Our Prayers, Not Questions
Sermon
God's Love for Us
Pulpit Messages for the Lenten Season
Recall the Gospel, and St. Luke's words:
"One of the criminals, who was hanged,
railed at him saying:
'Are you - not the Christ?
Save yourself - and us.'
But the other criminal said this:
'Lord, remember me
when you come to your kingdom.'
And Jesus looked at him and said:
'I say unto you, this day
thou shalt be with me in Paradise.' "
Two condemned criminals, hanging on a cross,
and each man is staring death right in the face.
And both men have something different to say:
The first criminal rails in his anger,
asking God a question,
"Are you - not the Christ?"
In other words, "If you're really God,
then what are we doing up here?"
The question is why,
for God's sake, why this?
But the second criminal offers a prayer:
"Lord, remember me
when you come to your kingdom."
Not the question of why,
for time is running out,
but "Lord, help me."
The minutes and seconds are passing by,
and this man seeks God's help.
And pausing here, we note this:
the question gets no answer,
but only the silence of Our Lord's voice.
"Why, God - Why this?"
"Why anything, God?"
- and we hear only the silence in our ears.
But also, note this:
the prayer received an answer:
"Lord, remember me"
- and God's answer comes back:
"My friend, you are remembered."
If any lesson can be gained from this,
then very simply it is this:
In coming before God,
are we asking questions, or saying prayers?
If questions,
we will hear only the silences in our ears.
If prayers,
then God's voice will speak to us.
A voice of the deepest compassion,
answering us in all of our needs.
The truth of the Gospel is simple:
"Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved"
- in our prayers,
not our questions.
So often, we as human beings
do just the opposite though.
We are sick.
"Why?"
We are troubled.
"Why?"
We are bothered.
"Why?"
We ask questions of God,
of others,
of ourselves,
and only silence.
No answers are forthcoming:
our questions reverberate through the universe,
like the cry of a man in a cave.
To spend time questioning,
questioning God,
is simply to listen to our own voices.
But just the opposite happens
when we begin to pray.
"God, help me;
God, see me through."
"God, give me strength to get through this day;
God, grant me your grace."
And God's voice comes back to us:
"My friend, so it will be."
The difference between questions and prayers
is primarily one of attitude.
The question
seeks to fathom God's mind,
to penetrate God's mystery,
which no person can do.
God is not accountable to us.
But the prayer
seeks help from God's heart,
and God has promised us
each of us can have this.
The difference is well explained
by an old and wise proverb:
"When a person is in a burning house,
he doesn't ask how the fire started,
- he gets out."
And so it is with our lives:
we can't always know the why of things,
but we are promised God's help by the means of prayer.
The truth of the Gospel is simple:
"Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
- in the prayers of our hearts.
One evening a woman called me on the phone,
referred to me by the police department.
It was twelve o'clock at night, and she said this:
"My husband is drinking;
he's out with another woman;
I've got three small children."
"I have access to drugs.
I've thought about suicide;
I'm afraid."
The conversation went on, and we talked.
And finally she blurted out,
"Why is this happening?
What's happening in our society today?
I don't understand.
"My husband isn't even thirty.
I'm his second marriage.
"He was divorced,
my sister is divorced,
my brother is divorced,
and we may be getting divorced,
and I'm only twenty-five."
Her questions are asked,
and what answers can be given?
But the conversation continues.
"Why do you want to commit suicide?" I ask.
"Because I'm no good," she says;
"if I were dead, things would be simpler."
"Do you go to church?" I asked.
"Yes," she said.
"And what do you pray for?" I asked her.
"For my husband," she said.
"Do you pray for yourself?"
"No," she said,
"I was taught it was wrong to pray for yourself."
Questions she has,
but prayers she has none.
"Tonight will you pray for yourself?" I asked her.
"Will you believe this very moment
that God loves you?
"Will you ask God for yourself?"
She was quiet for a moment,
and then she said this:
"It's funny,
all of my life I've prayed for others,
and the thought never occurred to me to pray for myself.
"Yes," she said,
"I will pray for myself."
"What will you pray for?" I asked her.
"I'll ask God to help me," she said,
"I'll ask God to help us both.
I'll ask God to see me through."
"Will you pray with me on the phone
before we hang up?" I asked her.
"Yes," she said,
"I'd like to."
We prayed.
"How do you feel?" I asked her.
"Do you still want to commit suicide?"
"No," she said,
"I feel peaceful inside.
Everything is going to work out all right.
"God bless you," she said.
"God bless you," I said.
"Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
- in the prayers of our hearts.
Like the dying thief,
like the woman near dying,
God hears our prayers.
And God, in His love,
answers us.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR HELP
O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all piety, give ear to the devout prayers of Your Church; and grant that what we ask with faith, we may obtain effectually. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day 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 thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
"One of the criminals, who was hanged,
railed at him saying:
'Are you - not the Christ?
Save yourself - and us.'
But the other criminal said this:
'Lord, remember me
when you come to your kingdom.'
And Jesus looked at him and said:
'I say unto you, this day
thou shalt be with me in Paradise.' "
Two condemned criminals, hanging on a cross,
and each man is staring death right in the face.
And both men have something different to say:
The first criminal rails in his anger,
asking God a question,
"Are you - not the Christ?"
In other words, "If you're really God,
then what are we doing up here?"
The question is why,
for God's sake, why this?
But the second criminal offers a prayer:
"Lord, remember me
when you come to your kingdom."
Not the question of why,
for time is running out,
but "Lord, help me."
The minutes and seconds are passing by,
and this man seeks God's help.
And pausing here, we note this:
the question gets no answer,
but only the silence of Our Lord's voice.
"Why, God - Why this?"
"Why anything, God?"
- and we hear only the silence in our ears.
But also, note this:
the prayer received an answer:
"Lord, remember me"
- and God's answer comes back:
"My friend, you are remembered."
If any lesson can be gained from this,
then very simply it is this:
In coming before God,
are we asking questions, or saying prayers?
If questions,
we will hear only the silences in our ears.
If prayers,
then God's voice will speak to us.
A voice of the deepest compassion,
answering us in all of our needs.
The truth of the Gospel is simple:
"Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved"
- in our prayers,
not our questions.
So often, we as human beings
do just the opposite though.
We are sick.
"Why?"
We are troubled.
"Why?"
We are bothered.
"Why?"
We ask questions of God,
of others,
of ourselves,
and only silence.
No answers are forthcoming:
our questions reverberate through the universe,
like the cry of a man in a cave.
To spend time questioning,
questioning God,
is simply to listen to our own voices.
But just the opposite happens
when we begin to pray.
"God, help me;
God, see me through."
"God, give me strength to get through this day;
God, grant me your grace."
And God's voice comes back to us:
"My friend, so it will be."
The difference between questions and prayers
is primarily one of attitude.
The question
seeks to fathom God's mind,
to penetrate God's mystery,
which no person can do.
God is not accountable to us.
But the prayer
seeks help from God's heart,
and God has promised us
each of us can have this.
The difference is well explained
by an old and wise proverb:
"When a person is in a burning house,
he doesn't ask how the fire started,
- he gets out."
And so it is with our lives:
we can't always know the why of things,
but we are promised God's help by the means of prayer.
The truth of the Gospel is simple:
"Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
- in the prayers of our hearts.
One evening a woman called me on the phone,
referred to me by the police department.
It was twelve o'clock at night, and she said this:
"My husband is drinking;
he's out with another woman;
I've got three small children."
"I have access to drugs.
I've thought about suicide;
I'm afraid."
The conversation went on, and we talked.
And finally she blurted out,
"Why is this happening?
What's happening in our society today?
I don't understand.
"My husband isn't even thirty.
I'm his second marriage.
"He was divorced,
my sister is divorced,
my brother is divorced,
and we may be getting divorced,
and I'm only twenty-five."
Her questions are asked,
and what answers can be given?
But the conversation continues.
"Why do you want to commit suicide?" I ask.
"Because I'm no good," she says;
"if I were dead, things would be simpler."
"Do you go to church?" I asked.
"Yes," she said.
"And what do you pray for?" I asked her.
"For my husband," she said.
"Do you pray for yourself?"
"No," she said,
"I was taught it was wrong to pray for yourself."
Questions she has,
but prayers she has none.
"Tonight will you pray for yourself?" I asked her.
"Will you believe this very moment
that God loves you?
"Will you ask God for yourself?"
She was quiet for a moment,
and then she said this:
"It's funny,
all of my life I've prayed for others,
and the thought never occurred to me to pray for myself.
"Yes," she said,
"I will pray for myself."
"What will you pray for?" I asked her.
"I'll ask God to help me," she said,
"I'll ask God to help us both.
I'll ask God to see me through."
"Will you pray with me on the phone
before we hang up?" I asked her.
"Yes," she said,
"I'd like to."
We prayed.
"How do you feel?" I asked her.
"Do you still want to commit suicide?"
"No," she said,
"I feel peaceful inside.
Everything is going to work out all right.
"God bless you," she said.
"God bless you," I said.
"Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
- in the prayers of our hearts.
Like the dying thief,
like the woman near dying,
God hears our prayers.
And God, in His love,
answers us.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR HELP
O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all piety, give ear to the devout prayers of Your Church; and grant that what we ask with faith, we may obtain effectually. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day 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 thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
