Luke 9:28-36
Here we are. Its February
11, 2013 and it's still winter. We
should be in the upswing as far as the weather goes. With the cold and the snow it seems like we
are more isolated. It seems that during
these cold months that people just don’t get out of the house as often. We are hunkered down. Oh sure we get out to do the necessary things
but it is quickly to the car get the groceries then head straight back
home. It is difficult to act leisurely
and luxuriate like a tourist in Ludington.
I’m starting to feel like a local.
Did I say last week that I wanted to experience a “real”
Ludington winter? I’m sorry.
One of the great things that has come into my life that is
really helping me through these dark months is the exercise class that Nancy
leads here at the church. Every Tuesday
and Thursday morning at 8 am we show up. We chat; we work; we chat some more
and we pray. In March we will have been meeting for a full
year. We don’t always meet though. The
weather sometimes gets in the way.
Sometimes we don’t meet because some of us may be out of town. But, if we are all here and are all healthy
we meet. Those weeks when there has been a long break between times, the groans
and the complaints are a little more pronounced when we finally do get
together. Our efforts are effective and
consequences of not keeping up with them are apparent.
People often say, “I should exercise more.” I know I have said it. I think it. A treadmill is over at the parsonage largely
unused. I should use it. I know it’s good for me. I know that I will
feel better and have a more positive outlook if I do use it.
Do we think of prayer in the same way we think of
exercise? I don’t think there is anyone
here that thinks that praying is a bad idea.
I have never heard anyone suggest that one should stop praying, or that
one shouldn’t pray too much. Yet praying
is not a priority in many lives. Prayer
often is “squeezed” into a schedule. It is
inserted when there is nothing else pressing for your time. Obligatory prayers
are given from rote memory at the beginning of a meal. Is this what Jesus intended when he taught
his disciples how to pray?
Imagine someone that you love very much and desire to spend
as much time with as possible comes to you and the only interaction this person
has with you is that they give you a daily report of what their problems
are? It’s better than nothing I suppose. What if someone you love and care for deeply
came and spent only one hour a week with you and the whole time was distracted
and thinking about other things?
Praying is spending time with God.
There are different things we can say about prayer. We can say that prayer is effective. There are studies that show that people with
serious illness who have people praying for them recover faster than people
that don’t. But that’s like saying that
people with families get more pumpkin pie at thanksgiving. That may be true but it’s more of a side
effect. Having more pumpkin pie is a
good thing but the real blessing is the family relationships.
Praying is about spending time with God.
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| Being an introvert by nature I find renewal in solitude. I took this pic on a hike with a group of 3rd graders. Our guide stopped for a teachable moment about who-knows-what while I stole a moment of solitude in appreciating the rising sun. |
We can say that prayer changes you. When Peter, James and John went with Jesus to
the mountain top they went with the intent to pray. “As he
(Jesus) was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his cloths
became very bright, a brilliant white.” Jesus appearance to his disciples
changed. Or perhaps, for the first time,
they could see Jesus for who he really is.
Prayer does change you. But not into something that is foreign but it
changes you into the image that God had originally intended for you. God created you uniquely and for a
purpose. We have allowed our brokenness
to distort that image. We have notions
of how we want things done. In our
humanity we desire control and power so that we have a sense of security. Jesus calls us to trust him and leave all
that behind. When we pray we are connecting with God. This is a powerful thing. It’s no wonder that many people don’t have
strong prayer life. Truly seeking and
connecting with God is a transformative experience, and most people don’t want
to change. But if we say that the
purpose of prayer is to change, well then it is nothing more than a self-help
program. If you enter into anything with
your mind on the benefits you will receive, then you are at the center and not
God.
Prayer is about spending time with God.
We can say that prayer will bring you a sense of
well-being. Peter certainly wanted to
make permanent the moment of exultation on the mountain top. He wanted to build shelters for Jesus, Moses
and Elijah. But prayer isn’t about you. Prayer is about the Kingdom of
God. Prayer is about bringing ourselves into
accord with the will of God. Prayer is
more about listening than it is about speaking.
We get that part backwards all the time.
When Peter offered to build the shelters a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid. Then a voice
came from the cloud, saying “This is my Son, My Chosen One. Listen to him!” Listen! Jesus didn’t
bring Peter, James and John to have an experience. He brought them to pray. And when they were fumbling around trying to
respond to what they did experience, they were interrupted by God saying, “Listen
to him!” Jesus has instructions. Jesus has guidance. Jesus has commands. They are in Holy Scripture. Read it! Heed
it! Jesus has written his law on your
hearts. Listen to it. The Holy Spirit guides us and empowers us.
Listen for it!
Yesterday four youth participated in a prayer retreat here
at the church. They were presented with
different ways people have approached God in prayer. Part of that learning process was the
practice of quieting our minds so that we can hear God speak. It’s hard work when it hasn’t been
practiced. Just like Nancy’s exercise
class. When you haven’t done it in a
while, it seems difficult when you begin again.
Our schedules, our routines fill up quickly with other things and it is
easy to put off, delay or even completely remove prayer from our lives. But this is what we are built for. We are disciples of Jesus Christ, the One who
saves, and the one who shepherds us. How
will we know our God’s will for us unless we spend time with God?
This is the scary part about prayer. This is why most people don’t pray. Because when you understand the will of God
for your life then you have to make a choice whether you will act on that
information. It is easier to keep your ears
shut and go about living life according to your terms. God might just have something for you that
doesn’t fit into your plan. And that can
be scary. But let me tell you from every
bit of my being and experience that if God leads you to it he will guide you
through it!
Praying is bout spending time with God. You will be so blessed when you deepen your relationship
with God.
How is it with you today? Are you tenacious enough to work those prayer
muscles and get past the initial pain of feeling like you aren’t doing it right
or not doing it well enough? Are you
brave enough to listen for God’s will in your life? Are you willing to be directed in a way that
you cannot predict right now? This the
way of the disciple. I invite you to
this adventure of faith.
