July 25, 2010
Shameless Prayers
- Luke 11:1-13
- Dr. Teri Thomas
"Speak to him for he heareth and spirit with spirit can meet.
Closer is he than breathing.
Nearer than hands and feet." -- Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Poets and hymn writers have a high view of prayer.
Just mention it and they pull out all the best adjectives:
sweet hours, precious moments, privileged meetings.
Before you know it, we're all caught up ... the violins are swelling and we're wending our way through a rose garden, walking and talking with a certain Someone whose "voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing," as one beloved gospel song puts it. (Jana Childers)
But if it is that beautiful and simple and effortless
why do the disciples
after all the teaching, training, listening, watching
why do they have to ask- Lord, will you teach us how to pray?
Why does the average church member pray less than 2 minutes per day?
Why are only 16% of protestant clergy satisfied with their prayer lives?
Why are there 753 books on Amazon called- How to Pray?
I have a hunch that I am not the only person in this room whose prayer life is not exactly a walk through a dewy rose garden at sunrise. Am I right?
Some days it feels more like a lonely run through the thistles in the dark.
Some days I read this passage and wonder-
If this were literally true- ask and you get it
Why doesn’t every eight year old girl have a pony in the back yard?
Why are infertile couples still childless?
Why is there not peace in the Middle East?
Some days I ask myself, why do I believe this whole business about prayer?
And some days I get the answer.
Some of you read this story on my sabbatical blog
Forgive me the repetition
Friday morning, May 7th we left Axum early for the long trip to the refugee camp. After four hours of heat and dust on bumpy roads with more camels than cars we arrive at Shimelba. It felt as though we had reached the end of the earth- barren, dry, dusty, hot and ugly.
We drive another hour wandering from office to office trying to find the officials who will grant us entrance to the camp. Alem and Hewit Gebremichael (Eritreans in Indianapolis) have put us in touch with an official in Addis. It took us days to connect with him but finally we had lunch with him and he promised to make all the arrangements.
Now, sitting in the office of Samuel of the International Refugee Committee, the door has been slammed in our face. He is not expecting us and cannot let us in the camp without permission from Addis. He cannot even take our gift of money from the congregation in Indianapolis and distribute it for us because he has no permission. He thanks us for the kindness of our mission and apologizes but there is no way.
We have traveled half way around the world, spent hours eating dust, we were carrying $2000 worth of birr that you gave us to help women in the camp buy sanitary supplies and soap. And now we could not make it happen.
We try to reach our contact in Addis but cannot get him on the phone. Samuel and Jack begin to chat. You know how Jack is. We are from a Presbyterian Church in America. Oh, there was a Presbyterian mission where I grew up. Where was that? Dembi Dollo. Really? Did you know Dr. Lambee? Yes, I did. Do you know Joann Griffith? What about Dr. B at the Mekane Yesus Seminary? We are staying there with a friend. Do you know…yes he works at the guest house…he is my best friend…oh my goodness…small world.
Samuel leaves the room, returning shortly with a smile on his face. “I have for you very good news.” He called his boss who was in town for the day and the boss said, “Oh yes. I forgot to tell you they were coming. They are approved. Let them in and assist them.”
Before we know it we are in a small church building inside Shimelba Refugee Camp meeting with four of the elders from the Ebenezer Fellowship. We tell them about Mekonen and Abrehet and how they came to Northminster from Shimelba. We tell them about the children and the other families who have arrived- Dawit and Maharet, Ababa, Helen, Alexander, Indiana, Amahadari, and all the others.
I explain that we raised money so women in the camp could have the supplies they need. We want our gift to go to the poorest and the neediest. We hand them 20,000 birr. We stand in a circle holding hands, praying, thanking God for the congregation who raised the money, the congregation who will distribute the money, the officials who have helped us and God who heard your prayers for us and became nearer than hands and feet. Knock and the door opened.
One night we were visiting a family in their home in a small Ethiopian village. The family insisted on giving me a gift. I knew they could not afford it and I knew I did not need it but the rules of etiquette and hospitality required me to graciously accept their generosity. They gave me a pair of canvas slip-on shoes.
When we returned to Addis I told Jack I was going to get rid of the shoes. They were really too small for me, they were too warm, and I could not fit another thing in my luggage. We were staying with Carolyn Weber at the Mekaneasus Seminary and a woman named Adonage came in twice a week to cook and clean. I knew Adonage had three daughters. I figured maybe someone in her house could wear the shoes. I took them into the kitchen and handed them to Adonage and explained they had been given to me but I could not use them. Did she know anyone they might fit?
Adonage began to cry. The day before it had been raining and she had ruined her own shoes getting home on the bus. She had prayed all night asking God how she could ever afford a new pair of shoes. And now this house guest of Carolyn’s hands her a pair of brand new shoes- shoes that by the way fit her perfectly.
She asked and she received. She offered thanks to God for hearing her prayer and for answering.
For being closer than breathing, nearer than hands and feet.
But in this morning’s reading Jesus gives more than the words of a prayer. He gives us an attitude for prayer. He doesn’t simply say HOW to pray, he says WHY.
We pray to be in intimate relationship with our maker.
Jesus calls him daddy. This is one who loves us, cares for us
will not give us stones if we ask for bread
will not ignore us
will get out of bed in the middle of the night for us
will hear and answer our prayers
When we look at the passage we notice
that he did not say, "Ask and you will get what you ask for."
What he said was something more like, "Ask and you will receive something good."
The Greek does not simply say "Ask and you will receive."
It says "aaaaassssk and keep on asking...
seek and keep on seeking...
knock and keep on knocking."
The Greek verb implies ongoing action.
Be persistent, be shameless.
Run right up to that door and pound on it and keep on pounding on it.
Make a fool out of yourself with your asking. (Jana Childers)
It is this kind of shameless, persistent, intercessory prayer
that Jesus guarantees will be heard.
That he promises will be answered.
"Speak to him for he heareth and spirit with spirit can meet.
Closer is he than breathing.
Nearer than hands and feet." -- Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Thanks be to God.
Amen