The Speckled Mind

Saturday, September 16, 2006

To Do List: 1. Pray More

There was a night of prayer at Hope last night, and about 25 people attended to pray for the coming year--for Hope, Hiawatha and our missionaries here and abroad.

Now, I've never been good at prayer. In its simplicity, it still remains one of the most mysterious aspects of the Christian faith to me. I know the pat answers--we pray to further our relationship with the Father. Simple communication with the Creator.

I get that.

How/if our prayers move God to action, however, is a topic for which I have no pat answers. The interplay of sovereign foreknowledge and divinely motivated intervention is something that I don't pretend to understand. One thing I know for sure, though, is the importance of praying for Hiawatha Church as they begin doing ministry in South Minneapolis.

As I sit in the Riverview Cafe this morning, I can't help but be nervous/excited/awed by the task facing the leadership of Hiawatha church. Even now, two women are having a discussion behind me about the benefits of universalism and that it is nearly identical to Christianity. One of them has a book entitled Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions laying open on the table. A man across the room is reading a bit of Marx with his morning coffee. Hiawatha Church--welcome to your Athens.

Please join me in continual prayer for Hiawatha Church as they proclaim the love and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to a community that is 'very religious in every way'.

Labels: , ,

posted by timmer k. at 10:56 AM

2 Comments:

  • Last fall I took an exegesis class on Genesis. When we got our paper assignment, we were given free range to study and write on anything up to the close of the Abraham cycle. One passage that had always given me big time issues (and thus the passage I studied) was the section on Abraham and the LORD's discussion regarding Sodom and Gomorrah. I mean, it sure looks like God changes his mind with each "intercession" that Abraham makes. And while I came into the passage expecting to learn something about God's role of sovereignty I ended up learning about our role in prayer.

    I am convinced that the whole discussion really had nothing to do with Sodom at all, but instead had to do with checking out Abraham's faith and discipleship, or his "Christ-ness," if you will.

    I think THE primary way in which we share in Christ's work isn't found in a random act of selfless kindness or the pursuit of social justice (though these are ABSOLUTELY necessary for faith to have integrity), but rather done in prayer in simple intercession for others. When we lift others up, we do exactly what Christ does for us, intercession.

    When you/I/others pray for Hiawatha Church, we are doing the REAL work of ministry. Using the word in its old sense, we are being priests for the people.

    Your observations and encouragements are well received.

    By Blogger A. Engler, at 11:49 AM  

  • The strange things that happen as I pray grow more wonderful as His Spirit seems to make me realize some small parts of His will- that which my small mind can contain. So is it that my prayers affect Him, or does knowing His will make me pray more for His will, as the Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:50 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home