Since Easter, my sermons have been focused on prayer. I am not posting the sermons themselves, because I am finding that the preached word is far different (and hopefully more Spirit-filled) than the written manuscript. Besides, sermons are a different genre from blog entries. Of course, I have yet to define the genre of ‘blog entry’.
The fact is prayer shows up in many different genres of Scripture, in different contexts, for different purposes to the reader (although always communication with God in the biblical narrative) and its fundamental place in the Christian ADL’s (activities of daily living) cannot be overrated.
This is a three week series two thirds complete. It began in 1 Timothy 2, where Paul lists the stuff Timothy should be doing in his life of communication with God, supplications, intercessions, thanksgivings, and prayers. I always thought the first three were types of the fourth. Maybe they are, but not to Paul, not in this passage.
Paul builds a conflict into this passage. Against the backdrop of the church getting thrown out of the synagogue, against the backdrop of persecution, Paul is not making life easy for Timothy. First, he tells him to do these four things on our list, especially for the king or whoever is in charge, for the purpose of allowing Christians to live lives of peaceful dignity and godliness.
Except, of course except, that God wants the world to know the truth and to be saved. That is a problem because the message of salvation that Paul is preaching, the truth that he is proclaiming is an exclusive truth. Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. No one gets to God but through Jesus. And he is preaching this in an empire that was probably more superstitious than religious, more syncretistic than diverse. Pretty much every god and religion was tolerated as long as they were tolerable in turn to the Pax Romana and the desire of Rome that everyone obey the Emperor.
This is not to say Christianity was not tolerable to the Pax Romana. And Jesus himself said to give to the emperor his due and to God, God’s due.
But back to Paul. He recognized the inherent disconnection between the kind of life God desires for God’s people and the reaction of the world to God’s truth. According to legend, he will be martyred because of that disconnection. And he begins Timothy’s instruction by telling him to engage in dialogue with the Divine, in supplication, intercession, thanksgiving, and prayer (the order is changed for effect).
Supplication is asking for things. Bring peace to Iraq. Bring new members to our church. Those are supplications. Intercessions are made on behalf of other people. Heal my loved one. Help my friend find a new job. These are intercessions. Thanksgivings are the most obvious, thanking God for what we have. If we don’t like our kings and those in authority over us, this might be the hardest thing to do before God.
But what are the prayers? How are they different from the rest? Are they? Could Paul simply be repeating language for effect?
I came to the conclusion that the prayer in that list was another category in how to communicate with God. I think at its most basic, it is just that, communicating with God, not asking for things, not offering up other people, not thanking God for something around us, but simple communication. Here I am, there is my God, we’re talking. I praise God’s name. I find strength in God’s power. I am just filling the well after spilling the living water all day.
But whatever it is, Paul tells Timothy to get in touch with God before taking on the world. We should take that advice.
The fact is prayer shows up in many different genres of Scripture, in different contexts, for different purposes to the reader (although always communication with God in the biblical narrative) and its fundamental place in the Christian ADL’s (activities of daily living) cannot be overrated.
This is a three week series two thirds complete. It began in 1 Timothy 2, where Paul lists the stuff Timothy should be doing in his life of communication with God, supplications, intercessions, thanksgivings, and prayers. I always thought the first three were types of the fourth. Maybe they are, but not to Paul, not in this passage.
Paul builds a conflict into this passage. Against the backdrop of the church getting thrown out of the synagogue, against the backdrop of persecution, Paul is not making life easy for Timothy. First, he tells him to do these four things on our list, especially for the king or whoever is in charge, for the purpose of allowing Christians to live lives of peaceful dignity and godliness.
Except, of course except, that God wants the world to know the truth and to be saved. That is a problem because the message of salvation that Paul is preaching, the truth that he is proclaiming is an exclusive truth. Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. No one gets to God but through Jesus. And he is preaching this in an empire that was probably more superstitious than religious, more syncretistic than diverse. Pretty much every god and religion was tolerated as long as they were tolerable in turn to the Pax Romana and the desire of Rome that everyone obey the Emperor.
This is not to say Christianity was not tolerable to the Pax Romana. And Jesus himself said to give to the emperor his due and to God, God’s due.
But back to Paul. He recognized the inherent disconnection between the kind of life God desires for God’s people and the reaction of the world to God’s truth. According to legend, he will be martyred because of that disconnection. And he begins Timothy’s instruction by telling him to engage in dialogue with the Divine, in supplication, intercession, thanksgiving, and prayer (the order is changed for effect).
Supplication is asking for things. Bring peace to Iraq. Bring new members to our church. Those are supplications. Intercessions are made on behalf of other people. Heal my loved one. Help my friend find a new job. These are intercessions. Thanksgivings are the most obvious, thanking God for what we have. If we don’t like our kings and those in authority over us, this might be the hardest thing to do before God.
But what are the prayers? How are they different from the rest? Are they? Could Paul simply be repeating language for effect?
I came to the conclusion that the prayer in that list was another category in how to communicate with God. I think at its most basic, it is just that, communicating with God, not asking for things, not offering up other people, not thanking God for something around us, but simple communication. Here I am, there is my God, we’re talking. I praise God’s name. I find strength in God’s power. I am just filling the well after spilling the living water all day.
But whatever it is, Paul tells Timothy to get in touch with God before taking on the world. We should take that advice.
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