Brother Lawrence Presentation

Begin with the End: for the love of God





In your own words, how would you describe Bro Lawrence’s goal, or end?


“...seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling of His will”


“...to make the love of God the end of all his actions”


“...That our only business was to love and delight ourselves in God”


“...by this exercise of the presence of God we are with Him who is our end”


“...united to the will of God”


“...That the end we ought to propose to ourselves is to become, in this life, the most perfect worshipers of God we can possibly be…”


“...That many do not advance in the Christian progress because they stick in penances and particular exercises, while they neglect the love of God, which is the end.”


Can you describe your own personal end or goal?





God is Great, God is good: inner praise and worship




Brother Lawrence advocates a prayer life based on inner worship of God.


Did this begin with the vision and feeling he received in his conversion?




“He told me that the foundation of the spiritual life in him had been a high notion and esteem of God in faith.”


“...he received a high view of the providence and power of God…”


“That in this conversation with God we are also employed in praising, adoring, and loving Him incessantly, for His infinite goodness and perfection.”


“We must make our heart a spiritual temple, wherein to adore Him incessantly.”


“A little lifting up of the heart suffices. A little remembrance of God, one act of inward worship…


“...little internal adorations…”


How is inner worship of God different from love of God? What is your experience with this?


Living Faith: trust the Presence



It’s not clear to me what Bro Lawrence means by faith. What do you think?


“That we ought to quicken - i.e., to enliven - our faith....taking faith for the rule of [our] conduct…” (so faith should be alive and a guiding force)


“...at last he had seen that this trouble [fear of damnation] arose from want of faith...” (faith in God’s mercy)


“That we ought, without anxiety, to expect the pardon of our sins from the blood of Jesus Christ” (faith in forgiveness through Jesus)


“That we ought, once for all, heartily to put our whole trust in God, and make a total surrender of ourselves to Him, secure that He would not deceive us” (faith as trust, trusting ourselves to God, faith in God’s faithfulness)


“Let us seek Him often by faith. He is within us; seek Him not elsewhere.”


“God is nearer to us than we are aware of.” (faith in God’s intimate presence)


Fertile Ground: foundations of his practice



These three principles seem to be the framework for Brother Lawrence’s practical advice.


Make the love of God your goal. (relationship, conversation, intimacy, attachment to the Other and detachment from ego or “world”)


Lift up your heart and worship God. (upward joy, gratitude, infinity, souce of all good and value, going beyond ego and world)


Have faith, or trust, that God is with you; that God will forgive, heal, and direct you. (serenity, courage, allows you to live in present and not worry about future or ego)


What have I left out? Which principle do you most relate to?


This the fertile ground for his practice of the Presence. In turn, his practice will continue to add fertilizer to this ground, creating a positive reinforcement cycle.