive days with a run. And since the break, I have another 572 consecutive days under my belt, and I am still going.

Not much has been easy. I’ve run a couple of backyard (neighborhood) marathons and had one failed attempt at an ultra-marathon. But, for the most part, the benefits of running have exceeded the complexity of life that comes from having 1 immovable appointment every day. I continue to experience the emotional, spiritual, and physical benefits. But especially as I get older, there are some complementary habits that will be necessary to not undermine the physical benefits. As my body matures and gets used to the stresses and demands of running, despite running every day, I have put on some of the weight that so easily came off at the beginning of this journey. Always an area in which to grow.

In the beginning . . .

This blog entry is an orientation to Run 1 Every Day.

 Coming into the summer of 2019, I was at an all-time high and low. When I pulled the scale out from under the bathroom sink, the numbers that popped up when the dashes turned to a digital assessment of my weight, were the highest I had ever seen—221 pounds. I had been slowly increasing my pant size for the last 20 years, but it had quickly escalated to 36 inches. A few months earlier, after a tough conversation with my wife and a devastating sense of being stuck, I found a family practice physician, and after a physical, started on medication for depression. According to the assessment that my doctor administered, I was severely depressed. And, because piling on is piling on, the combination of depression and escalating interpersonal conflict at work (I am a Christian pastor), strained the relationship with Jesus at the core of my faith. For the first time in a long, long time I felt distant and disconnected.

 Something had to change . . . and that something was me.

 Run streaking was not something entirely new for me. Like a diet, I had started and stopped a couple of other times, but this time I was holistically desperate. On June 13th, 2019 I committed to running at least one mile a day and, as of today, have maintained that commitment 390 times. Only once have I stepped onto the treadmill after 11:45PM to squeeze in a single mile wearing jeans before midnight.

 At the start there was a lot of soreness and the thought that “this-many-days is good enough” was a big part of wanting to quit. However, I eventually got used to the soreness and the thought of quitting, while still there, was no longer a serious consideration.

 And, the changes started to mount. I lost 31 pounds in a year. My resting heart rate went from 66 to 44. My waist size went down 4 inches. I am off medication for depression. And, my relationship with Jesus is vital again. I’m healthier, emotionally more resilient, and spiritually stronger than I ever could have imagined.

 For me it was running, but I know running isn’t for everyone. For me, one mile is always manageable. For me, every day is discipline that motivates. Those activities and measurements might be different for you, but my hope is that this story might help you find your change.