Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton
Week 2: Chapter 1 — Ordinary Mystics
Read Chapter 1 of Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools. Primary passages: Luke 18:1–8; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18.
Previewing Week 2 of Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Staton's opening chapter challenges the assumption that deep, sustaining prayer is reserved for monks, mystics, and the especially spiritual — and makes the case that ordinary people in ordinary lives are exactly the ones Jesus had in mind. Let these questions push you toward that invitation.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Staton argues that the monastic tradition of prayer was never meant to be kept inside monastery walls — it was always meant to spill out into everyday life. Does that idea feel liberating or does it raise questions for you about whether "ordinary" life can really be a place of deep prayer?
2.He draws a distinction between prayer as a *practice* (something we do at scheduled times) and prayer as a *posture* (an ongoing orientation of the heart toward God). In your current life, which one are you better at? Which one do you think you actually need more of?
3.Staton describes the paradox embedded in the phrase "ordinary mystics" — the word "mystic" implies someone extraordinary, while "ordinary" is by definition unremarkable. How does the gospel resolve that paradox? What does it say about who has access to God?