Many, many times you have heard me say from this pulpit something about “taking seriously what Jesus took seriously.” And from time to time some of you have asked me what I mean by that. Simply put, Jesus was someone who had a profound relationship with his God, and he lived his life exemplifying that relationship, and he taught others about that intimate bond. It is sometimes said that all the Church wants to talk about is Jesus, and all Jesus wanted to talk about was God. When I take seriously what Jesus took seriously I am being intentional about what Jesus can teach me about my relationship to my God.
10 Pentecost
July 24, 2016
In the name of the God of all Creation,
The God alive in each of us as God was alive in Jesus,
And the power of God known in the Spirit.
Amen.
July 24, 2016
In the name of the God of all Creation,
The God alive in each of us as God was alive in Jesus,
And the power of God known in the Spirit.
Amen.
Many, many times you have heard me say from this pulpit something about “taking seriously what Jesus took seriously.” And from time to time some of you have asked me what I mean by that. Simply put, Jesus was someone who had a profound relationship with his God, and he lived his life exemplifying that relationship, and he taught others about that intimate bond. It is sometimes said that all the Church wants to talk about is Jesus, and all Jesus wanted to talk about was God. When I take seriously what Jesus took seriously I am being intentional about what Jesus can teach me about my relationship to my God.
In this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Luke Jesus has gone off to pray … once again he has gone off to pray. It is then that his disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray … and we hear the words we know as the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus then went on to expand upon how the disciples … and us, too … can relate to an all-loving generous God.
Throughout the gospels we hear about Jesus going off to pray. Jesus prayed in the wilderness after his baptism, and he retreated to the hills and prayed after the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. Later, when “all the people” hear about Jesus “casting out demons” he again retreated to prayer. Jesus was in prayer on Mt. Tabor before he asks his disciples “Who do you say I am?” And, finally, Jesus was in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. So, if we are to take seriously what Jesus took seriously I guess that means that we, too, need to pay attention to our prayer life … especially in tough times. In a world that gives high currency to production … that is, getting things done, and done quickly, it may seem counter-intuitive to retreat from the problem in front of us. But it seems that is exactly what Jesus did. His retreat, however, was not in avoidance of the issue; rather it was to gather himself into the presence of God to be fortified with power of God’s Holy Spirit.
This was obvious to Jesus’ disciples. Yes, he brought about healing to lepers, and the lame walked, and the blind recovered their sight, and the deaf could hear, and demons were cast out … but even as people flocked to him for more and more healings he would go off by himself, hidden at times even from his disciples, to pray. This wasn’t just prayer in the synagogue on the Sabbath, or the ritual prayers every Jew says at sunrise and sunset. This was different … the disciples knew it … and they were curious. They, too, took seriously what Jesus took seriously.
So they said to him, “Teach us to pray.” The Gospels of Luke and Matthew tell the same story in slightly different contexts. In Matthew, in a portion that we often hear on Ash Wednesday, Jesus says:
"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”
We recite the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday. Many recite it daily as part of their prayer life. And, interestingly, the Lord’s Prayer is included in every service in our Book of Common Prayer … it is one of the questions every seminarian is asked on his or her General Ordination Exam. But when we recite the Lord’s Prayer are we praying it as well? Are we just repeating words for the sake of saying a prayer, or are we actually praying as a means to come into a more intimate experience of the holiness of God.
I don’t think Jesus was teaching his disciples simply words that were to be repeated. I believe Jesus was teaching his disciples … and those of us who take seriously what Jesus took seriously … a form of prayer that moves our hearts and souls closer to the presence of God, and therefore allows for God’s Spirit to enter our spirit as well.
“Our father …” When we call upon God as an intimate reality with whom we are in deep relationship it is a reminder that God, and God’s Kingdom, is not “out there” in some other time and place, but right here … as close as our own soul and spirit.
“Hallowed be your name …” When we affirm the holiness of God’s name we are affirming that everything comes from God and we are stewards of this sacred Creation.
“Your kingdom come …” And when we call upon God to bring the Kingdom of God into reality we are also reminding ourselves of the role we play in living our lives as if we are made in God’s image … that we have a responsibility in bringing God’s Kingdom into reality … and that God is a present reality in all we do.
“Give us each day our daily bread …” is much more than just a petition to have enough to eat. Indeed, I don’t believe it is a petition at all. Rather it is another affirmation that there is much more in God’s Creation then is needed … if we will only share our resources. The fact that the world is divided into the “haves” and the “have nots,” and that a small percentage of the population of the world hold a vast majority of the wealth and resources, is contrary to God’s design … and a true Kingdom of God. “Give us each day our daily bread …” is not a request to have enough … it is a charge to make sure we are “mindful of the needs of others” in God’s Creation.
In the first record of Jesus speaking publically … at the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth after his journey in the wilderness … Jesus read from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah about the Year of Jubilee. The year of Jubilee was to occur every 50 years … 7 times 7 Sabbath years … and it was a time in which all debts were wiped clean, land that had been lost through foreclosure return to its original owner, and prisoners were set free. It was a time of forgiveness to return the land and its people back to God. To Jesus this was the foundation of the Kingdom of God. And for us, as we take seriously what Jesus took seriously, our prayer to have our sins forgiven as we, too, forgive those who have sinned against us, is a foundation upon which we can live as well. This kind of forgiveness is more than just accepting an apology for a petty transgression. This is the kind of forgiveness that requires us to initiate the action, even if the other is the one clearly at fault. And it is a forgiveness that absolves not just the offender, but also the power of the offense. Forgiveness is about bringing peacefulness to our own soul. So, when we pray that our own sins will be forgiven, we find our intentions to be true as we enter the process of forgiving those in our life who have caused an offense against us.
And Jesus taught his disciples to pray that they might not be tempted, or “save us from the time of trial.” Jesus, who spent 40 days in the wilderness in a time of trial, is encouraging those who follow him to pray for protection … and dare I say, strength … to face the trials the world has to offer. Jesus, who faced his own death and prayed that the “cup” might pass him by is imploring others to have the strength, when the time comes, to follow where God leads. This petition is not about asking God for protection so that we can avoid the “trials” and “temptations” of this world. Rather it is a pray that the one who created us, and in whose image we are made, and who we approach as intimately as we would a loving father, might be present with us as we live life in all of its dimensions … including those difficult moments of loss, and anger, and disappointment.
Every Sunday … in the liturgy that we are using … we recite the “contemporary” form of the Lord’s Prayer. This “contemporary” form has been included in the Book of Common Prayer for over 35 years … since 1979. Yet I still receive comments … complaints actually … that we do not pray the “traditional” form of the Lord’s Prayer. However, even our “traditional” form of the Lord’s Prayer was once the Church’s “contemporary” form. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer changed the Lord’s Prayer from the previous “traditional” form found in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. And I imagine that there were complaints about the change back then as well. I can only imagine what the rendering of the Lord’s Prayer might look like in another 50 years, but praying the Lord’s Prayer in the words that we now use is a gift to the generations to follow us. I believe that the Lord’s Prayer is more than a collection of words to just be recited. It is also a template for a way of life that takes seriously what Jesus took seriously.
So, as you pray those words this morning, I invite you to ask yourself what they might mean to you. Can you pray these words and not just recite them? Can you see your life reflected in this pray as a way of taking seriously what Jesus took seriously? Finally … if the Lord’s Prayer is a template for one’s own prayer … can you write a prayer using language that fits your own life? The exercise itself will be a prayer.
Amen.
In this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Luke Jesus has gone off to pray … once again he has gone off to pray. It is then that his disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray … and we hear the words we know as the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus then went on to expand upon how the disciples … and us, too … can relate to an all-loving generous God.
Throughout the gospels we hear about Jesus going off to pray. Jesus prayed in the wilderness after his baptism, and he retreated to the hills and prayed after the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. Later, when “all the people” hear about Jesus “casting out demons” he again retreated to prayer. Jesus was in prayer on Mt. Tabor before he asks his disciples “Who do you say I am?” And, finally, Jesus was in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. So, if we are to take seriously what Jesus took seriously I guess that means that we, too, need to pay attention to our prayer life … especially in tough times. In a world that gives high currency to production … that is, getting things done, and done quickly, it may seem counter-intuitive to retreat from the problem in front of us. But it seems that is exactly what Jesus did. His retreat, however, was not in avoidance of the issue; rather it was to gather himself into the presence of God to be fortified with power of God’s Holy Spirit.
This was obvious to Jesus’ disciples. Yes, he brought about healing to lepers, and the lame walked, and the blind recovered their sight, and the deaf could hear, and demons were cast out … but even as people flocked to him for more and more healings he would go off by himself, hidden at times even from his disciples, to pray. This wasn’t just prayer in the synagogue on the Sabbath, or the ritual prayers every Jew says at sunrise and sunset. This was different … the disciples knew it … and they were curious. They, too, took seriously what Jesus took seriously.
So they said to him, “Teach us to pray.” The Gospels of Luke and Matthew tell the same story in slightly different contexts. In Matthew, in a portion that we often hear on Ash Wednesday, Jesus says:
"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”
We recite the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday. Many recite it daily as part of their prayer life. And, interestingly, the Lord’s Prayer is included in every service in our Book of Common Prayer … it is one of the questions every seminarian is asked on his or her General Ordination Exam. But when we recite the Lord’s Prayer are we praying it as well? Are we just repeating words for the sake of saying a prayer, or are we actually praying as a means to come into a more intimate experience of the holiness of God.
I don’t think Jesus was teaching his disciples simply words that were to be repeated. I believe Jesus was teaching his disciples … and those of us who take seriously what Jesus took seriously … a form of prayer that moves our hearts and souls closer to the presence of God, and therefore allows for God’s Spirit to enter our spirit as well.
“Our father …” When we call upon God as an intimate reality with whom we are in deep relationship it is a reminder that God, and God’s Kingdom, is not “out there” in some other time and place, but right here … as close as our own soul and spirit.
“Hallowed be your name …” When we affirm the holiness of God’s name we are affirming that everything comes from God and we are stewards of this sacred Creation.
“Your kingdom come …” And when we call upon God to bring the Kingdom of God into reality we are also reminding ourselves of the role we play in living our lives as if we are made in God’s image … that we have a responsibility in bringing God’s Kingdom into reality … and that God is a present reality in all we do.
“Give us each day our daily bread …” is much more than just a petition to have enough to eat. Indeed, I don’t believe it is a petition at all. Rather it is another affirmation that there is much more in God’s Creation then is needed … if we will only share our resources. The fact that the world is divided into the “haves” and the “have nots,” and that a small percentage of the population of the world hold a vast majority of the wealth and resources, is contrary to God’s design … and a true Kingdom of God. “Give us each day our daily bread …” is not a request to have enough … it is a charge to make sure we are “mindful of the needs of others” in God’s Creation.
In the first record of Jesus speaking publically … at the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth after his journey in the wilderness … Jesus read from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah about the Year of Jubilee. The year of Jubilee was to occur every 50 years … 7 times 7 Sabbath years … and it was a time in which all debts were wiped clean, land that had been lost through foreclosure return to its original owner, and prisoners were set free. It was a time of forgiveness to return the land and its people back to God. To Jesus this was the foundation of the Kingdom of God. And for us, as we take seriously what Jesus took seriously, our prayer to have our sins forgiven as we, too, forgive those who have sinned against us, is a foundation upon which we can live as well. This kind of forgiveness is more than just accepting an apology for a petty transgression. This is the kind of forgiveness that requires us to initiate the action, even if the other is the one clearly at fault. And it is a forgiveness that absolves not just the offender, but also the power of the offense. Forgiveness is about bringing peacefulness to our own soul. So, when we pray that our own sins will be forgiven, we find our intentions to be true as we enter the process of forgiving those in our life who have caused an offense against us.
And Jesus taught his disciples to pray that they might not be tempted, or “save us from the time of trial.” Jesus, who spent 40 days in the wilderness in a time of trial, is encouraging those who follow him to pray for protection … and dare I say, strength … to face the trials the world has to offer. Jesus, who faced his own death and prayed that the “cup” might pass him by is imploring others to have the strength, when the time comes, to follow where God leads. This petition is not about asking God for protection so that we can avoid the “trials” and “temptations” of this world. Rather it is a pray that the one who created us, and in whose image we are made, and who we approach as intimately as we would a loving father, might be present with us as we live life in all of its dimensions … including those difficult moments of loss, and anger, and disappointment.
Every Sunday … in the liturgy that we are using … we recite the “contemporary” form of the Lord’s Prayer. This “contemporary” form has been included in the Book of Common Prayer for over 35 years … since 1979. Yet I still receive comments … complaints actually … that we do not pray the “traditional” form of the Lord’s Prayer. However, even our “traditional” form of the Lord’s Prayer was once the Church’s “contemporary” form. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer changed the Lord’s Prayer from the previous “traditional” form found in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. And I imagine that there were complaints about the change back then as well. I can only imagine what the rendering of the Lord’s Prayer might look like in another 50 years, but praying the Lord’s Prayer in the words that we now use is a gift to the generations to follow us. I believe that the Lord’s Prayer is more than a collection of words to just be recited. It is also a template for a way of life that takes seriously what Jesus took seriously.
So, as you pray those words this morning, I invite you to ask yourself what they might mean to you. Can you pray these words and not just recite them? Can you see your life reflected in this pray as a way of taking seriously what Jesus took seriously? Finally … if the Lord’s Prayer is a template for one’s own prayer … can you write a prayer using language that fits your own life? The exercise itself will be a prayer.
Amen.
