Teach Us to Pray

            It’s a request from pretty much every band of religious followers asked of their spiritual leader, “Teach us to pray…”  It rarely means that the followers are totally clueless about the quick, instinctive pleas or relief or happiness directed to the holy presence.  The question is more asking “teach us to pray the way you think we should.”  Some is form, but much is acknowledging that the leader seems to be tuned in and we think we should follow that.  Sometimes it is almost like the followers want to get the secret formula, the hidden secret to connect with the divine.  Certainly many ancient religions around the Mediterranean believed that the right words— almost incantations, even— would bring fast results.  

            So it makes all kind of sense that the disciple wanted to get it right, to hook up with God the way Jesus seemed to be hooked up.  And it makes all kind of sense that Jesus’ prayer for the apostles was ’way simpler and more heartfelt.  He just touched upon the basics: we are related to God as children to parents, make things on earth like in heaven, take care of us, forgive us and help us forgive others, keep us out of trouble.  Nice, simple.  Not highfalutin’.  Rather in character for the informal rabbi with divine intensity.  Of course, the church in its early years touched it up and made it more formal and more suitable for liturgy and named it “the Lord’s Prayer,” and we still use it as a straightforward everyday model for prayer.  Even children can handle that!  Which is why we teach it to our children and include it in worship before they leave for their program.  It’s a children’s prayer that even adults can pray.
 

Anne Lamott called her recent book “Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers,” which I think kind of recaptures the heartfelt simplicity of Jesus’ prayer and reminds us that the essence of prayer is not the heaped up theological words but the honesty of the emotions as we lean toward God.  Sometimes I’ve talked to people that think they need a professional like me to do the “right” prayer and that they are merely amateurs.  Jesus pretty effectively reminds us that the real pray-ers are the amateurs!  “Uh, I could use some help here, God” is every bit as good as the old Anglican “Prosper thou the work of our hands.”  Get it? Jesus is telling the disciples and us that simple and sincere is what he’s listening for, so relax and ask.  And then listen and watch.  There will be an answer sooner or later!

            Join your sisters… and brothers… this Sunday as we pray together in Jesus’ presence.

                                                                                                            In Christ,

                                                                                                          

David

Texts for Sunday

From the Epistles       Colossians 2:6-15
From the Gospel         Luke 11:1-13