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April 27, 2008

Our Life as Prayer

Sermon Week Four: Prayer Is…
Our Life as Prayer
Daniel 6: 3-7, 10; Jeremiah 12:1-6, Matthew 26:36-44.

We don’t need to look any further than our list of prayer requests for this week to see that life is full of turmoil, unknowns, disappoints, and pain. In our scripture readings this morning we remember Daniel. In Daniel’s case, we see a man who continues to pray to God even though it puts him at risk. By praying, Daniel keeps his focus on God, not on the situation around him. He knows God will get him through whatever happens. And God does. When Daniel was put in the lion den, God protected him and he survived the night. People were amazed that Daniel survived. His life speaks as witness to prayer.

Another person who faced an extreme situation was Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His life of prayer allowed him to be a witness to his faith, in this case his faith in Jesus Christ. Born in 1906, Bonhoeffer came from an upper middle class German family. He became a pastor in the Lutheran Church of Germany.

Like Martin Luther King Jr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was martyred at 39 years old. He had been in and out of Germany and had his run-ins with the Hitler, the Third Reich and the Lutheran Church of Germany. During WWII he made his way to the US for a second trip and people tried to convince him to stay. It would be safer for him in the US they advised. But he could not stay in the US when there was so much turmoil and need in his home country.

Bonhoeffer returned to Germany, determined to stand for truth and justice. One scholar writes that Bonhoeffer was embarrassed by the actions of his countrymen. His relationship with Jesus compelled him to speak the truth to those in positions of power who were being persuaded by Hitler and the Third Reich to leave the Gospel behind and embrace racism.

Upon returning to Germany he was involved in a plot to kill Hitler. The plot unraveled and on April 5, 1943, Bonhoeffer (along with others) was thrown into prison. Later, he was transferred to a concentration camp.

Hear these words from the man himself, Bonhoeffer, written to his dear friend, Eberhard Bethge, from prison: “I want to assure you that I haven’t for a moment regretted coming back in 1939—nor any of the consequences either. I knew quite well what I was doing, and I acted with a clear conscious…And I regard my being kept here as being involved in the fate of Germany in which I was determined to share. I look back on the past without any self-reproach and accept the present in the same spirit.” (1)

Where did Bonhoeffer find such strength and courage? Through prayer! Bonhoeffer and Eberhard Bethge made a covenant to pray for each other. Bonhoeffer from inside prison and Bethge from outside prison. Bonhoeffer wrote: “Let us promise to remain faithful in interceding for each other (interceding is to pray on behalf of someone else)…And if it should be decided that we are not to meet again, let us remember each other to the end in thankfulness and forgiveness..” (2)

And this last quote is a powerful testimony from a fellow resistance worker, Fabian, whose cell adjoined Bonhoeffer’s just months before he was executed:

“Outwardly, he (Bonhoeffer) betrayed no sign of what he had gone through: he was always in good spirits, always pleasant and considerate to everyone—so much so, in fact, that very soon and to my complete amazement even our guards fell under the spell of his personality.” Who does this remind you of in the New Testament? The Apostle Paul. He was imprisoned for extended periods of time. It was not unusual for him to bring people to Christ while in prison.

Continuing with Fabian’s testimony: “…As far as our relationship was concerned, he was always the hopeful one. He never tired of pointing out that the fight is lost only when you yourself give up. Often he would smuggle a scrap of paper into my hands on which he had written words of comfort or hope from the Bible…A towering rock of faith, he became a shining example to his fellow prisoners.” (3)

Bonhoeffer’s attitude was one that reflected choice and trust. There is a prayer entitled the Serenity Prayer. It is very simple and simultaneous very profound—God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. As a Christian, Bonhoeffer’s looked to Jesus. He made a choice to be courageous and return to Germany to help his country deal with the Nazi regime. When he ended up in prison, he accepted that he could not change his situation. So he made the best of it, not certain would the outcome would be.

What I find significant is the way his life influenced others in a positive way. A piece of paper thrust into a friend’s hand helped provide encouragement. The persecutors were moved by his sense of peace and faith. Because of his wisdom and faithfulness, people’s lives where changed then and continue to be changed today through his writings.

We have a tendency to let ourselves off the hook and say, well that’s ok for Jesus and people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but I could never be strong like that. But I want to encourage us this morning that we can! I’m not talking about a false sense of acceptance—a superficial painted-on smile while behind the smile are the tears of pain, angry words of bitterness, and a mind locked in self-talk. I am talking about having a relationship with God where you feel free enough to have open dialogue with God. To have a relationship with God where you pour out all your feelings, all your frustration, all your fear.

In a scene we are familiar with Jesus prays the night before he is crucified in the garden of Gethsemane. He asks God, “Father if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Three times he prays for strength, endurance, the ability to accept God’s will for his life. Notice the words that are missing from this prayer…the word we often hear when tragic, difficult things happen—Why me?

Why her/us/now? It’s a logical question to ask. We’ve all done it. But as Christians we do not have the luxury to stay there. To live in the why is to wait for an answer where there most likely is none. Most of us probably don’t remember our toddler years. But as parents, what question does your child ask over and over again that you often have no answer for? It’s the Why question. Why is the sky blue? Why do I have five fingers? Why do I look like my brother and not my sister?

If we are to move beyond a child like faith, then we must move beyond the Why, child-like questions and move into dialogue with God. And dialogue requires, open honest communication. Jesus, Bonhoeffer, and others throughout history have offered us a faith beyond the inaction, the victimization of the Why me question.

It’s hard to go from Why? To “Not my will but yours be done Lord.” Most of us don’t make that leap in our first, second or even third attempt. But there is help and we need not look any further than our Bible.

The prophet Jeremiah is a faithful prophet. He finds himself preaching to a people who don’t want to believe, waiting for destruction of their land and way of life, and God seems to be nowhere in sight. Jeremiah is a good example for us about what it means to “let it all hang out with God.” Jeremiah gets loud, angry, stamps his feet, and pouts. He has open, honest dialogue with God--

When we look at the prophet Jeremiah, we see reflections of a spiritual struggle with God. The book of Jeremiah contains several prayers of lament—prayers of anguish and angst. Included in the numerous laments are six personal laments. The first lament is the one David read this morning in Jeremiah chapter 12. It consisted of two why questions. “Why do bad people have it so good? Why do con artists make it big?” But it is more than just those two questions. The conversation opens with,

“You are right, God, and you set things right. I can’t argue with that. But I do have some questions.” After the questions; he goes back to, “You know me inside and out. You don’t let me get away with a thing!” This is beyond a child asking why. This is a dialogue. In his third lament in chapter 17, Jeremiah goes to God in frustration, “God, pick up the pieces. Put me back together again. You are my praise! Listen to how they talk about me…You know what I’ve said…Don’t add to my troubles. Give me some relief!”

Sisters and brothers, that’s an example of a lament—a deep, open, honest dialogue with God.

There are also laments in the Psalms. Community laments (6), individual laments (15). Pick up a Bible. Examples of personal laments include Psalm 3 (deliverance from enemies); Psalm 13 is a lament for deliverance and Psalm 102 (a prayer for healing in sickness). Communal laments include Psalm 74 and 85. When times are tough, we can get our Bibles out and read Jeremiah, the Psalms and use them to put voice to our questions, fears, and needs. Or if we feel comfortable enough, we can use our own words.

Another tool we have to help us express ourselves in the midst of pain and difficulty is song. Our hymnals include two sections that specifically help us through difficult times--a section entitled “Prayer, Trust, and Hope” which goes from hymn 451 to 509. The other section is entitled, Strength in Tribulation, which begins with hymn 510 and ends at hymn 536.

Of all the hymns in those two sections, probably none is more well-known than number 474, Precious Lord, Take My Hand. Written in 1932 by Thomas Dorsey, this gospel song has been sung by everyone across the lines of race and culture—from rock and roll icon Elvis Presley to gospel legend Mahalia Jackson.

Like so many great hymns of faith the song was inspired by a horrific tragedy in Tommy Dorsey’s life. Born in rural Georgia in 1899, at age 12 Dorsey left school to become a professional pianist. He played at house parties throughout Atlanta’s black districts. He came to Chicago, married, and through a series of event, he committed himself more fully to God and Christian music.

In 1932, Dorsey became the choir director of Chicago’s Pilgrim Baptist Church. That same year in August, he went to St. Louis as the featured soloist for a large revival meeting. During a break in the Revival, a Western Union messenger brought him an urgent telegram. Written on the yellow sheet where the words, “Your wife just died.” She had been pregnant. When he returned home, Dorsey discovered she had given birth to a baby boy.

He recalled that his emotions swung between grief and joy. But the baby died and Dorsey buried them together in the same casket. His shock allowed him to get through the funeral and service, but when it was over, he withdrew from everyone and everything—even his music. He felt as if God had done him an injustice and he didn’t want to serve God any longer or write gospel songs. He wanted to return to the world of Jazz that he knew so well. God had other plans for him.

In the midst of his despair, a friend visited Dorsey and arranged for him to be left alone in a music room with a piano. It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows. For the first time in many days, Dorsey sat at a piano using his fingers to browse the keys. Soon, the young artist experienced a personal revival and he felt at peace. He felt as though he could reach out and touch God. The next thing he knew he was playing a melody he’d never heard or played before and the word for the famous song, came into his head, falling immediately into place.

Precious Lord was an immediate hit. Dorsey calls it the greatest song he ever wrote. (4)

So the next time you find yourself in an emotional state or difficult situation, say the Serenity Prayer. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
And remember that in order to receive the wisdom of God, we need to release some of what has us all wrapped up. Or to say it another way, when we are full of pain, fear, frustration, anger, we don’t have any room for the Spirit. We need to release the feelings so there is room to receive God’s presence. And one of the best ways to do that is to go directly to the source. We need to have an honest, open dialogue with God. Pick up your Bible and read the Psalms, Jeremiah, or Jesus’ final week in any of the Gospel narratives. Sing a song or put on some music that gives voice to what you are feeling. Most importantly, address your emotions to God.

Jesus, Jeremiah, Daniel and Dietrich put their trust and faith in the Lord. Their prayer life kept them strong in the face of adversity. Their prayer life kept them focused on God. Their prayer life allowed them to be joyful, to serve others, in the midst of fear and the unknown. That can be you, you, you, and me. My prayer for you is that you get to that point in your faith where you can have a life of prayer that is open and honest like Thomas Dorsey’s famous song, Precious Lord, Take My Hand no matter what happens in your life.

Jason will play this song for us on the saxophone. While Jason is playing this song, get your cut-out human figure out. Write down what you need right now from God. Do you need serenity to accept a difficult situation? Do you need courage to change something inside of yourself? Or do you need wisdom to discern God’s will? Write it down. We will collect them during the offering time.

Footnotes:
(1) Bonhoeffer quote used in Bonhoeffer & King by J. Deotis Roberts (pg. 108). © 2005. Printed by Westminster John Knox Press.
(2) From Concerning Prayer by Mary Kathryn Pearce (pg. 19). © 2003 Women’s Division of the UMC.
(3) Ibid, page 20.
(4) From Christianity Today, July/August 2003, Vol. 41, No. 4.

Posted by vickie at April 27, 2008 10:00 AM