"I will pray for you."

Of the many phrases that ministers use, one that might be the most common might be "I will pray for you."

It has become aware to me that that phrase may be misunderstood by people.  

When I say "I will pray for you", I do not mean I will not just add you to a laundry list of people or situations.  I will not just pray "for you" as one might ask God to provide you something as just one of many voices that will also ask, and thus operate like nagging children to a parent.  I will not just pray for you as a way of thinking of you for a moment.  

I will not pray for you so that you do not have to pray.  

Rather, when I say I will pray for you I mean that in light of your situation, you may not be able to pray for yourself.  You may be in a situation that is difficult or troubling that results in your inability to pray.  Perhaps you are so overjoyed in life that you are unable to focus on praying for the least, last and lost of the world.  Perhaps you are so down that you cannot pray for new life, new creation and resurrection.  

It is in these situations that I will pray for you.

I will pray for you when you cannot pray for yourself.  

This ought to be part of the reason why we go to worship on Sunday regardless of your state of mind.  

Perhaps you cannot pray that day - the community of the Body of Christ will pray for you.  

Perhaps you cannot sing that day - the community of the Body of Christ will sing for you. 

Perhaps you cannot listen that day - the community of the Body of Christ will listen for you.

Perhaps you cannot lament that day - the community of the Body of Christ will lament for you.

I will pray for you when you cannot pray yourself, because we are the Body of Christ.  We are the Church.  

I know that there are days for which I cannot pray, sing, listen or lament...

and I know the Body of Christ will do that for me.  

"Too many hard words"

Estee, Jude and I drove to an indoor gym the other day when the ice was a couple inches thick on the road. As we buckled in to drive home we jokingly said, "whelp, lets pray we don't crash."

I then asked Jude if he wanted to pray.

"Sure." He says so happily that it makes even a stranger smile.

I then fed him the lines of the Lords Prayer and he repeated them to me.

Our Father in heaven,
Great is your name.
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done
On Earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us today,
Our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who
Trespass against us.
And lead us not into
Temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the Kingdom
The power
The glory forever.
Amen.

Estee then asked Jude if he could pray that prayer by himself.

Jude replied, "No, too many hard words."

Indeed there are hard words for a 3 year old to say...

But come to think of it these words are hard adults.

Prayer - Baptism of our Lord

In you God we find our not only our comfort but you are the very source of life of which we depend on each and every day.  We come with bowed head and humbled hearts in order to die to ourselves and be made new in your Holy Spirit.  At least that is what we think we want.  God, we confess this day that perhaps we do not really desire to be made new and walk in your ways because we have given our lives to the god of our ego.  We confess that we seek for ways in which the church can serve us or feed us all the while forgetting that Jesus called the church into existence in order to serve and feed others.  We build our relationship with you Holy God like we build relationships with our neighbor.  That is often times, we think of you as just a really nice person who grants wishes if you whenever you feel inclined to do so.  And when we think of you in this way we then think that being Christian is being a really nice citizen who does nice things for people when we feel inclined to do so.  We confess that we may not have any real clue on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  We confess that even if we discover what being a disciple means we may not choose to live into that life of self sacrifice and community.  We confess that we talk the religious talk, do some pious things and all the while we put our trust, our faith, in other things.  So if there is anything that may happen today may we be convicted to see where our hearts reside and if we are willing to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

We pray this day not just on our own behalf but for the concerns and thanksgivings for the world.  Where there is pain let there be Grace; where there is suffering bring serenity; for those afraid help them be brave; where there is misery bring expectancy; where there is captivity bring liberation; where there is despair let there be hope.  For surely if there is any Good in this world – let that Good shine through all of us so we might be embodiments of Love.  We join the great cloud of witnesses, past and present as we pray Our Father...