July 28: Fervent Prayer

All my good intentions of maintaining the devotional on some level during vacation did not pan out. I am back now – I think… and here we go taking up where we left off at the beginning of the month. It’s good to back!

While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him. (Act 12:5)

When I read this line the first question that comes to my mind is, how often do I find myself praying fervently? How often do we as a church find ourselves praying fervently together?

Praying fervently wouldn’t be a ritual and practiced prayer. It isn’t quite (I imagine) the prayer you give when you hear a bump in the night and offer up a fearful prayer for God’s protection – though I think that is getting closer. What I picture when I hear praying fervently is a community that stopped everything else to put all their energy and passion into a deeply felt prayer. I remember David praying for his first child by Bathsheba as the child lay dying… lying all night for seven nights with the child refusing to eat or rise. (2 Samuel 12:16) This is fervent prayer.

What is lacking when we lose this sense of prayer? What is removed from the life of faith when our prayer becomes tame or timid? What is wrong with the picture when prayer becomes a stumbling block or a hurdle we have to cross (and don’t feel able to)? Even worse what happens when we make prayer a tool rather than an outpouring of emotion and deeply felt conversation with God? Because when I look in my own life, too often I find that prayer is just that – a tool. Prayer gets used as a way to start and end a visit, or something to say when I’m not sure what else to do and want to avoid the awkwardness. It is a tool when it’s done because we think we ought to, or think it’s expected, and not as a real desire to converse with God. It’s a tool when we find ourselves praying about things to people, and not mutual talking and listening to God with and on behalf of people.

What would it mean to recapture a life with fervent prayer… and a community that prays fervently together for justice, for love, for the safe keeping of one another and the world?

Another thing that amazes me even more about this text is that the story goes on and when the prayer has been answered and Peter is freed from jail by an angel of the Lord this is what happens when he returns to the disciples:

On recognizing Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. They said to her, "You are out of your mind!" But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel." Meanwhile Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed. (Act 12:14-16)

What is really striking and important to me is that its not that they had any stronger notion that all prayer was answered, and answered exactly as they asked it to be. It isn’t that they had greater trust and faith. They can’t believe that Peter is freed! They no more expect Peter to be freed than we would.

The difference between this community and our own isn’t belief in the power of prayer… and certainty in its success. The difference is that regardless of success or power this community we read about is willing to pour their whole being into prayer as a radical statement that it is God alone in whom we put our trust. And I imagine as well the belief that regardless of whether or not the prayer is answered in the way they would like… there is something good and right about pouring out our deepest thoughts and emotions and feelings and passions to God… if not unceasingly – certainly fervently!

How often would describe your prayer life as fervent?

What keeps you from pouring out your emotions to God with all your energy and focus?

How might our lives look and feel differently if we practiced fervent prayer together?

Listening God,
Help us to move beyond a safe, tame or timid practice of our faith. Guide us to radical and life transforming practices and fervent prayer and trust that you alone are our Lord and savior.
Amen.

July 7: Called Christians

My apologies that I have been sporadic with the devotional the past week. I have been away at school, and now I'm in the office for four days before going off on vacation for two weeks - which is to say I'm trying to check off a lot of to-do lists. I will try to still have a devotional entry or two over the next couple weeks but will not probably resume the normal 2 entries a week until end of July. So without any more excuses, our thoughts for the day! :)

“So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’” (Acts 11:26)

First of all this verse is one of those bible trivia verses. It’s a popular question to ask, “Where were the disciples first called Christians?” So remember Antioch – if you plan to play some rousing games of bible trivia!

And while that really was the reason I chose this particular verse what is intriguing to me now is that while the new testament prefers language of disciples, apostles, followers of the way, and other similar language to talk about those who believe in Jesus Christ it is the word Christians that we latch onto to describe those whose faith is in Jesus Christ.

So there is something significant about this word and identity for us.

And as I reflect on that in light of this verse I wonder, just how significant it is that the word Christian is used for this particular community? What we know about them is that they are a mix of Jews and gentiles; they are interested in learning and taking seriously their faith as they spend an entire year being taught by Paul and Barnabas, and they were both communal and missional in outlook. They, “determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea.” (Acts 11:29)

We never quite get an insider look into the life the Jerusalem church, but here in Antioch we see the forming of a church for the first time in the New Testament. Diverse community gathered together; faith that seeks understanding; and the movement beyond their walls to serve their neighbors.

Fellowship and education, stewardship and outreach.

Add in the preaching of the Apostles and the praising of God in the community and we have worship – we have a church!

Do you gather in diversity, and commit to long term learning about faith?
Are you giving according to your ability?
Are you called Christian, at home, work, and play?

Naming God,
You have given us many names. You have called us each individual by name in baptism but you have also called us: child, disciple, friend, apostle and Christian! Help us God to live into the reality you have named for us.
Amen.