Rev. Betsy Aldrich Garland
May 24, 2009
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Luke 24:44-53; John 17:6-19

Guided in Prayer

Preparing for this service was a challenge this week!

I always begin by reading the texts that are listed in the common lectionary for that Sunday – the agreed-to scriptures with few variations across the Christian churches. This means that our friends at our neighbor churches – St. Paul Roman Catholic across the street and Pawtuxet Baptist, Transfiguration Episcopal, and Open Table of Christ United Methodist up and down Broad Street – are all hearing the same texts on any given Sunday, assuming the pastor is preaching on the lectionary.

Then I download the “Seasons of the Spirit” curriculum that Edgewood Church subscribes to and that the Sunday School is using so that we all are on the “same page.” The UCC calendar also is coordinated with this resource. After that, I open three different commentaries to see how they are treating the text. And I read Homeletics magazine for their articles on the topics.

And then I walk on the beach and think: What is the message in these scripture lessons that I need to bring to Edgewood on Sunday?

But this week I was surprised that not everyone was dealing with the same Bible lesson. I went back and forth between resources. Some were in the Gospel of Luke; others, in John. Was I on the wrong page? In the wrong week? Or in the wrong year? Eventually, I realized that some sources were dealing with the last Sunday in Eastertide; others were addressing Ascension Day which happened on Thursday. And, then, of course, I wanted to celebrate Memorial Day. A common theme, however, was prayer – guided in prayer. Let’s see how we can tie these scriptures together.

First, let’s look at the Ascension Day text that I read earlier in the service. It is 40 days since the resurrection. Jesus has been showing up unexpectedly during this period – accompanying followers on the road to Emmaus, appearing in the midst of the disciples where he breaks bread, cooking breakfast on the beach. Now that is about to change.

In the passage from Luke – the very end of Luke’s gospel – Jesus is doing several things:

First, he is proclaiming that his life and death are the fulfillment of everything foretold in the Hebrew Bible – and the disciples are witnesses to these things.

Second, that he will be sending the Holy Spirit – which God had promised – to empower and sustain them as they proclaim repentance – which means a turning back to God’s ways, not what we think of today as repentance, a rather weak, “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” True repentance in the Biblical sense is a strong realignment with the Holy.

Third, he tells them that they should wait in Jerusalem until they “have been clothed with power from on high.” That’s Pentecost which we will celebrate next Sunday. (And after Jesus is taken up, the disciples go to the temple to wait where they are continuously praying for God’s guidance.)

Now, let’s look at the Eastertide texts for today. First from Acts: The story picks up where Luke ends. The disciples are in the temple and addressing the matter of who will replace Judas. Somehow it is important that there be 12 disciples, and so they cast lots – perhaps using pieces of pottery or stones, an ancient form of “heads or tails” – and pray for God to guide their hands. Matthias is chosen – according to God’s plan.

The Eastertide gospel lesson from John ties it all together: Here, Jesus is praying for his disciples. And Jesus reminds God that everything he has told them has come from God. Jesus has done his job as instructed, and now he is asking God to protect the disciples. Only one was lost of the 12.

But now Jesus is coming to God – he will be lifted up – and the disciples will be on their own without Jesus’ continuing presence. (Remember the Biblical world is a three-story universe. Today, in the west of Ireland, one might say, “He turned sideways into the light and disappeared.”)

And Jesus is concerned about two things: that the disciples will know the joy that he has known, and that they need to be protected because they do not belong in the world, just as Jesus does not belong in the world. Their experience with Jesus has given them a different way of understanding God’s truth – a different vision of how life should be lived and cared for. Their time with Jesus has made them outsiders in their own community. They no longer belong. They are different from their neighbors.

In all these texts, we see people turning to God for guidance in prayer. The disciples remain in Jerusalem, praying constantly. The early church seeks leaders with integrity and prays for guidance. In prayer, Jesus commends the disciples into God’s care.

Modern-day disciples, like us, pray that we will know whether to stay in the job – or reach out for a new one; whether to sell the house or stay put; whether to attempt to make amends with a neighbor, or let it alone. What do we modern, scientific-age folks think about prayer, anyway? Do we believe in it, even if we don’t understand how it works? I don’t understand how my cell phone works, but I can make calls. I don’t understand how my wireless printer works, but I can print out this sermon from another room.

And, then, there’s the matter of the quality of prayer. How come some prayers seem to be answered and others don’t? Does God play favorites? Or, maybe, we have it all wrong. God isn’t waiting for us to ask for something God already knows we need. As theologian Soren Kierkegaard says, “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”

I found a wonderful description of this understanding of prayer by Margaret Silf writing in Sojourners:

Prayer that works is prayer that makes a difference,
contemplation that turns into action,
on behalf of peace and justice in a troubled and unjust world system.
Prayer is energy, the energy of love and transformative power.
It is given to us to use for the good of all creation.
In prayer God gives us the fuel of life, and asks us to live it.

Jesus prays for the community and, so prayed for,
the community of Jesus becomes a community of prayer.

And so the community at Edgewood Church prays, on this Memorial Day Sunday, surrounded by those who served for peace, that . . .

We will make known God’s name – Love –
in the talks of the politicians,
in the bargaining of the market place,
in the business of the church where God’s name is often neglected.

We will make known God’s name – Healing –
in the silence of the abused,
in the loneliness of the uncomfortable,
in the disunity of the church where God’s name gets only lip-service.

We will make known God’s name – Peace –
in the blessing of war-craft,
in the blessing of the terrorist,
in the twisting of religious power where God’s name is misused.

Jesus prayed to God, “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world.” May we add our own names to those who have spoken . . . for Love, for Healing, and for Peace.

Let us pray:

God of all wisdom, give us vision of the life you intend for us.
Make your ways our ways.
Guide us in building a Spirit-led community that bears fruit
which is pleasing to you and beneficial to our neighbors.

Amen.