Because He Said So!

This is a special day.  One of the things we love about Cor Unum is that all of them are; all our days are special here.  We make them so.

Today we “see to it” that we can say, as Jesus did, “I know You hear me” to the Father.  (John 11:41, 42)  Is that valid?  Can we say it?  Is it true?  Let's remember: we have purpose here in Cor Unum.

Yes, we say, and yes, in Christ Jesus our Lord!  Let’s give our souls proof and crucify our flesh and take captive any thoughts that insinuate otherwise.  That’s what we’re here for!  We don’t let things drag on when it is ours to mend them and tend them.  That’s monasicism!

We remind ourselves that God hears us, because He told us to pray.  God being God, this is evidence enough that we ought to be a praying people!  Over and over again, He tells us to pray and teaches us the preeminence of our prayer life (Luke 18:1.)  We are admonished to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.)  We see that even though God knows we don’t always know how to pray as we ought, we ought to pray anyway, and the Holy Spirit will help us (Romans 8:26.)  We are called to prayer, and excuse-less when we don’t show up!  In Cor Unum, we do show up.  We say together, "It is written - we are to pray and not give up.  It is written - we are to pray without ceasing.  It is written, the Holy Spirit helps us!"

This is our Cor Unum manifesto: we pray!  In the stability of life in Christ that won’t cease, but needs to be valued and nurtured, we pray.  In the importance of “Conversatio, of nurturing the repentance and the personal revivals that bring us into the image of the Son of God, we pray.  Because we know that we are called to obedience, as Jesus was, and that our obedience will be our joy (John 15:11,) we pray.  We may not being praying at all as we hope to in future; meanwhile, we pray.

Jesus told us plainly, “My Father’s house will be called a House of Prayer” (Matthew 21:13,) so the monastery of our hearts cannot be less.  We never pray alone . . . first, the Father who sees in secret meets us when we closet ourselves in prayer (Matthew 6:6,) and secondly, our prayers join those of all our brothers and sisters worldwide who are praying when we are.  Last, but perhaps above all, Jesus is praying now.  He “ever liveth to make intercession for the saints” (Hebrews 7:25.)  In Cor Unum, when we pray, we join Him there.

The spot, inside a tunnel, where Jewish women can be closest to the Holy of Holies
by permission, David Shankbone