Homily for Sunday, July 25, 2010

St. James’ Anglican Church, Hespeler Cambridge ON

Today’s Gospel reading continues on from last week’s story of Mary and Martha by showing Jesus a few days later – at prayer.  When he is finished praying, one of his disciples says to him: “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples to pray.”

What a strange thing this seems at first – almost puts one into a state of shock – why, after all, would the disciples need to learn how to pray?  Surely each one – as good Jews do – had learned to pray at the Sabbath table?  Surely each one – as a child of Israel – would have recited the prayers of Passover and called upon God during Yon Kipper and the Feast of Tabernacles?  And again at home – each day – each meal – surely there was a table blessing, a prayer to God of thanksgiving that the disciples – like most of us, learned to say.

So why? Why this request to Jesus: “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples to pray.”?

I think the answer lies in the simple fact that Jesus – like John – but only more so – had the appearance and the substance of God’s power about him – after watching Jesus for a while – after seeing what he could do – after being impressed by his wisdom – his power – his love – his disciples ask him to teach them how to pray … 

What about us – we who journey today?!

The Christian life – the Godly life – is fuelled by prayer – it is made strong by our contact with God each day – just as the relationship between two people can be sustained by communication – intimate – regular – joyful – sincere – needy – honest talk …

Yet, very few people ever show the hunger of the disciples and ask “teach us how to pray.”

I think many folk assume they already know all they really need to know – for they know the Lord’s Prayer – the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples when they asked him “Lord, teach us how to pray.”

But the Lord’s Prayer which they have heard, and which we know, is not THE answer of Jesus to his disciple’s question – it is only AN answer – a model as it were – of what prayer might be like – of what it might include – and of what attitude our prayer might be uttered with.

The Lord’s Prayer is a model of what prayer is for us as disciples – it is NOT meant for strangers – the Lord’s Prayer is a form of prayer for followers of Jesus – for the family of God.  A form of prayer mind you, not THE PRAYER or the ONLY PRAYER – it is a MODEL – ABOVE ALL OTHER THINGS, A MODEL OF INTIMACY.

For God is not “Father” – a formal and stiff parent whom we must address with great respect, fear, and awe – God is “Daddy” – the one into whose lap we as toddlers crawl up into and whose beard we play with as we chatter to him – the one whose arms hold us safe as we laugh and giggle and ask him what we want and tell him about our day.

God, as Jesus explained, is like the neighbour who is close enough to pester at the worst time, or a parent who wants only  what’s best for the children – the One who you can count on because you “know” “him”.

That’s the One to whom this sample-prayer which we call the Lord’s Prayer is addressed, and that is how Jesus suggests we can address Him! 

God is the one we spend time with – as a child spends time with his friends and his parents – simple time – time of thanksgiving – of praise – of need of asking for forgiveness, or expressing hope.

“Lord, teach us how to pray….

When it comes to prayer – all of us need some instruction – some understanding – but more than that – we need time – time and desire.

Time for shooting or spot prayers – as when a child runs into the room and says – wow it sure it hot outside - OR -  time for special times of prayer – special occasions – as when your child has hurt herself and comes to you for a bandage and for a hug - and – time for regular prayer – as when you plan the day at the breakfast table – or review it at the supper table.

AND the desire to communicate, - the desire to know – to listen – to think – to enjoy – to understand – to help – to be with….

Don’t keep God away – keep coming to God – coming and asking – coming and sharing – coming and learning – he hears us – he communicates with us – for God answers prayer – not always as we want – with magical solutions to our problems – but God answers.  Sometimes he answers simply by listening when we share – as a father listens to his daughter tell him about her day – as a mother listens when her son speaks of his sense of frustration and of anger about how things are going at school or at work or with a special friend.

To pray the Lord’s Prayer and to pattern prayer after this example is to be impudent and sassy, to be bold and to be vulnerable.

It is to be a child - a child whose father is the God who made heaven and earth and everything in it.

To pray as Jesus taught us to pray is, above all to be connected, - connected when we are afraid and when we are full of courage, - connected when we are weeping – and when we are laughing, - connected when we are in need – and when we have much to give …

in the trust and confidence that WE will be heard and helped and encouraged and loved…

THINK ABOUT IT!  Amen.