In light of some arguments I have been having (such as here) with fellow Lutherans about synergism and monergism, I found the following observation by the Orthodox priest Fr Stephen Freeman quite remarkable: … forgiveness, like repentance, is not aut…

When you post about our true needs (repentance, forgiveness, prayer) it is more difficult for us to converse because of our inadequecies. I exist in a quick-fix environment that doesn’t easily lend itself to waiting. This is no different when it comes to religion. The story of the monk sleeping at the gates of the monastery is an excellant metaphor to make your point.

The themes expressed in this post of “want to want to forgive” and “want to want to repent” are enlightening. Sometimes that’s all I’ve got. In a post last week you spoke of prayer as union with God, which I juxtapose to the endless litanies of requests I tend to offer to God, something which I found to be helpful. Now when I go to grab my prayer rope I think actively in my mind that what I’m doing is seeking union with God as opposed to offering another litany.

What you propose in this post with regards to repentance and forgiveness is an even longer process. Waiting. It is our true need, and the ends are not merely judicial, but union, and ties into a previous posting by you that all of Christian life is about union.

I understand the doctrine of the Church as regards to theosis (union with God), but putting such a doctrine into practical effect in my life I find difficult. Linking the themes of repentance, forgiveness, and prayer to the doctrine of theosis I find quite helpful. They require time and work, which runs counter to the culture I exist in. But it is my true need.