God Holds a High Bar: Prayer as the Pinnacle

Jesus' disciples ask him, "Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples."  Hooray for disciples who want to pray!  But...I'm not sure prayer is so much teachable, as it is something to be practiced, practiced, practiced with much patience and persistence.  Beside, weren't they paying attention to the Master Prayer who prayed in their midst?  What better example and role model could they have had?

But, Jesus wants to encourage his disciples so that they continue to deepen a more intimate relationship with God.  Jesus provides what we consider the first half of The Lord's Prayer that most congregations pray every Sunday.  We're faithful members of the Jesus club when we recite it, considering the authority it carries.  See Luke 11: 1-13.

If I were to encourage folk as pray-ers, I'd advise simple prayers:  Ann Lamott has hers down to "Thank you. Thank you.  Help me.  Help me."  I'd also advise against self serving prayers as the ONLY way to pray.  In Jesus' words, I see him challenging us to also ask for forgiveness, for guidance, and for deliverance.  Jesus also presses us to be urgent and persistent in praying. Ask.  Seek. Knock.

But is praying just about us - our actions - our faithfulness - our persistence?  Jesus teaches us more about God and God's persistent faithfulness in this scripture. An underlying assumption is that God is eager to provide for us and powerful and persistent enough to wait on us.  What if it's God's generosity that our Lord will give us so much more than we ask for? What if it's God knocking at OUR door?  What if praying is aligning ourselves with God so that we participate in God's kingdom here and now?

Now THIS is good news.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Shelley

Christ the Unlikely King

When you hear the word ‘king’ or ‘kingdom’ what do you think of? Do you stay biblical because a pastor is writing this and think of King Saul/David/Solomon? King Herod? Do you travel into mythology and think of King Arthur or King Midas? Or into fiction and think of all the competing Kings & Queens in Game of Thrones, the Lion King, the King of Siam and his relationship with Anna? Or do you think of historical kings like King Henry VIII or King George? Or maybe as a  sports fan, King James or Jerry Lawler the King come to mind?

A claim to kingship is present in the Scripture readings today: John 18:33-37 and Psalm 93.

We certainly don't tend to think of current kings; we usually don't tend to think of ourselves as being part of a kingdom, submitting and obedient to a king. And yet Jesus' response to Pilate's accusation should strike us to the core. Just when we are thinking we are free to do what we want when we want, Jesus' words draw us back in to remind us just who and what we belong to.

In our country where we have rejected the tyranny of kingship, it's even more important to reclaim that word 'king' by naming Jesus Christ our unlikely king - a king who shares power by empowering others to do the work of the kingdom. In a world where kingdom brings up images of abuse and oppression, it's even more important to reclaim 'kingdom' by describing the kingdom of God - one of equality, of inclusivity, of radical hospitality, where no one is hungry or thirsty or naked or lonely or without a family. 

As we reflect on Christ the King in the midst of Thanksgiving week, let us give thanks to Christ our King, for choosing us to belong to the kingdom of God - for choosing us to be sisters and brothers - for choosing us to share His inheritance - for choosing us to work to make this kingdom a reality. Let us give thanks that it is not up to us - that we have a redeemer King.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Kate