Trinity Parish

Published Sermons

« Fred Heard - July 15, 2007 | Main | Beth Foote - Aug 5, 2007 » | Fred Heard - July 29, 2007  »

July 29, 2007

Fred Heard - July 29, 2007

July 29, 2007 Sermon - Father Fred Heard - Luke 11:1-13

From Julian of Norwich: “Lord, you know what I desire, but I desire it only if it is your will that I should have it. If it is not your will, good Lord, do not be displeased, for my will is to do your will.” AMEN

Prayer works! If it doesn’t, we are all wasting our time because Jesus set the example throughout his ministry. And you want to be careful what you pray for. For instance, more than once people have advised me they have prayed for patience and God leads them to patience school!

In today’s gospel, Jesus is teaching us how to pray. But when we pray, we cannot fall into the trap of bargaining with God. “God, you do this for me and I will do this for you.” No that is not the way it works. Think about it, it doesn’t work that way in interpersonal relationships, and it doesn’t work that way in the world of employment, and it doesn’t work that way with God.

We live in a time when communication is often instant. It wasn’t so long ago when telephone answering machines appeared; and oh, how I remember some people calling and swearing as they hung up in disgust. They weren’t going to talk to some blankety blank machine. Now, we hear—“Well I wanted to leave a message—but you didn’t have a machine.” Cell phones, while maddening and sometimes dangerous, are a way of life. I was thinking the other day as I was reading Harry Potter #7 how much we have changed since I read Harry Potter #1. It was so interesting to observe framed pictures on the wall in #1 and see the people actually moving. Today, my cell phone takes pictures of people, and they are moving. We are forgetting much of our family history as we communicate daily by email with family and friends. It is true that sometimes we save those messages—but in reality most of us leave them in a computer file and don’t actually print them.

How many times do we find unwanted messages on our telephone message machine or in our email files? Every once in a while, there is an important message—but in reality most of what we receive either in writing or by recording is junk or even spam.

Lady Bird Johnson, who recently died, called our attention to the fact that billboards do not have to dot the country side—but still there are plenty of ads along the way. Some days, our lives are consumed by advertising.

A long time ago, I was anxiously waiting for word about a possible job. A friend reminded me that the employer was not on my time schedule when I was told I would hear the next day and a week went by and still no word. When I was in a position to notify potential employees myself about employment decisions, we were prompt and my personnel manager always came back and told me how pleased people were when they heard from us-- even when the answer was negative because then they knew. So how many times do we leave messages—telephone, email, or letter and there is no response? How many times have we telephoned someone only to be told that the person is busy or in a meeting or on another line and they will get right back to us and they don’t? One of the most infuriating telephone inquiries for me is when I have called to talk to someone, and I am asked the nature of my call. My feeling is that it is none of their business, and I will never tell the person the nature of the call.

Sometimes, it appears that human communication is a losing proposition. Sometimes we transfer these human communication concerns to God when we need to communicate with Him directly. We worry that we won’t do it just right—we don’t know where thee, thou, and thy go. You know we don’t even have to use those words. Have you ever heard me pray using thee, thou or thy? My prayers are conversations with God…and what is really neat is that God is always in—He is never on another line—an angel never asks the nature of my prayer and that is good because sometimes, I don’t know where I am going with God—God is never on vacation—He never closes his office. I don’t even have to keep a record of my calls to God and I am never going to get into trouble because of something I tell God or don’t tell God. And you know what else? I can never wear out my welcome with God. He wants me—indeed He invites me to return to prayer time and time again.

The entire salvation plan is so simple, and we try to make it difficult. Prayer is simple, and we try to make it difficult. Do you get the idea that God is not asking us to be rocket scientists to walk with him. As a teacher, I have heard many students over the years say, “I just don’t get it.” I have heard people say that about stories or passages in the Bible. But then we get to God’s grace and eternal life. Sometimes a person who lies on a death bed, stumbles because they don’t realize it is so simple to reach out and take God’s hand, and that is all there is to it.

Alcoholics Anonymous teaches that things come to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands. “Follow the dictates of a Higher Power, and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances.” Jesus realizes that this generous gift is difficult for our minds and tough hearts to accept. Jesus recognizes that most parents try to be good parents, even if they sometimes fail. If our children ask for fish for supper, we don't throw a live snake at them. If children ask for popsicles, we don't hand them scorpions.

On this last Sunday in July, we are suddenly met with substantial medical emergencies within our parish and it is so tempting to say, “Why now, O Lord? Let us just do our work.” On this day, we might be reminded as we pray for healing to say, “Thank you O Lord for the ministries and blessings that Father Mike and Alecia, and Jicky and all of the other saints of this place who cannot be with us at this moment have brought to us in the name of Jesus Christ.” Thank you God.

Over the years, I saved the “While You Were Out” slips and placed them on a spindle. It was always a good way to find a needed telephone number at some point in the future. Well, I always have God’s number; and what’s more, our Lord does not crumple up the “While You Were Out” slips that are marked with my name.

As we pray for those we love, we try to make it complicated. God keeps it simple and so should we. We want it our way. God has a better way. We may be fearful. God leads us to trust. We may be out to lunch. God's waiting by the phone.

The Book of Common Prayer contains many ancient prayers. This book is a source of comfort, and I want to call your attention to one prayer in particular: “Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN. This prayer reminds us that we are not trying to keep God on good behavior. It tells us, very simply, that God has neither a distracted mind nor a small heart.

Believe this, my Brothers and Sisters, that Jesus is telling us often what we ask of God is too small. We ask for what might be a part of our lives rather than life itself. At the conclusion of today’s gospel, Jesus promises the heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who but ask. In the light of that Holy Spirit everything starts to look different. As we pray, God will give himself in response to our prayers. May your receiving and your giving be abundant, for what we receive and give—all of it is God or comes from God. May our receiving and our giving be abundant? Thank you, God. AMEN.

Trinity Journals

Sermons Trinity Voices
Book Reviews
Viewpoints

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.