September 23, 2007 Sermon
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September 23, 2007
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost - Year C
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Gary Sanford San Angelo
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen
In our lesson from the New Testament the writer of 1st Timothy very clearly states that prayer is "right and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior...." That is how we communicate with God. That is a good thing and this lesson is all about the relationship we have with God, through prayer, and the relationships we have with others as formed by that union. It is a most appropriate lesson for today. Later this morning (at the 10:30 service) we will be admitting four women to The Order of the Daughters of the King, an order dedicated to prayer and service. Prayer for them is a rule of life--as it should be for all of us--and is the most important thing we do each day. I don't know if today was selected for this morning's events because of this lesson or if it just worked out that way. Either way I am sure God had a hand in it; and it couldn’t have worked out better.
Mother Teresa, a perfect example of prayer and service in her book "In My Own Words", says:
"There are some people who, in order not to pray, use an excuse the fact that life is so hectic that it prevents them from praying. This cannot be...Prayer does not demand that we interrupt our work, but that we continue working as if it were a prayer...It is not necessary to always be meditating, nor to consciously experience the sensation that we are talking to God, no matter how nice this would be.... What matters is being with Him, living in Him, in His will. To love with a pure heart, to love everybody, especially to love the poor, is a twenty-four hour prayer."
Prayer is our way of communicating with God and he wants to hear from us. For some, prayer is simple, while others may find it difficult--not knowing what to say, how to say it, or even if God will listen to them. Well, let me assure you God will listen. He is never too busy for the briefest of greetings or the most complicated offerings. He rejoices when we are filled with love and joy and He suffers with us when we experience pain and despair. He wants to hear about our hopes and dreams and be there for us when we are discouraged. Prayer never has to be complicated; it should be like a conversation between husband and wife or two best friends.
In the DOK Handbook it says, and I quote:
"Prayer is so simple. It is like quietly opening a door and slipping into the very presence of God. There in the stillness, we can listen to His voice, or even petition. What we have to say...matters not...just to be there...in His presence...is prayer.
This statement is so very true for all of us. It matters not what we have to say, it only matters that we are there...in His presence.
Dietrich Bonhofer says:
"It matters little what form of prayer we adopt..or how many words we use. What matters is the faith which lays hold on God, knowing that He knows our needs before we even ask Him. That is what gives Christian prayer its boundless confidence and its joyous certainty. We simply make petitions and requests to One who has the heart of a Father." ~ Dietrich Bonhofer
It is this faith in "One who has the heart of a father" that we cling to so passionately. Like a loving parent He cares for and loves us unquestioningly; it is this faith in God and the relationship we have with God that leads us willingly to His service. Does this mean that we have to love God for God to love us? Not at all. His love is unconditional and uncompromising and He is there even for those who would deny His existence. As Christians we embrace God with our hearts, with our whole beings. We see God in all that is created and as a part of our daily lives. Our belief in God is a statement of faith that can not be proved or disproved, but it is the basis for our existence.
Developing a relationship with God, just as with any relationship, leads to an affection and will to please, a desire to love and serve Him as He has loved and served us. It is a driving force in our lives that causes, even demands, a desire to serve Him and as our love of God and His creation grows we find more and more that we want to give to Him, to please Him, to do His will, to act in His service. Everything we have was given by our Heavenly Father and we are the stewards of His bounty. It is not ours to horde, but rather ours to share with others, especially the less fortunate. It is our bounden duty to love and serve others just as He loves and serves us.
We all should follow the example of the Daughters of the King. Just as their lives are dedicated to prayer and service so should ours be.
Magnanimiter Cruchem Sustine. "With heart, mind and spirit uphold and bear the cross."
Let us pray:
"Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our being, we here dedicate our whole being to you and your service in faith and joy and love. In this dedication we pray that you will confirm and strengthen us, O merciful God, that as we grow in age we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our King Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior." Amen.
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Revised: 09/30/07