Sermon 3rd February 2008
Today our sermon is given by our Vicar, Cameron Barker, based on the reading from Matthew 6:5-15
However you look at it, this has been quite a week. On the world stage, there now seems to be an end in sight to the troubles in Kenya. The same can't be said for Iraq, Chad, or Sri Lanka, – where violence has escalated again. We have also seen extraordinary mass jail-break scenes from Gaza, as Palestinian desperation at Israeli sanctions has peaked. And US presidential candidates have begun to drop out of the race, as the caucus results come in.
It's been business as usual in the business world, though. Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo, for £22 billion. Meanwhile the big oil companies have announced staggering record profits. And, amidst takeovers, Premiership football clubs have spent £150 million on players in the transfer window.
There has been significant news in the church too. The Pope was among 30 world church leaders taking part in a joint service in Rome. A group of evangelical Bishops has come out in support of attending the Lambeth Conference - despite all the debate and talk of division. And, of course the Herne Hill PCC has met, to make important decisions about the future of our worship, finance, and buildings.
Nor has it stopped there. I was asked to take the funeral of a young man who had committed suicide in prison. On Thursday Peter Kidd, for whom we have been praying, also died. Eustace came out of hospital, and Ivy is about to go in. I could go on – for some time – but I hope you've already got the point. This week, as every week, there have been things happening that impact us – personally, communally, socially and globally. Much, if not all, of it seems beyond us – but yet it involves us. And what we've been learning over the past 4 weeks is that none of these events are beyond us, because they're not beyond God!
So far this year we've been examining the prayer Jesus taught us to pray – and it's been quite an adventure. What seems, on the face of it, to be a short, simple prayer, that most of us know well, has revealed vast hidden depths. It has reminded us that nothing that happens in his world is beyond God. God is deeply interested in it all. More than that, he is involved in it all; and he wants us to be too – because he is our Father. That's the first, and the most important lesson of the Lord's Prayer – that God is our Father. He wants us to come to him as the ideal father that he is – and prayer is how we do that. Prayer is nothing more, and nothing less, than how we communicate with God himself.
Prayer begins with God, and, as we'll see today, it ends with him too. And when it does – when prayer begins and ends with God – we are changed in the process of prayer. No wonder, then, that Martin Luther said that prayer is the primary calling of any Christian. If being a Christian is truly about becoming like God's Son, Jesus, then prayer is the best way for that to happen. In prayer we come to see everything and everyone with God's perspective. That's why the Lord's Prayer begins by focusing on God, to get us thinking about his perspective. And don't forget that Jesus gave us this prayer as a pattern, as well as a prayer in itself. This prayer can and should be an example of how we pray – not least because it teaches us so much as we pray it.
The next thing that it has taught us is that our Father is in heaven. That means he has the power to answer prayer in a way that we can barely begin to imagine. But it needs to be the right kind of prayer: the kind of prayer that starts with God, and has his perspective. So the first thing we're to pray for, according to Jesus' prayer, is for God's holy name to be honoured. As it is in heaven, where God lives and reigns, so we're to pray for it to be on earth. We're to pray for our Father to be recognised as God – and to be honoured as such. What that means is that we're next to pray for God's kingdom to come – again, here on earth as it is in heaven. And, because we are praying for God to rule as king over all the earth, we are then to pray for his will to be done here on earth too – just as it is in heaven.
John began to unpack some of those ideas in week 2 of our series. But there's always so much more that could be said about God's kingdom and his will. I did another Google search this week, this time on the Lord's Prayer. That came up with a 'mere' 455 000 links on this prayer. So as we pray this prayer, we should discover that there is more and more to it – as there is to God. And if that's our starting point, as it is in Jesus' prayer, then we won't go far wrong. So it's not a surprise that the first half of Jesus' prayer focuses entirely on God, on who he is, and what he can, and wants, to do.
It's only then that Jesus taught us to move on to our own needs, in the second part of his prayer. We first have to be reminded, as we have been, of our total dependence on God. That applies just as much to our own needs as it does to impacting the world, much less the universe. And what's so interesting about the second part of this prayer is that it's not about 'me'. All the pronouns when we pray for our needs are plural. This is about us, our – not about 'me', or 'mine'. And of course we mustn't miss the fact that these are prayers for our needs, not our wants. So Jesus teaches us to begin by asking for the very basics – just for bread, just for today.
That may not be a big issue for most of us here – but it is for many millions in God's world. Actually, as Sophie said last week, the less of an issue basic food is to us, the bigger a deal it really is. If we think that we can provide for ourselves, we're far less likely to recognise the truth about who we truly are in relation to God. But the next line of the Lord's prayer addresses that issue very quickly. Our next need is a spiritual, and an eternal, one. It's about forgiveness; and that's not something that we can do for ourselves. It took God himself, in Jesus, to die on the cross, to put us right with God. We need reminding of that fact every time we pray. We need reminding of our need for, and the cost of, forgiveness. So there it is, in the prayer that Jesus taught us – as we need it to be.
That whistle-stop summary brings us - briefly - to the final part of Jesus' prayer. And, if we see daily bread as our present need, forgiveness as dealing with the past, this section of the prayer is for the future, as we go on with God. Needless to say, there's plenty that could be said on this part of the Lord's prayer too. Books have been written on it – which I don't have time even to summarise now. What everyone agrees on, though, is this. If you believe in the God of the Bible, then, by definition, you believe in the existence of the devil. And if you're going on with God then you will attract some rather unwelcome attention.
This is, of course, a huge subject. I'm more than willing to talk about it in greater depth if you'd like to. For now I can only point to the evidence of the Lord's prayer itself. In this part of his prayer Jesus didn't doubt for a minute that we have an enemy who wants to knock us off course. Jesus knew that from his own experience, and he wanted us to know how to deal with it. The same enemy opposes us in our journey with God. Jesus taught us, then, to pray to God about this need too. In this area too we need God to do what we can't do ourselves: to deliver us from the evil one.
That's the flip side of the previous line, about not being led into temptation. There are big theological debates about exactly how that works, and what this line of the prayer means. However you read them, though, I think the key point is that temptation is a very real issue, for all of us. We all know what our own weaknesses are, and how often we give in to them. That makes temptation dangerous, and so we need God's help with it. So that's what Jesus taught us to ask for in the Lord's prayer. He taught us to ask for God's help, for ourselves and others, as we face temptation, testing, and opposition from the devil.
That's a very helpful, and necessary, thing for all Christians to pray for – for God's help in such challenging times. But it's not perhaps a great note to end a prayer on. There's a footnote in the church Bibles about a very early addition to the Lord's prayer. Many scholars think that Jesus would have used something like this doxology anyway, and that it only wasn't recorded because it was taken for granted. The words we end with have been used to end the Lord's prayer for centuries. What they do is turn us back to God – and end the prayer with praise. Just as we begin it by coming to God as our Father, so we end it by reminding ourselves of who he is, and what he alone can do.
'The kingdom, the power and glory are yours, now and for ever', we pray. That sums it all up really, and turns the wheel full circle. We begin by asking for God's holy name to be honoured, and then asking for his kingdom to come. We end knowing that the glory is his, that his kingdom has already begun here, and that he has the power to answer our requests. In-between in this prayer we have learned to cast ourselves on God in total dependence. We've asked him for our needs past, present and future; material, spiritual and moral. We have asked him to do for us what we can't do for ourselves. In doing all that we have had to admit our vulnerability. But this is the one we have come to – the maker and master of the universe. He knows us, knows our needs, knows our weaknesses, and failings. He knows all that – and yet he loves us enough to have died to make us his children, so we can call him 'Father'.
'This, then, is how you should pray,' Jesus said, before he taught his disciples this prayer. Not with many, long, loud, or fancy words but just as you speak. Pray simply: in trust; with faith; like this. He might have added, 'and this is why you should pray too'. He didn't, but my prayer is that over the past 4 weeks you have been inspired to pray, like this. It's fantastic privilege that Christians have. We can come to God himself as our father. We can get to know him, what he's like, and what he wants. We can bring him the needs of the world, the church, and other people. We can bring them all knowing that he hears, and that he can, and will, answer our prayers. He has even taught us how to pray, in this simple, yet powerful way. So why not choose to give even those few minutes to praying that John challenged us to. It may well be the best way that you could ever spend your time – and even more so if you are changed in the process of praying. So now let's pray ...
However you look at it, this has been quite a week. On the world stage, there now seems to be an end in sight to the troubles in Kenya. The same can't be said for Iraq, Chad, or Sri Lanka, – where violence has escalated again. We have also seen extraordinary mass jail-break scenes from Gaza, as Palestinian desperation at Israeli sanctions has peaked. And US presidential candidates have begun to drop out of the race, as the caucus results come in.
It's been business as usual in the business world, though. Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo, for £22 billion. Meanwhile the big oil companies have announced staggering record profits. And, amidst takeovers, Premiership football clubs have spent £150 million on players in the transfer window.
There has been significant news in the church too. The Pope was among 30 world church leaders taking part in a joint service in Rome. A group of evangelical Bishops has come out in support of attending the Lambeth Conference - despite all the debate and talk of division. And, of course the Herne Hill PCC has met, to make important decisions about the future of our worship, finance, and buildings.
Nor has it stopped there. I was asked to take the funeral of a young man who had committed suicide in prison. On Thursday Peter Kidd, for whom we have been praying, also died. Eustace came out of hospital, and Ivy is about to go in. I could go on – for some time – but I hope you've already got the point. This week, as every week, there have been things happening that impact us – personally, communally, socially and globally. Much, if not all, of it seems beyond us – but yet it involves us. And what we've been learning over the past 4 weeks is that none of these events are beyond us, because they're not beyond God!
So far this year we've been examining the prayer Jesus taught us to pray – and it's been quite an adventure. What seems, on the face of it, to be a short, simple prayer, that most of us know well, has revealed vast hidden depths. It has reminded us that nothing that happens in his world is beyond God. God is deeply interested in it all. More than that, he is involved in it all; and he wants us to be too – because he is our Father. That's the first, and the most important lesson of the Lord's Prayer – that God is our Father. He wants us to come to him as the ideal father that he is – and prayer is how we do that. Prayer is nothing more, and nothing less, than how we communicate with God himself.
Prayer begins with God, and, as we'll see today, it ends with him too. And when it does – when prayer begins and ends with God – we are changed in the process of prayer. No wonder, then, that Martin Luther said that prayer is the primary calling of any Christian. If being a Christian is truly about becoming like God's Son, Jesus, then prayer is the best way for that to happen. In prayer we come to see everything and everyone with God's perspective. That's why the Lord's Prayer begins by focusing on God, to get us thinking about his perspective. And don't forget that Jesus gave us this prayer as a pattern, as well as a prayer in itself. This prayer can and should be an example of how we pray – not least because it teaches us so much as we pray it.
The next thing that it has taught us is that our Father is in heaven. That means he has the power to answer prayer in a way that we can barely begin to imagine. But it needs to be the right kind of prayer: the kind of prayer that starts with God, and has his perspective. So the first thing we're to pray for, according to Jesus' prayer, is for God's holy name to be honoured. As it is in heaven, where God lives and reigns, so we're to pray for it to be on earth. We're to pray for our Father to be recognised as God – and to be honoured as such. What that means is that we're next to pray for God's kingdom to come – again, here on earth as it is in heaven. And, because we are praying for God to rule as king over all the earth, we are then to pray for his will to be done here on earth too – just as it is in heaven.
John began to unpack some of those ideas in week 2 of our series. But there's always so much more that could be said about God's kingdom and his will. I did another Google search this week, this time on the Lord's Prayer. That came up with a 'mere' 455 000 links on this prayer. So as we pray this prayer, we should discover that there is more and more to it – as there is to God. And if that's our starting point, as it is in Jesus' prayer, then we won't go far wrong. So it's not a surprise that the first half of Jesus' prayer focuses entirely on God, on who he is, and what he can, and wants, to do.
It's only then that Jesus taught us to move on to our own needs, in the second part of his prayer. We first have to be reminded, as we have been, of our total dependence on God. That applies just as much to our own needs as it does to impacting the world, much less the universe. And what's so interesting about the second part of this prayer is that it's not about 'me'. All the pronouns when we pray for our needs are plural. This is about us, our – not about 'me', or 'mine'. And of course we mustn't miss the fact that these are prayers for our needs, not our wants. So Jesus teaches us to begin by asking for the very basics – just for bread, just for today.
That may not be a big issue for most of us here – but it is for many millions in God's world. Actually, as Sophie said last week, the less of an issue basic food is to us, the bigger a deal it really is. If we think that we can provide for ourselves, we're far less likely to recognise the truth about who we truly are in relation to God. But the next line of the Lord's prayer addresses that issue very quickly. Our next need is a spiritual, and an eternal, one. It's about forgiveness; and that's not something that we can do for ourselves. It took God himself, in Jesus, to die on the cross, to put us right with God. We need reminding of that fact every time we pray. We need reminding of our need for, and the cost of, forgiveness. So there it is, in the prayer that Jesus taught us – as we need it to be.
That whistle-stop summary brings us - briefly - to the final part of Jesus' prayer. And, if we see daily bread as our present need, forgiveness as dealing with the past, this section of the prayer is for the future, as we go on with God. Needless to say, there's plenty that could be said on this part of the Lord's prayer too. Books have been written on it – which I don't have time even to summarise now. What everyone agrees on, though, is this. If you believe in the God of the Bible, then, by definition, you believe in the existence of the devil. And if you're going on with God then you will attract some rather unwelcome attention.
This is, of course, a huge subject. I'm more than willing to talk about it in greater depth if you'd like to. For now I can only point to the evidence of the Lord's prayer itself. In this part of his prayer Jesus didn't doubt for a minute that we have an enemy who wants to knock us off course. Jesus knew that from his own experience, and he wanted us to know how to deal with it. The same enemy opposes us in our journey with God. Jesus taught us, then, to pray to God about this need too. In this area too we need God to do what we can't do ourselves: to deliver us from the evil one.
That's the flip side of the previous line, about not being led into temptation. There are big theological debates about exactly how that works, and what this line of the prayer means. However you read them, though, I think the key point is that temptation is a very real issue, for all of us. We all know what our own weaknesses are, and how often we give in to them. That makes temptation dangerous, and so we need God's help with it. So that's what Jesus taught us to ask for in the Lord's prayer. He taught us to ask for God's help, for ourselves and others, as we face temptation, testing, and opposition from the devil.
That's a very helpful, and necessary, thing for all Christians to pray for – for God's help in such challenging times. But it's not perhaps a great note to end a prayer on. There's a footnote in the church Bibles about a very early addition to the Lord's prayer. Many scholars think that Jesus would have used something like this doxology anyway, and that it only wasn't recorded because it was taken for granted. The words we end with have been used to end the Lord's prayer for centuries. What they do is turn us back to God – and end the prayer with praise. Just as we begin it by coming to God as our Father, so we end it by reminding ourselves of who he is, and what he alone can do.
'The kingdom, the power and glory are yours, now and for ever', we pray. That sums it all up really, and turns the wheel full circle. We begin by asking for God's holy name to be honoured, and then asking for his kingdom to come. We end knowing that the glory is his, that his kingdom has already begun here, and that he has the power to answer our requests. In-between in this prayer we have learned to cast ourselves on God in total dependence. We've asked him for our needs past, present and future; material, spiritual and moral. We have asked him to do for us what we can't do for ourselves. In doing all that we have had to admit our vulnerability. But this is the one we have come to – the maker and master of the universe. He knows us, knows our needs, knows our weaknesses, and failings. He knows all that – and yet he loves us enough to have died to make us his children, so we can call him 'Father'.
'This, then, is how you should pray,' Jesus said, before he taught his disciples this prayer. Not with many, long, loud, or fancy words but just as you speak. Pray simply: in trust; with faith; like this. He might have added, 'and this is why you should pray too'. He didn't, but my prayer is that over the past 4 weeks you have been inspired to pray, like this. It's fantastic privilege that Christians have. We can come to God himself as our father. We can get to know him, what he's like, and what he wants. We can bring him the needs of the world, the church, and other people. We can bring them all knowing that he hears, and that he can, and will, answer our prayers. He has even taught us how to pray, in this simple, yet powerful way. So why not choose to give even those few minutes to praying that John challenged us to. It may well be the best way that you could ever spend your time – and even more so if you are changed in the process of praying. So now let's pray ...
posted by Parish Administrator at 11:28 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home