Thursday, December 18, 2008

There is Something About Prayer


This blog attempts to dig deep. Sometimes it succeeds and many times it fails. Whether it is a heady post dealing with the Kingdom of God, a soul searching during Lent, or a Christological exploration of Advent; the desire is that it exist as a means to consider a different perspective when thinking about God.


But why is it so important that we consider how we think of God? You may say, "God is God. It makes no difference what I think of him."


If that is the way you believe then consider the following: Through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, God broke into our present world with His future reality.


Why would we deny ourselves the opportunity to participate with a God that promises the opportunity to particpate with Him. I don't even know if that made any sense.


But there are a host of ways to participate in the life of God and we seem to neglect the most obvious.


Prayer.


I know. Prayer = Work. And we have focused enough energies on work, haven't we?

We must begin to look at prayer as being a major element in the mission of the church and the Kingdom of God. Maybe it is here that we can find our motivation.


We all have to admit that there is something about prayer! It says that we are less important than we think we are and I believe we all need a good dose of that. It says that there is something beyond, someone stronger, something transcendent, someone who knows the future.


We know all of this because of the way in which God broke into our world. I used to think that you had to be at the top of a cliff or in a sacred place or standing in awe at God's beautiful creation. But then I found out that it has little to do with context and has everything to do with understanding that I have been invited to enjoy the same extraordinary relationship that Jesus enjoyed with his Father. "....and your Father, to my God and to your God." This is what Jesus said.


And then I read somewhere that if we choose to simply try to bring ourselves into harmony with the created order as it is as present then we are actually embracing DEATH; not only nature red in tooth and claw but also the cosmos running down in the cold night of entropy." OUCH MAN!!! This world is out of joint!


Thy Kingdom come...on earth as it is in heaven. God has met us all in a unique way through the life, death, and resurrection. It all started with this tiny little boy born in Bethlehem. And now that he has gone his way into our hearts, wouldn't it be ridiculous if we chose to ignore him through lack of prayer.



1 comment:

subaruman said...

On Prayer II


Some prayers are like spears. They carry the whole weight
of the body behind them but they do not travel far.

Some prayers are like arrows flying light
and far and fast but they are never seen again.

Some prayers are like are like snares scattered in the woods,
ingenious and cunning—but who knows what they will catch?

No. You can not bring down the Holy One with prayer. God is not caught in your traps.
Listen—you are yourself the hunted.

Your prayer is the sudden stillness of the path,
the in-drawn breath, the pounding heart as you scent the wind.

Have you learned this? Do you know?
You do not seek so much as you are sought.

You cannot pursue the Holy One—or if you do,
it is only as the fish in the net pursues the fisherman.

--Robert Hudson