Burrowing around in my friend Chris's second-hand bookshop up in Old Aberdeen, I unearthed one of those instantly recognisable gems. You know, those ones that you know exist, you've just never seen this particular one before. The Prayers of Kierkegaard, edited by Perry D Lefevre, is a book of two halves – the first a collection of his prayers from throughout his works, the second a brief but brilliant editorial introduction to Kierkegaard's thought.
Given that P T Forsyth and James Denney were admirers of the Danish philosopher-theologian, I'd expect to find in his writing rebuke and consololation, gospel seriousness and humane sensitivity, moral demand anchored in a radically transformative conception of enabling grace. And it's there in thick chunky nuggets of pastoral truth-telling. Instead of the self-concerned individualism and privatised fulfilment of much contemporary spirituality, Kierkegaard (like Bonhoeffer), calls to a much more astringent way of life.
Like many others Kierkegaard is unfinished business for me. I've read several of his books in English translation, but there is much more I've never read. You can't read everything. But I've a feeling there's more of Kierkegaard I should have read. Still, for now I'm using one of these prayers each day – there's around a hundred of them. Here's one I've already lingered over….
NOT TO ADMIRE BUT TO FOLLOW
O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou didst not come to the world to be served, but also surely not to be admired or in that sense to be worshipped. Thou wast the way and the truth – and it was followers only Thou didst demand. Arouse us therefore if we have dozed away into this delusion, save us from the error of wishing to admire Thee instead of being willing to follow Thee and to resemble Thee.
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