St. Mark's Lutheran » prayer

Deserts, knowledge and Truth

Parson Brown — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:14:08 +0000

This year the Gospel of Mark forms the core of the lectionary. That gospel is one that comes out of the desert. A voice is heard in the desert. A baptist appears there. All the countryside goes out there. And Jesus is driven there by the Spirit no less. All within the first 13 verses. The wilderness or the desert is an important place.

I’m pondering that in regard to how we accept the truth of Jesus. If I look at American Christianity historically there have been a couple of ways. Raw and bloody experience directly to the heart. Slaves and abolitionists and revivalists and circuit riders and Quaker quiet meetings. The heart becomes convicted and convinced of Jesus and his truth is marching on. That march has ended up in some strange places and some u-turns. But you can’t question the vitality of the Spirit, even if the message was scrambled in action. This is knowing the truth heart to head. There has been a second way that was often a hallmark of Protestants. You were instructed by people who you know, love and trust. Those people taught you that Jesus was true…and you listened, at least until you knew it yourself. That is knowing the truth head to heart. That doesn’t seem to be much in vogue these days. That group of {baptists, pietists, revivalists, charismatics, enthusiasts}, call them what you know them as, were all being led to a deeper understanding of what their hearts burned with. That group of {frozen chosen, legalists, confessionals, clericalists, dogmatists}, call them what you know them as, were all being led to a real understanding of what they knew in their heads.

At some point we are all placed in that desert. Is it a desert of the heart where if God doesn’t come and fill it up you know it will break? Is it a desert of the mind, where if God doesn’t illumine your thoughts everything just reduces to a deconstructed sentence with no real and true meaning? People lose their way in the desert. Heart and head don’t always connect. Deserts were long thought to be the home of demons or the djinn or whatever malevolent force there ever was. Satan tested Jesus in the desert. There is danger there. Your provisions don’t last long. But it is the desert where God provides the manna. We all enter the desert at some point. Do we come out? In what shape?

One piece that we seem to have lost is that there used to be guides in the desert. Moses shephered Israel for 40 years. The Angels ministered to Jesus (Mark 1:13). Who is your desert guide? Who do you want there? Are you willing to be in the desert with others? What do we give up when we aren’t willing to be led? What do we take upon ourselves?

Deserts, knowledge and truth. It is the harsh environments that reveal.

A prayer for the day

Parson Brown — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:33:49 +0000

Lord give us today our daily bread.
We’d like more than bread
instruct our hearts in thankfulness
We’d like it to be more than a day
teach us to trust you for our hours
We’d like it yesterday or last week or better yet inherited
Remind us of our need in these hours
We’d like to work, to pay it back
Grace seems to little, too late, too tasteless, too tough
Lord
Give us today our daily bread.

Anne of Green Gables – On Prayer

Parson Brown — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:52:13 +0000

Reading Anne of Green Gables to the 8 year old, and I’m enjoying it as much if not more than her. From chapter 7 entitled Anne Says her Prayers…

She had intended to teach Anne the childish classic, ‘now I lay me down to sleep’. But she had the glimmerings of a sense of humor – which is simply another name for a sense of the fitness of things; and it suddenly occurred to her that that simple little prayer…was entirely unsuited to this freckled girl who knew and cared nothing about God’s love, since she had never had it translated to her through the medium of human love.

The entire chapter is a classic. It would probably teach more about how and what to pray than a hundred catechisms.

Thanksgiving Message

Parson Brown — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:50:07 +0000

Text: 1 Tim 2:1-4, Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

I hope you didn’t mind the reading from Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation. It’s a little longer than normal and not biblical, but if you have never read it, it is a short classic and an amazing document of vision.
It a vision I think shared by Paul writing to Timothy. Paul encourages Timothy to pray for all people. Ask God to help all of them – and give thanks for all of them. Because God’s vision goes beyond the current strife. God’s vision is that all would be saved and come to know the truth. God’s vision is that all would live under proper authority in peace. That we would live lives marked by godliness and integrity. When you are still angry with your brother or jealous of your sister that vision is real tough to see. When our eyes are clouded by covetousness or envy we miss the good gifts that we have been given.
And that is where Lincoln is amazing in this proclamation. This is from Nov of 1863. Let me list the things Lincoln saw in the preceding year.
- The first military draft leading to the NY draft riots killing hundreds.
- The imposition of the first Income Tax
- The suspension of Habeas Corpus (which if you are a civil rights fan was a dark day making TSA pat-downs look like child’s play)
- Losses at Chancellorville and Chickamauga – the costliest 2 day battle of the war
- The Gettysburg victory at the cost of over 50,000 lives union and confederate, which to Lincoln were all Americans
- The switching of Leading Generals 3 times until finding US Grant
In the midst of all that, Lincoln could still say – “The year that is drawing to a close has been filled with blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies…” His vision was larger than the struggle he was persevering in. “No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the most high God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”
Among those mercies also included in Lincoln’s year were:
- The passing of the Lieber code which ordered respect for private property during times of war; a nation he hoped to restore would not pillage and plunder
- The Homestead Act, the west would be open for settlement and expansion and railroads uniting a continental nation. Some of those benefiting from that act would be my ancestors, and of course the Perry County Saxons who would found the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
- And the preparation of the Emancipation Proclamation – the nation would live up to its founding documents
Lincoln concludes his listing of graces visited upon this nation where Paul starts – with a call for prayer – a prayer for the other, for the all.
“I recommend that while offering up the ascriptions justly due [God] for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers…and fervently implore the interposition of the almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it…to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union.” (Lincoln)
“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them. Intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” (Tim 2:1)
Thanksgiving is a wonderful vision larger than us. We will not see these things fulfilled in our lifetimes. Lincoln saw the cessation of war, but not the better angels of our nature. We do not see the culmination of all those we pray for. But we thank God for them and for their work. Thanksgiving is a wonderful national day set aside to look at the larger picture. The “peace that has been preserved… and the harmony that has prevailed.” And to give thanks for the ultimate peace that has come to us and to all people. Peace with God, a cessation from our strife through that man on the cross. Thanksgiving invites us to find our place in that larger vision – our place marked with dignity beside our neighbor.

Why Some not Others…

Parson Brown — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:51:09 +0000

Full Text

It is hard talking about this one. Because there is no real answer other than prayer, which I desperately beg of you to do.

In that vein, this is Anselm of Canterbury which happened to be the prayer of the day in my prayerbook…

Blessed Lord and Savior who has commanded us to love one another, grant us grace that, having received your undeserved bounty, we may love every man in you and for you. We implore your clemency for all; but especially for the friends whom your love has given us. Love them, o fountain of Love, and make them to love you with all their heart, with all their mind and with all their soul, that those things only which are pleasing to you they may will and speak and do. And though our prayer is cold, because our charity is so little fervent, yet you are rich in mercy. Measure not your goodness to them by the dullness of our devotion; but as your kindness surpasses all human affection, so let your hearing transcend our prayer. Do to them what is expedient for them, according to you will, that they being always and everywhere ruled and protected by you, may attain in the end to everlasting life; and to you, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and praise forever and ever. Amen

Staying Awake – the role of Prayer and Transfiguration

Parson Brown — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:13:42 +0000

Full Text

…But, isn’t Peter’s experience a little like our prayer life most of the time. We’ve been sleeping. Not paying too much attention to the wonders and sorrows around us. More concerned about filling our bellies, amusing away the time and getting a good night’s sleep. But then something changes…really quick. The veil of this existence is lifted for a time, and we are not prepared. An illness, or seeing the baby fall but missing most of the standing, or almost missing the opportunity of a Valentines day because we’d rather be miserable – and in desperation we say a quick prayer under our breath, trying to turn back the clock or keep things static. God, let them be alright. God, its good that we are here, let’s not change anything. We’ve been sleeping – and don’t know what we are saying to God…

Sermon – Get connected, return to prayer -Mark 9:14-29

Parson Brown — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:18:19 +0000

Full Text

The arresting line in the gospel text (Mark 9:14-29) is of course – ‘I Believe, Help my unbelief!” But, the point of the text by its own words are prayer – “this kind only comes out with prayer.” What comes out? A demon of muteness and deafness. If faith comes by hearing, and if those who have believed in Mark’s gospel respond by telling everyone even over Jesus’ commands – is there not a better description of unbelief than one who is deaf to the Gospel and mute at its reception? Help my unbelief was the father’s cry. The disciples said as much when they asked – “why couldn’t we drive it out?” Jesus answer is get connected. Renew and strengthen your faith through prayer.

I concentrated on the disciples as learners (the core meaning of the word). Rev. David Bernard (VP of the Eastern District) shared a different view that captured my attention today. The father says “I believe, help my unbelief” after the disciples are unable to cast out the demon. If you look at the disciples as either the church or the ministerium (they are the proto-church and also the proto-ministers and sorting out when they are what is often subtle), that phrase takes on a very potent modern view – “I believe in you Jesus, but your church/ministers sure brings out my unbelief.” In an day when entire church bodies vote to ignore the Word of God as authoritative (see the post below on the ELCAs recent statement on sexuality), the church can get in the way of faith and even encourage faithlessness.

Prayer for the day

Parson Brown — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:39:54 +0000

The prayer book that I have been using has the days scripture readings (OT, Epistle and Gospel), a 4th reading from the church and opening and closing prayers. Tuesdays the opening prayers come from the Book of Common Prayer. The original version was the work of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury – the English Reformation prelate. The book has gone through many revisions and “updatings”, but many of Cranmer’s words survive. It really is a testament to his understanding of human nature and of church teaching that so many still speak. The one that was in today really spoke.

O God, from whom all good proceeds. Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, on God, for ever and ever. Amen.

With our sin clouded mind we see good as evil and evil as good. And even when we see aright, we don’t always act with love. Grant by your inspiration that we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guidding do them. All good proceeds from God and returns to God – by the Word and through the Spirit. Amen

Daniel

Parson Brown — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:12:35 +0000

Text: Daniel 1:1-21

The old testament readings in the daily reading series just started to take us through the book of Daniel. Since it is now after Easter, I hope to get back on track with these posts and a new book seems like a good place to start. Daniel is also one of the names if it is a boy we might use for our expected baby. Daniel as a book is also one of the most critically challenged books, at the same time having some of the highest homage paid to it by Jesus himself. Jesus quotes from it in Matt 24:15. Jesus also takes the name he calls himself – The Son of Man – from Daniel 7:13-14. All those seem to be good reasons to take a devotional look at Daniel.

Daniel is a book of opposites. It has the sunday school staples of the firey-furnace, the lion’s den and the infamous source of the phrase “the writing on the wall”. Daniel also has apocalypic visions that are opaque and not used in Sunday School. The book itself is composed in two languages – Hebrew and Aramaic. The stidently Jewish Daniel is the star of the Babylonian court. The typical jewish attitude toward gentile rulers is absent and instead these Easter Emperors are the servants of God. Those gulfs in the book stradle to today. Critical scholars want to date the book to the 2nd century BC. Traditional dating is the 6th century BC. That 400 year gap is larger than even the gap between a traditional dating of the exodus and the alternative timeline. A book of opposites.

The opening is of four children of Jewish nobility being instructed out of their tradition while in exile. They get new names. They learn new languages and alphabets, and they are expected to eat the finest the court has to offer (probably pork.) But instead of swallowing it all, the four are graced by God. They adapt to the profitable and reject the dangerous. They maintain their idenity in the face of what surely looks like the better and wiser path. And they maintain that identity while not rejecting or scorning the good of the gentile kingdom. This is something God has ordained. They will not worship the kingdom, or follow its ways, but they will support it with the best they have been blessed with. In Jeremiah’s words they pray for the wellbeing of the place they have be exiled to.

Is that not the same situation of many Christian children today? After being brought up in the faith, they are exiled away from parents and supporting people to a university – a place surrounded by all the wonderful good things that this kingdom has to offer. New knowledge, new languages, new foods and the opportunity to put on a new identity. I’m at a loss to pull a solution from the passage as it just says that Daniel resolved not to assimilate. Daniel asked those is charge to eat the Jewish diet. And God graced Daniel with understanding teachers and gave him learning and skill and wisdom. Maybe the idea is prayer and preparation. Preparation in that it is a parents job to teach a child and form in them a sense of identity. Prayer in that once that formation is finished, you pray for God’s grace to sustain them. No magic bullet. Just years of work followed by years of prayer.