Proper 12 2014

Proper 12, 2014

How many of you would say that you pray regularly? I’m not asking for a show of hands. I think asking people if they pray regularly is like asking if you floss regularly—or trying to suggest gun control legislation in Texas… It’s just awkward, and I wouldn’t want to put that on anyone; especially because, prayer can be difficult.

I mean, assuming you can get past all of the preliminaries like where to pray, what to say when praying, deciding what to believe about our prayers; if we can even get beyond that stuff, and who knows what else…well, what does it even mean to pray?

Certainly, there are any number of prayer practices including using written prayers, prayer beads, Rosaries, praying the Psalms and other Scripture—and, probably the more familiar “laundry list” prayer. This practice is when we have a list of people and things that need prayer, and we continue to pray for the items on the list. I happen to know a number of people who do this sort of thing faithfully, and it’s been a good thing for them. However, I have to admit that I’m terrible at this sort of prayer practice. For whatever reason, I just do better with a more structured framework for my prayer life.

So, for me, I work better with things like the Daily Office which has written prayers and Scripture readings—and in that context, I feel like I’m better able to include what prayers I need to within that framework.

I also like the idea that by praying the Daily Offices that I’m part of a greater community of prayer throughout the world—and that many of us are using prayer forms (some of which were written centuries ago) that have been used for generations in the Church. I suppose it makes me feel a little more grounded in my faith as well as rooted in the historical Church.

Anyway, while I do have my hang-ups about structured prayer, I’m also a fan of contemplative practices of prayer. These are practices like Lectio Divina, which uses small portions of Scripture to allow us to focus, and to be silently present with the Presence of God.

Other practices like this would include meditation or theoria, Centering Prayer—all of which call us to a place of silent, wordless prayer that is really a kind of resting in the Presence of God. But, even these forms require work—because sitting quietly with a quieted mind, waiting to be more fully present with God is not always easy.

And, really, this is my whole point—even though there are a number of diverse ways of praying (and I’ve only named a small few), prayer is difficult. So, we should neither judge those who do not regularly pray; nor should we feel guilty if we believe that we have not prayed sufficiently.

However, this is also not to say that prayer isn’t important. Obviously, we’re encouraged to pray not only in our Baptismal Covenant, but throughout Scripture. St. Paul even recommends prayer without ceasing—something that I imagine could be a bit more difficult than walking and chewing gum simultaneously… All the same, we’re told that our prayers have effect, and that the practice of praying helps to form us as people of faith.

So, considering the multitude of ways in which one might pray, and how important it is for us and the world; I guess we should all just start doing it, right? …Meh…

I mean, by the same logic jogging ought to be the easiest sport for people to engage. But, as any runner will tell you, it takes more than an expensive pair of running shoes to become a runner—and that’s excluding all of the other things that might make it impossible for someone to run…

And prayer is like this, as well, because I think we need to know why we pray, and really what good it does—beyond just making us feel more Zen about life; I think we need to know we’re heard and that it matters… Of course, we may also just need to know even where to begin—simply ‘how’ to pray.

Suffice it to say, I do believe that prayer works. I’m not a person who only thinks my prayer helps me to deal better with the disappointment of not getting what I ask for—but, I also believe that God works to a multitude of good ends, and my prayer helps.

However, I also have no problem trusting that simply because I can’t always see the result of my prayer that nothing has happened. Likewise, I don’t believe that finding a parking spot after praying for a good one is answered prayer… If God went about rearranging the fabric of reality all the time just so I didn’t have to walk a few extra feet (especially when I’ve also been given the grace of strong legs); well, I suppose the created order would be a bit unbalanced from all of that monkeying around. It also would mean that prayer was more like a magical formula than asking for God’s help…

So, it’s my belief that God has Created and set into motion a complex, elegant Universe. Because of this, I think that our prayer makes a kind of space in the created order that allows God to work without an over-intrusion into this delicate order. With that in mind, not only do our prayers matter, but it doesn’t make God seem somehow far away, or capricious when it comes to answering our prayers.  The theologian Keith Ward explains this very well in his book Divine Action: Examining God's Role in an Open and Emergent Universe. If you ever find yourself with a load of time and a dictionary on hand, I recommend it. It’s also really good if you have trouble sleeping.

Now, as to the matter of ‘how’ to pray; I’ve named a few practices, and I’m always happy to provide resources for those and others, besides. However, the most important thing about prayer beyond practice, posture, attitude or outcome is really just showing up… Because in reality, the act of intention with prayer is really where prayer happens.

Richard Rohr, a Franciscan writer who writes a lot about this sort of stuff, talks about praying in terms of “showing up, and prayer happening…” In other words, it’s as if prayer practices are accidental to what God is doing with the Holy Spirit, and we (by intention and action) participate.

  

This, I think, is what Paul is talking about in our reading from Romans. Basically, he says that the Spirit intercedes for us in our weakness—in our shortcomings, in our inability to have the right words to say what we need to in prayer… He says that because God searches the heart and knows the mind of the Spirit, the Spirit intercedes for the saints. So, in this deeply mystical wordless ‘knowing,’ the Spirit prays more concisely the things in our hearts than we ever could with our words.

What’s amazing is, if you remember last week’s portion of Romans (which I do because I looked it up for this sermon), Paul talks about all of Creation groaning, and waiting with longing to be set free from the bondage of decay and death—to be redeemed and made closer to God.

In a similar way then, Paul seems to connect this idea of deep sighs and groaning—groaning which he says are due to the labor pains of waiting for redemption—to these sighs and groans which he says the Spirit offers as prayer on our behalf. This is deep prayer, he says, prayers of the heart—a soul cry which longs for redemption even when we’re barely aware of it. But sometimes…sometimes we get a glimpse of it when we are either overwhelmed by our own troubles, and too hard pressed to utter a prayer—or waiting patiently in silence for the heart of God to be revealed.

  

Either way, our own hearts are somehow in resonance, not only with all of Creation, but also the heart of God. If that isn’t a reason to pray, I don’t know any others… But to even be aware of such a thing, we have to be willing to show-up, even if it’s just with the intention to listen rather than speak in our prayer. If we can believe this, I also have to believe that our prayers are far more powerful and transformative than any of us could have ever imagined.

So, going back to my initial question: how many of you pray regularly? Or, how many of you feel like you might finally be able to pray with some regularity after this sermon? Well, again, there’s no need for a show of hands, because whatever the answer is for you; know that prayer is happening continually, whether we realize it or not. But know that if we’re willing to participate in prayer even if it’s simply by intentionally showing-up and sitting silently; we’ll have participated in the prayers of the saints, and all of Creation by the Spirit of God—however, we need to be willing to show-up.