Sermon, July 29, 2007
Herb Palmer
Faith Lutheran Church, Bellaire
July 29, 2007
Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:6-15; 16-19; Luke 11:1-13
Blessed in Boldness
Prayer is a common practice. The practice of prayer crosses over to all cultures and all religions so that it seems that prayer is as normal to human life as is breathing. Recently, while I was in Turkey, a country that is predominately Muslim, people were called to prayer from the speakers on the Minarets from waking to sleeping. This call to prayer is to honor God and it is part of the 5 pillars of faith in the Islamic tradition. I am told that the closer in time a person prays to the call to prayer, they bring greater honor to God.
In Jerusalem there is the Wailing Wall, which are remains of the ancient Temple. Pilgrims come from all over the world to pray at this wall. From very early in their traditions the common prayer of Jews has been the Shama: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One God.”
Chapels in crowded airports, public hospitals, and parks provide space for people to pray.
What is there about prayer that draws us to do it?
Do we pray because God is like a vending machine where we put in our request and something is dispensed to us?
Do we pray because we have reached the end of our ability to do something so we finally turn to God?
Do we pray because we believe that God is capable of changing any situation, giving a miracle, just by our request for God to do so?
Do we pray because we are drawn to life that is bigger than ourselves?
What is there about prayer that draws us to it? Jesus shares his perspective on that when he answers that question for his disciple who asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. It is not that they were unfamiliar with prayer. It was that the disciples of Jesus wanted to pray in the manner in which Jesus prayed.
Jesus prayed often; and when Jesus teaches his followers to pray he teaches them about pray as a way of life. That is true also for us. So, let’s take a look at what Jesus teaches about prayer as a way of life, as he does so through this very familiar prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer; looking at the implications of what we are asking; and what God is doing.
At the very beginning we pray that God’s name is honored among us. God’s name is honored by what we do. We pray that our behavior and our words are a reflection of the behavior, words, and values of God. These beginning words of this prayer are crucial in understanding what follows. There are then three prayer petitions Jesus teaches us to pray that are reflective of behavior that is normal to life that honors God. Notice, that in each of these petitions we pray that this is true not only for our self but that it is true for the whole community.
These petitions are: “Give us our food day by day. Forgive us our sins just as we forgive those who have sinned against us; and don’t let us yield to temptation.” We are asking God to form in us a way of life to desire justice, to be merciful, and to live humbly.
When we pray for daily bread we are praying for justice.
Justice is about having equal access; it is a leveling of the playing field. What is true about life around us, however, is that people do not have equal access. There are circumstances in life when we don’t have what we need. We pray that we live by different values.
Jesus tells a parable about a man who did not have what he needed to host a late arriving and unexpected guest in his home; so he goes to his neighbor looking for help.
In this story Jesus levels the field, saying that the people who are involved in this story are friends. Friends have equal status with one another. He goes to his friend for help. Secondly, there was obligation as a community to be hospitable to a guest; even if that guest was in your neighbor’s home. Not to help was shaming. So, even though it was late at night and inconvenient for the friend to get out of bed to help… he gets up because it would look badly on him if he did not.
We are asking in our prayer that God, who is ready to give, will shape us to be people who level the field by sharing, not because of our reputation; but because of God’s reputation… our prayer is that we honor God by what we do.
When Jesus teaches us to pray, he teaches us to pray that God, will form in us the passion for Justice. By doing so we honor our God who is always ready to provide.
In the next petition when we pray for forgiveness we are asking God to give us a heart full of mercy. When we pray this petition we are asking God to forgive us and make us into people who forgive. Jesus, again, showed us how this works. Jesus showed mercy to insiders, outsiders, those who were close and those who were far away from God. Never did they deserve forgiveness or mercy; it is freely given because it was characteristic of God to freely give mercy. Therefore, when we pray this petition about forgiveness, we ask God that we also will honor the name of God by working to make relationships right and whole.
And in the third petition we pray that we would be guarded from temptation. When we look at what Jesus means by temptation we are reminded of the time Jesus was tempted in the wilderness to use his power for his own relevance and popularity. (bread; jumping to test God; idolatry) When we pray to be guarded from temptation, we pray that God would form in us a spirit of humility – so that our power and our influence is for God’s purposes and not our own.
All of us have some kind of power to use. Jesus taught and modeled for us not to use our influence and power for our own sake nor for the control of others; but to use our power and influence to serve. Jesus taught us to take the posture of a servant.
And so Jesus teaches that when we pray we ask God to form in us a life that becomes a way of life…that what we do, what we say, and what we desire is centered in living in such a way that we honor God.
We are asking not so much that God change what is around us, but that God changes what is in us; and when God changes what is in us… God will change what is around us. Someone once said that changed people change the world. Prayer, as Jesus taught us, is about being changed people.
When our prayer is centered in this way, it is a prayer that is always answered. God will give to us… every time… what is needed to change what is in us. Jesus insists that God will give us the Holy Spirit to change what is in us… so that we are empowered to honor God in our living.
Here are the implications of praying as Jesus taught us to pray: Those who pray as Jesus taught us should expect that God will use us to show mercy, to live justly, and to use our influence for the good of others. God will also give us the courage and the strength to do these things… because… God will give the Holy Spirit who is our courage, counselor, and strength.
May we, therefore, be so bold in our praying; and may God be so gracious to bless us by forming in us such ways that bring honor to God. Amen
Faith Lutheran Church, Bellaire
July 29, 2007
Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:6-15; 16-19; Luke 11:1-13
Blessed in Boldness
Prayer is a common practice. The practice of prayer crosses over to all cultures and all religions so that it seems that prayer is as normal to human life as is breathing. Recently, while I was in Turkey, a country that is predominately Muslim, people were called to prayer from the speakers on the Minarets from waking to sleeping. This call to prayer is to honor God and it is part of the 5 pillars of faith in the Islamic tradition. I am told that the closer in time a person prays to the call to prayer, they bring greater honor to God.
In Jerusalem there is the Wailing Wall, which are remains of the ancient Temple. Pilgrims come from all over the world to pray at this wall. From very early in their traditions the common prayer of Jews has been the Shama: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One God.”
Chapels in crowded airports, public hospitals, and parks provide space for people to pray.
What is there about prayer that draws us to do it?
Do we pray because God is like a vending machine where we put in our request and something is dispensed to us?
Do we pray because we have reached the end of our ability to do something so we finally turn to God?
Do we pray because we believe that God is capable of changing any situation, giving a miracle, just by our request for God to do so?
Do we pray because we are drawn to life that is bigger than ourselves?
What is there about prayer that draws us to it? Jesus shares his perspective on that when he answers that question for his disciple who asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. It is not that they were unfamiliar with prayer. It was that the disciples of Jesus wanted to pray in the manner in which Jesus prayed.
Jesus prayed often; and when Jesus teaches his followers to pray he teaches them about pray as a way of life. That is true also for us. So, let’s take a look at what Jesus teaches about prayer as a way of life, as he does so through this very familiar prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer; looking at the implications of what we are asking; and what God is doing.
At the very beginning we pray that God’s name is honored among us. God’s name is honored by what we do. We pray that our behavior and our words are a reflection of the behavior, words, and values of God. These beginning words of this prayer are crucial in understanding what follows. There are then three prayer petitions Jesus teaches us to pray that are reflective of behavior that is normal to life that honors God. Notice, that in each of these petitions we pray that this is true not only for our self but that it is true for the whole community.
These petitions are: “Give us our food day by day. Forgive us our sins just as we forgive those who have sinned against us; and don’t let us yield to temptation.” We are asking God to form in us a way of life to desire justice, to be merciful, and to live humbly.
When we pray for daily bread we are praying for justice.
Justice is about having equal access; it is a leveling of the playing field. What is true about life around us, however, is that people do not have equal access. There are circumstances in life when we don’t have what we need. We pray that we live by different values.
Jesus tells a parable about a man who did not have what he needed to host a late arriving and unexpected guest in his home; so he goes to his neighbor looking for help.
In this story Jesus levels the field, saying that the people who are involved in this story are friends. Friends have equal status with one another. He goes to his friend for help. Secondly, there was obligation as a community to be hospitable to a guest; even if that guest was in your neighbor’s home. Not to help was shaming. So, even though it was late at night and inconvenient for the friend to get out of bed to help… he gets up because it would look badly on him if he did not.
We are asking in our prayer that God, who is ready to give, will shape us to be people who level the field by sharing, not because of our reputation; but because of God’s reputation… our prayer is that we honor God by what we do.
When Jesus teaches us to pray, he teaches us to pray that God, will form in us the passion for Justice. By doing so we honor our God who is always ready to provide.
In the next petition when we pray for forgiveness we are asking God to give us a heart full of mercy. When we pray this petition we are asking God to forgive us and make us into people who forgive. Jesus, again, showed us how this works. Jesus showed mercy to insiders, outsiders, those who were close and those who were far away from God. Never did they deserve forgiveness or mercy; it is freely given because it was characteristic of God to freely give mercy. Therefore, when we pray this petition about forgiveness, we ask God that we also will honor the name of God by working to make relationships right and whole.
And in the third petition we pray that we would be guarded from temptation. When we look at what Jesus means by temptation we are reminded of the time Jesus was tempted in the wilderness to use his power for his own relevance and popularity. (bread; jumping to test God; idolatry) When we pray to be guarded from temptation, we pray that God would form in us a spirit of humility – so that our power and our influence is for God’s purposes and not our own.
All of us have some kind of power to use. Jesus taught and modeled for us not to use our influence and power for our own sake nor for the control of others; but to use our power and influence to serve. Jesus taught us to take the posture of a servant.
And so Jesus teaches that when we pray we ask God to form in us a life that becomes a way of life…that what we do, what we say, and what we desire is centered in living in such a way that we honor God.
We are asking not so much that God change what is around us, but that God changes what is in us; and when God changes what is in us… God will change what is around us. Someone once said that changed people change the world. Prayer, as Jesus taught us, is about being changed people.
When our prayer is centered in this way, it is a prayer that is always answered. God will give to us… every time… what is needed to change what is in us. Jesus insists that God will give us the Holy Spirit to change what is in us… so that we are empowered to honor God in our living.
Here are the implications of praying as Jesus taught us to pray: Those who pray as Jesus taught us should expect that God will use us to show mercy, to live justly, and to use our influence for the good of others. God will also give us the courage and the strength to do these things… because… God will give the Holy Spirit who is our courage, counselor, and strength.
May we, therefore, be so bold in our praying; and may God be so gracious to bless us by forming in us such ways that bring honor to God. Amen
posted by Faith Lutheran Church at
6:57 AM
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