Wednesday, March 17, 2021 – Preparing Us for the Fifth Week in Lent
“Meanwhile, the
moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us
along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our
praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching
groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant
condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that
every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” (Romans 8: 26 -28, The Message Bible)
This is a simple but poignantly
powerful statement. Prayer is the human word made flesh and bone, life and death,
a flow of spirit and comes from the depths of our souls. Prayer is the one
thing that the cultural principalities, the political powers and the religious authorities have no power over, and
cannot ultimately stifle, even though they would try to silence the words of the
poor, the outcast, the ostracized, the easily-labeled sinners, and all the ones
who don’t fit into their regimes, their rigid moralities, and their need to protect
their own status quo. In fact, prayer is something that often shakes up the status
quo, sometimes on a personal or individual basis and sometimes on a communal
basis.
Prayer gives voice to the marginalized,
the pushed-aside, the broken-hearted, the sorrowful and any and all who need God
to make a difference in their lives. Prayer also gives free voice to the words
of praise, thanksgiving, hallelujahs, and victory. Prayer is the liberating Spirit
which uncorks the human spirit and throws us back into God’s Love, Mercy and Grace.
Prayer is the Spirit’s push to permit us to engage God in conversation,
confession, intercession, and to express our hopes, our fears, our needs.
There are no fences when it come
to praying. No barriers except our own reluctances. No qualifications for
prayer. No rigid rules. No need for someone’s else’s permission although it is
always richer when we are praying with someone than just alone – but alone is
just fine, too. No coercion. No limits. It gives speech to our soul and spirit’s
condition and lays this sacrifice before God in hope that God hears, responds,
and enters into the conversation.
Maybe, there is one condition. “When
you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street
corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the
truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.” (Matthew 6:5, The New
Living Translation) That could be me or you whom Jesus is talking about. I hope
not. But Jesus expects us to be honest, sincere, humble, self-searching,
genuine, authentic when we pray. Prayer
is not about piety, pomposity, arrogance, conceit but the simple voice of the
sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve giving expression to the totality of our
humanity.
Prayer breaks the silence of
whatever holds and compels our silences. Prayer seeps through the cracks of
despair and suppression of voices that want and deserve justice, equality,
fairness, and a share in the prosperity and the generosity of our world.
We have been virtual-worshipping
the last few weeks at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church in Toronto. The beautiful
pastoral prayers have soared and lifted up my soul. It doesn’t matter who is
praying. The words are crafted carefully and are rich in grace, blessing, poignancy,
even tenderness, said with utter humility. They are thoughtful and invite
me, warts and all, into the conversation and into the community of faith as we gather
virtually. The silence of that big, empty church is broken with words that matter
and reach out to God. I ride their crest!
“Pray in the Spirit at all
times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for
all believers everywhere.” (Ephesians 6:18, NLT)
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