In what way are our Christian Churches like the "Emperor's new clothes"?
I went to an Anglican service in the city of Brisbane for Ash Wednesday. I hate that people sometimes text and check their phones when at a church service... I think it is rude, but this time it was me who wanted to text. I was going to text our north Queensland Bishop and ask him to let his buddies in South Queensland know that God understands modern English language. You see, the whole service was in old English.... and they wonder why our churches are empty.......!!!!
I have driven past a number of beautiful church buildings in Brisbane. The ones that stand out are those that have be sold into the marketplace and are operating as restaurants and night clubs.
Only in the Christian church is there an ignorance of the charm and beauty of these structures. The world outside recognises, not just the structural beauty but the essence of something spiritual and even mystical which gives them even greater charm. This element is brought about by years of prayers, tears and laughter, love and communion with God in all the various experiences. Some how these soak into the very structure and make the building "holy". The church may have a ceremony to decommission it and secularize it, but it has been made holy by the years of faithful people and this doesn't go away.... just as a Bible or structure, only really becomes "holy" or "Sacred" when it is combined with the human element and there is some kind of union which changes both. Without this union, the building is no more than a structure and the Holy Bible is simply words on a page.
In the church over the last few years there is a catch phrase bandied around.... "New Expressions". It can take any form, but lately I hear it referred to as "House church" - a way of having and being church in people's houses. NEWS FLASH.... this is not something new - generally people call it a Bible Study!!!!
New expressions is meant to be a way of evangelising the modern people. The reason for the "House church" is that there is this crazy idea that people are not comfortable in a church building..... Hmmmm.... I observe that the secular masses are actually acting in contrary to this belief. The old churches (operating as secular businesses) are busier than their non "church building" counterparts, due to the X factor, (spiritual element) which actually draws the people to them.
HOW STUPID AND IGNORANT are we that we think we can make a business decision about a church and decommission it because of lack of attendees.... and instead promote "House Church"? If we can't draw people to the church building, which has proven to hold incredible charm and drawing power, what makes us think we can draw people into a "House Church", where the only thing we are depending on is our own charm......???? It would seem to me, the church building is not the problem and reason that people are not attending..... the problem is us!
The Emperor was told of a "New" fabric.... he was convinced of its worth and neglected to see the truth. In his stupidity he paraded naked in front of the masses.
There are churches that take on new ideas.... It may be the latest sound gear... the latest style of music. This may seem to work. But there is a saying, "There was a lion in the jungle roaring and a rabbit who heard him enquired why. The Lion explained that he is king of the jungle because he advertises. So the rabbit gave it a try, but his roar was just a squeak. A hungry wolf heard the squeak and ate him. The moral to the story is that it doesn't pay to advertise unless you've got the goods."
The same goes for these delightful city churches that hire musicians who are not even Christians to perform exquisite choral works. How belittling to the "ministry" of music to think that someone who is not Christian - no matter how good, can possibly minister the spirit of God.
We can take on any church pattern or plan, but unless we have the "goods", it will all lead to nothing.
What is the "goods"? The "goods" is the Spirit of God.
Jesus didn't choose perfect disciples to be his apostles. Many think that people in the church are not to be in leadership until they've proven themselves perfect. This is the first thread in the Emperor's new clothes. A perfect and indefinable characteristic that draws a crowd. Con men do that!
We are not to be con men and do not have to be anything that we are not.
Do we speak Old English? No we don't. So to do so would be one of the threads of that ridiculous Emperor's outfit.
The main requirement is the Spirit of God. The secondary requirement is the calling of God to that purpose.
We need to be genuine and we need to be real.
It is true that we are a diverse people, but we can easily discern what is real and relatable. Firstly we need to relax and be assured by the words of scripture which reassure us that we have been given every necessary gift by God to achieve His purpose.
What language should we use and what style of music..... Surely it should be the same that we genuinely use when not at church. If in doubt - watch television - listen to advertisements and you will realise that there are no pipe organs and no "thees" and "thous".
A church that uses any "fabulous" new idea or "fabulous" old idea simply because they've been told that it is THE way to do things is a foolish Emperor parading naked. Not only will that church be laughed at, but ridiculed and scoffed for their hypocrisy.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Reflection for the 12th February 2012 6th Sunday after Epiphany year B
Year B Sixth Sunday after Epiphany 12 February 2012
2 Kings 5: 1-14 Psalm 30 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 Mark 1: 40-45
This week we have two stories about people infected with Leprosy. Leprosy in the Bible referred to many skin conditions and so we can’t know exactly to what extent the lepers in the two readings were affected, but in the very least, this was a condition that limited the person’s ability to live a normal life.
Today we understand Leprosy to be a bacterial infection that causes skin problems, muscle weakens – but most importantly affects the nervous system and the leper’s ability to feel pain.
Many years ago it was thought that leprosy caused flesh to rot and limbs to fall off, but these occurrences were due to the leper not being able to feel. Without the sensation of pain the leper would rest their foot on hot coals without realizing or lean their hand on sharp objects. Without the sensation of pain, the wounds were ignored and complications set in.
We can be like the lepers at times. Our spiritual nervous system becomes impaired when we neglect to nurture it.
Like the leper, if we have this spiritual leprosy, we are unable to even sense our spiritual sickness because we simply do not feel it. There is nothing pricking our consciences because we have become numb to such things.
In each of our stories the lepers were aware and bothered by their leprosy. They lived in a climate that didn’t tolerate leprosy. Due to the lack of sensation the leper may not notice his condition, but those around were quick to point it out and then they became outcast. They certainly were made acutely aware of their need for God’s healing.
In our first reading Naaman, a commander in the army of Aram had leprosy. An Israelite servant girl who had been captured by one of their raiding teams suggested that he go to see the prophet in Israel and “he” would cure him. This is our first little evangelist. She did a great job, but did get it a little wrong because it wasn’t the prophet who can heal, but only God.
Naaman goes to see the prophet but the prophet sends a messenger to tell Naaman to wash seven times in the river Jordon. Naaman is insulted because the prophet didn’t even come out to him and sees the act of washing seven times in the river Jordon as ridiculous.
It really wasn’t such a hard thing, but why the river Jordon? And Naaman angrily suggests that other rivers are just as good – if not better.
Many people today will write on a census form that they are Christian. They don’t attend any church however, and don’t believe that you have to attend church to be a Christian. These people have spiritual leprosy. They are unaware of their condition and they may even attend some meditation class and when getting into spiritual discussions will claim that all religions are basically the same. They will tell you that it doesn’t matter if you are Hindu, Christian or Muslim, Scientologists or new age spiritualist.
This spiritual leprosy is contagious and is so prevalent that society looks at them as being the norm and not as lepers at all. No one seems to feel anything pricking their conscience.... if it makes you happy it can’t be wrong.
Naaman was told to wash seven times in the river Jordon. Figuratively, because this was a land that worshiped the one God – Yaweh, this river is the “river of God”.... not just of any god, but Yaweh. Seven is the number that symbolizes God. Naaman was being shown in a most strong way that his healing would be the work of God and not some prophet. The cure for spiritual leprosy is to be immersed in God.... to be baptized – completely changed by the cleansing of our God of truth.
Our second reading is from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In this he talks about running a race. He talks about how you can run aimlessly, but that won’t win you the prize. A serious athlete will train in a specific manner to achieve their purpose – to win.
1 Corinthians 9: 26, 27 “Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
An athlete will research what is needed to win the race. They will set themselves a training regime that involves working on strengthening their weaknesses and maintaining and bettering their strengths. They will meditate on what it is that they can do to give themselves an edge over their competitors. They understand that all this will take time, dedication and discipline.
St. Paul urged the Corinthians and us with them, to run our spiritual race as though we intend to win.
I have come across people who, with a sense of worry, have said, “Well, I hope I get into heaven”. These people express a doubt that God really cares about them. Our Gospel reading tells us of the leper who said to Jesus, “If you want, you can make me clean”. The leper was sure of Jesus power, but not sure of God’s love for him. Jesus reassures him and heals him.
One of the biggest obstacles in training to win any prize is our self doubt. If we believe that God doesn’t care for us then we are far less likely to dedicate ourselves to running this spiritual race.
We need to be fully aware that through the gift of Jesus sacrifice on the cross we have already won the race. This is His gift of the assurance of his love. St. Paul knew this, but he knew that many, after accepting God, if they do not dedicate themselves to running the spiritual life like a race, develop spiritual leprosy, where they forget the truth about God and become numb to God.
After healing the leper, Jesus gave him these instructions: Mark 1:44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Naaman had to wash. The other leper had to show himself to the priest and offer sacrifices. Really neither one was instructed to do anything too hard. We also are “set free”, “cleansed” and assured of eternal life, but we too are urged to commit our lives to being joined to the “body of Christ”. We need to put certain things into place, such as regular prayer and Bible study and meetings with other Christians.
There is no hard and fast way to train for this race, but we need to work it out with God and stick to it. I suspect in the freedom that we have and choices, we actually neglect to do anything that resembles a Christian commitment.
If we fail to do this then over time we will become completely oblivious to the fact that we are numb to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and not only will we be ineffective witnesses but we will be maiming ourselves without realizing.... leaning on dangerous philosophies and breaking our lives with disastrous and false beliefs.
2 Kings 5: 1-14 Psalm 30 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 Mark 1: 40-45
This week we have two stories about people infected with Leprosy. Leprosy in the Bible referred to many skin conditions and so we can’t know exactly to what extent the lepers in the two readings were affected, but in the very least, this was a condition that limited the person’s ability to live a normal life.
Today we understand Leprosy to be a bacterial infection that causes skin problems, muscle weakens – but most importantly affects the nervous system and the leper’s ability to feel pain.
Many years ago it was thought that leprosy caused flesh to rot and limbs to fall off, but these occurrences were due to the leper not being able to feel. Without the sensation of pain the leper would rest their foot on hot coals without realizing or lean their hand on sharp objects. Without the sensation of pain, the wounds were ignored and complications set in.
We can be like the lepers at times. Our spiritual nervous system becomes impaired when we neglect to nurture it.
Like the leper, if we have this spiritual leprosy, we are unable to even sense our spiritual sickness because we simply do not feel it. There is nothing pricking our consciences because we have become numb to such things.
In each of our stories the lepers were aware and bothered by their leprosy. They lived in a climate that didn’t tolerate leprosy. Due to the lack of sensation the leper may not notice his condition, but those around were quick to point it out and then they became outcast. They certainly were made acutely aware of their need for God’s healing.
In our first reading Naaman, a commander in the army of Aram had leprosy. An Israelite servant girl who had been captured by one of their raiding teams suggested that he go to see the prophet in Israel and “he” would cure him. This is our first little evangelist. She did a great job, but did get it a little wrong because it wasn’t the prophet who can heal, but only God.
Naaman goes to see the prophet but the prophet sends a messenger to tell Naaman to wash seven times in the river Jordon. Naaman is insulted because the prophet didn’t even come out to him and sees the act of washing seven times in the river Jordon as ridiculous.
It really wasn’t such a hard thing, but why the river Jordon? And Naaman angrily suggests that other rivers are just as good – if not better.
Many people today will write on a census form that they are Christian. They don’t attend any church however, and don’t believe that you have to attend church to be a Christian. These people have spiritual leprosy. They are unaware of their condition and they may even attend some meditation class and when getting into spiritual discussions will claim that all religions are basically the same. They will tell you that it doesn’t matter if you are Hindu, Christian or Muslim, Scientologists or new age spiritualist.
This spiritual leprosy is contagious and is so prevalent that society looks at them as being the norm and not as lepers at all. No one seems to feel anything pricking their conscience.... if it makes you happy it can’t be wrong.
Naaman was told to wash seven times in the river Jordon. Figuratively, because this was a land that worshiped the one God – Yaweh, this river is the “river of God”.... not just of any god, but Yaweh. Seven is the number that symbolizes God. Naaman was being shown in a most strong way that his healing would be the work of God and not some prophet. The cure for spiritual leprosy is to be immersed in God.... to be baptized – completely changed by the cleansing of our God of truth.
Our second reading is from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In this he talks about running a race. He talks about how you can run aimlessly, but that won’t win you the prize. A serious athlete will train in a specific manner to achieve their purpose – to win.
1 Corinthians 9: 26, 27 “Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
An athlete will research what is needed to win the race. They will set themselves a training regime that involves working on strengthening their weaknesses and maintaining and bettering their strengths. They will meditate on what it is that they can do to give themselves an edge over their competitors. They understand that all this will take time, dedication and discipline.
St. Paul urged the Corinthians and us with them, to run our spiritual race as though we intend to win.
I have come across people who, with a sense of worry, have said, “Well, I hope I get into heaven”. These people express a doubt that God really cares about them. Our Gospel reading tells us of the leper who said to Jesus, “If you want, you can make me clean”. The leper was sure of Jesus power, but not sure of God’s love for him. Jesus reassures him and heals him.
One of the biggest obstacles in training to win any prize is our self doubt. If we believe that God doesn’t care for us then we are far less likely to dedicate ourselves to running this spiritual race.
We need to be fully aware that through the gift of Jesus sacrifice on the cross we have already won the race. This is His gift of the assurance of his love. St. Paul knew this, but he knew that many, after accepting God, if they do not dedicate themselves to running the spiritual life like a race, develop spiritual leprosy, where they forget the truth about God and become numb to God.
After healing the leper, Jesus gave him these instructions: Mark 1:44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Naaman had to wash. The other leper had to show himself to the priest and offer sacrifices. Really neither one was instructed to do anything too hard. We also are “set free”, “cleansed” and assured of eternal life, but we too are urged to commit our lives to being joined to the “body of Christ”. We need to put certain things into place, such as regular prayer and Bible study and meetings with other Christians.
There is no hard and fast way to train for this race, but we need to work it out with God and stick to it. I suspect in the freedom that we have and choices, we actually neglect to do anything that resembles a Christian commitment.
If we fail to do this then over time we will become completely oblivious to the fact that we are numb to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and not only will we be ineffective witnesses but we will be maiming ourselves without realizing.... leaning on dangerous philosophies and breaking our lives with disastrous and false beliefs.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Reflection on the readings for the 5th February 2012 (Year B)
Year B Fifth Sunday after Epiphany 5 February 2012
Isaiah 40: 21-31 Psalm 147: 1-11 1 Corinthians 9: 16-23 Mark 1: 29-39
1 Corinthians 9:16 “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”
There were prophets throughout the Old Testament who knew this compulsion. It happens when God places his word in our lives and with it, a burden to share that word.
This week I was again teaching my singing students. As I was going through one of my student’s songs I stopped to ask her if she knew what the song was about. She didn’t know. So, I tried to tell her as simply and quickly as possible. Though it turned out to be lengthier than I anticipated, it was very enjoyable. The song was, “Let’s all go down to the river”. It spoke about this man walking on the water, healing the blind and raising dead from the grave. It also spoke about Jesus forgiving sin. When we got to that part my student asked me what sin was.
No matter where we are and no matter what our profession, if we are the people of God then we are compelled to preach the Gospel. Some would add, and sometimes use words to do so.
I love explaining stuff about God to people. You’d never have guessed, right?!! It is often really nice to do this explaining to children because it forces you to make very clear and simple sense of hugely theological subjects... like sin. I love it, especially because I do believe that this good news is for all and all should be able to understand it.
This week I’ve been reminded of something that I have mentioned before and I think it needs to be emphasized. When Jesus walked the earth he did so as a man. (This came up in our discussion briefly). We know that Jesus is God, and so we sometimes forget that there was this time in history when Jesus was simply a man – though still the son of God.
Our Gospel reading tells the story of Jesus going to Peter’s place. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick and Jesus healed her. That evening word must have spread because the sick from everywhere landed at Peter’s place and Jesus healed them.
Here is the thing to ponder. Though he was God, Jesus became, for a while, “a little lower than the angels”.... he gave up his God-ness and became human. Jesus was fully man and the power of God was only accessed through his union with the father and the Holy Spirit through prayer. Remember, all those encounters of healing where Jesus first prayed? Also, remember how the Spirit came and rested on him when he was baptised in the Jordan River and then led him into the desert? It was Jesus the fully human man who healed the sick and raised the dead. What are the implications for us?
What? You want me to tell you? Okay.
The life of Jesus is the perfect life. We are not be able to live a perfect Christian life because we are simply not perfect, but we can do a lot more than we currently are.
Jesus showed us how all things are possible, but they are only possible by a relationship of unity with God – a one-ness with the father and reliance on the Holy Spirit. It isn’t actually hard. It is impossible.... but with God all things are possible! Sorry for the contradictions, but what I’m saying is that we have been given the gifts and power to live this life. Why are we settling for less? The Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost, not just because a bunch of disciples were sad and needing encouraging.... but to empower them to do just what Jesus did. Do you think we need that empowering any less today?
We know that we need to be led by God, to be so in sync with him that we know what he wants us to do at any given moment.... and to have the correct words to say when questioned about our faith, but we don’t tend to be where we spiritually should be. The Holy Spirit’s job is to lead, to teach, to comfort. We have the Spirit.... so what else are we missing?
Mark 1:35-37 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!””
Although Jesus never seemed to get a lot of rest, we do read many accounts that testify to his going to a solitary place to pray. I tend to think that this is recorded so that we know how important it is.
Prayer is our communication with God. This week I spoke with a friend and we both acknowledged that praying has become hard. We no longer feel we know what to pray.... often it feels like God is doing his own thing regardless of what we want. I guess there is a little frustration that we both feel with the events in our lives. (maybe a little more than a little frustration!)
I mentioned to my friend that I’ve recently been reminded of the Holy Spirit. You see, when we do not know what to pray, the Spirit prays for us. Most importantly, we had both forgotten that an important aspect of prayer is not just to tell God what we want, but to also give him a chance to tell us what he wants. How often have we prayed with this intent?
One of the most important prayers of Jesus is the one where he begs the father to take “the cup” from him. And then he ends with, “but your will be done, not mine”.
“The cup” – Jesus suffering and death on the cross, was not taken from him. His prayer was answered with a cruel “No”. The prayer, “your will be done” was answered.
This is the feeling that those of us with disappointments carry. God has a plan and sometimes we simply can’t accept it. The difference between us and Jesus is that we refuse to say, “your will be done”. It isn’t easy to do.... it is impossible.
How can we say, “your will be done” when we really don’t want it? If we are like this and we do say it, thinking we will put all our effort into trying to feel it, we will simply wear out.... grow quickly weary and tired. We can only honestly say to God, “I know that you are God! You are God of the entire universe. God of Angels, humans and all living creatures. I don’t know how to open my heart to your will. Please send your Holy Spirit to lead me.”
In the light of these very human and common struggles we can understand the reading from Isaiah: (remember that Israel means, “He struggles with God”)
Isaiah 40:37-41 “Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Some translations of the reading from Isaiah have the word “Hope” as “wait”. I think if we put the two together we get an understanding that it is the relationship we have that God that enables us to “Hope and wait” and trust.
We are those whose hope is in the LORD. Sometimes we hurt too much to see the bigger picture and we need help to remember that God really does care infinitely about us and our concerns.
There is a song, “Ten thousand Angels cried”, and there is a part in this song that always catches in my throat... “when he asked the father, “why hast thou forsaken me.....” It is a line that echoes what we often feel, but the next line says, “they watched the saviour die of his own choice”. Because of his great love for us, Jesus, the son of God, was able to say, “Not my will but yours”. But as “Jesus the man”, the truth is more probably that it was because of his relationship with the father that he was able to submit to the father’s will.
St. Paul became all things to all people so that he could relate the Gospel to them effectively. His mission was to preach and in whatever manner, we are called to also proclaim the good news. There is so much more that we could be doing if only we were in closer unity with God and his will. Prayer brings us into unity with God. The Holy Spirit teaches us to pray.
It is a beautiful circle, because after Jesus prayed this was his resolution:
Mark 1:38,39 “Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.”
Isaiah 40: 21-31 Psalm 147: 1-11 1 Corinthians 9: 16-23 Mark 1: 29-39
1 Corinthians 9:16 “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”
There were prophets throughout the Old Testament who knew this compulsion. It happens when God places his word in our lives and with it, a burden to share that word.
This week I was again teaching my singing students. As I was going through one of my student’s songs I stopped to ask her if she knew what the song was about. She didn’t know. So, I tried to tell her as simply and quickly as possible. Though it turned out to be lengthier than I anticipated, it was very enjoyable. The song was, “Let’s all go down to the river”. It spoke about this man walking on the water, healing the blind and raising dead from the grave. It also spoke about Jesus forgiving sin. When we got to that part my student asked me what sin was.
No matter where we are and no matter what our profession, if we are the people of God then we are compelled to preach the Gospel. Some would add, and sometimes use words to do so.
I love explaining stuff about God to people. You’d never have guessed, right?!! It is often really nice to do this explaining to children because it forces you to make very clear and simple sense of hugely theological subjects... like sin. I love it, especially because I do believe that this good news is for all and all should be able to understand it.
This week I’ve been reminded of something that I have mentioned before and I think it needs to be emphasized. When Jesus walked the earth he did so as a man. (This came up in our discussion briefly). We know that Jesus is God, and so we sometimes forget that there was this time in history when Jesus was simply a man – though still the son of God.
Our Gospel reading tells the story of Jesus going to Peter’s place. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick and Jesus healed her. That evening word must have spread because the sick from everywhere landed at Peter’s place and Jesus healed them.
Here is the thing to ponder. Though he was God, Jesus became, for a while, “a little lower than the angels”.... he gave up his God-ness and became human. Jesus was fully man and the power of God was only accessed through his union with the father and the Holy Spirit through prayer. Remember, all those encounters of healing where Jesus first prayed? Also, remember how the Spirit came and rested on him when he was baptised in the Jordan River and then led him into the desert? It was Jesus the fully human man who healed the sick and raised the dead. What are the implications for us?
What? You want me to tell you? Okay.
The life of Jesus is the perfect life. We are not be able to live a perfect Christian life because we are simply not perfect, but we can do a lot more than we currently are.
Jesus showed us how all things are possible, but they are only possible by a relationship of unity with God – a one-ness with the father and reliance on the Holy Spirit. It isn’t actually hard. It is impossible.... but with God all things are possible! Sorry for the contradictions, but what I’m saying is that we have been given the gifts and power to live this life. Why are we settling for less? The Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost, not just because a bunch of disciples were sad and needing encouraging.... but to empower them to do just what Jesus did. Do you think we need that empowering any less today?
We know that we need to be led by God, to be so in sync with him that we know what he wants us to do at any given moment.... and to have the correct words to say when questioned about our faith, but we don’t tend to be where we spiritually should be. The Holy Spirit’s job is to lead, to teach, to comfort. We have the Spirit.... so what else are we missing?
Mark 1:35-37 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!””
Although Jesus never seemed to get a lot of rest, we do read many accounts that testify to his going to a solitary place to pray. I tend to think that this is recorded so that we know how important it is.
Prayer is our communication with God. This week I spoke with a friend and we both acknowledged that praying has become hard. We no longer feel we know what to pray.... often it feels like God is doing his own thing regardless of what we want. I guess there is a little frustration that we both feel with the events in our lives. (maybe a little more than a little frustration!)
I mentioned to my friend that I’ve recently been reminded of the Holy Spirit. You see, when we do not know what to pray, the Spirit prays for us. Most importantly, we had both forgotten that an important aspect of prayer is not just to tell God what we want, but to also give him a chance to tell us what he wants. How often have we prayed with this intent?
One of the most important prayers of Jesus is the one where he begs the father to take “the cup” from him. And then he ends with, “but your will be done, not mine”.
“The cup” – Jesus suffering and death on the cross, was not taken from him. His prayer was answered with a cruel “No”. The prayer, “your will be done” was answered.
This is the feeling that those of us with disappointments carry. God has a plan and sometimes we simply can’t accept it. The difference between us and Jesus is that we refuse to say, “your will be done”. It isn’t easy to do.... it is impossible.
How can we say, “your will be done” when we really don’t want it? If we are like this and we do say it, thinking we will put all our effort into trying to feel it, we will simply wear out.... grow quickly weary and tired. We can only honestly say to God, “I know that you are God! You are God of the entire universe. God of Angels, humans and all living creatures. I don’t know how to open my heart to your will. Please send your Holy Spirit to lead me.”
In the light of these very human and common struggles we can understand the reading from Isaiah: (remember that Israel means, “He struggles with God”)
Isaiah 40:37-41 “Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Some translations of the reading from Isaiah have the word “Hope” as “wait”. I think if we put the two together we get an understanding that it is the relationship we have that God that enables us to “Hope and wait” and trust.
We are those whose hope is in the LORD. Sometimes we hurt too much to see the bigger picture and we need help to remember that God really does care infinitely about us and our concerns.
There is a song, “Ten thousand Angels cried”, and there is a part in this song that always catches in my throat... “when he asked the father, “why hast thou forsaken me.....” It is a line that echoes what we often feel, but the next line says, “they watched the saviour die of his own choice”. Because of his great love for us, Jesus, the son of God, was able to say, “Not my will but yours”. But as “Jesus the man”, the truth is more probably that it was because of his relationship with the father that he was able to submit to the father’s will.
St. Paul became all things to all people so that he could relate the Gospel to them effectively. His mission was to preach and in whatever manner, we are called to also proclaim the good news. There is so much more that we could be doing if only we were in closer unity with God and his will. Prayer brings us into unity with God. The Holy Spirit teaches us to pray.
It is a beautiful circle, because after Jesus prayed this was his resolution:
Mark 1:38,39 “Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.”
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