Secrecy and Prayer (redux)

Here is our text for the week, Matthew 6:5-15:

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Some questions:

• Anything about this passage strike you as remarkable or unusual?
• Is this more a passage about prayer or secrecy?
• Is the "Lord’s Prayer" appropriate for us to pray today?

Tell us about your prayer life. Is it good? Do you struggle? With what do you struggle?

Will you go over to our online prayer journal and post a prayer?

What else is on your mind this week?

Random Thoughts IV

I will be in Alabama next Sunday, so I don’t have a preaching text for you this week. How ‘bout we just do whatever you want this week? I will throw a few thoughts out. Respond to them if you want, or throw your own thoughts out for others to respond to.

Just to get us started:

• I am finishing up my Lilly Clergy Renewal Program grant this week. It is a fairly complicated application, but I think I’ve about got it under control. I’ve been happy that everyone is so supportive. I guess Duane is right, "Hey, Allen, it’s an easy thing for us to accept; you’ll be gone for 3 months." I will share more details of my proposal later on. Not only will this sabbatical, if I get it, benefit me, but it will also benefit the entire congregation.

• The Leadership Team is discussing some exciting Sunday night ideas. The new quarter begins in March, and we are thinking of offering 3-4 options. Again, this is tentative, but we are thinking about offering a Marriage Matters Seminar class, using the curriculum we purchased from Jerry and Lynn, a roundtable class that discusses the sermon, Upper Room worship, and a textual Bible class. Thought? Ideas?

• What books are you reading? I have started a little book on philosophy, How to do Things with Words. It is about performative language.

• What else?

Get in the Closet! Secrecy and Prayer

Here is our text for the week, Matthew 6:5-15:

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Some questions:

• Anything about this passage strike you as remarkable or unusual?
• Is this more a passage about prayer or secrecy?
• Is the "Lord’s Prayer" appropriate for us to pray today?
  

* * *

Tell me about your prayer life. Is it good? Do you struggle? With what do you struggle?

* * *

What else is on your mind this week?

Secret Service

Here is the preaching text for next Sunday (January 7, 2007):

Matthew 6:1-4

"Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Questions to get you thinking:

• As you read this what are the first things that come to your mind?
• What does this passage say about God? about people?

Tell me a story about when you put this passage into practice. (Good time to remain anonymous!)

Tell me a story about when others did not.

* * *

So what else is new? What’s on your mind this week?

This really is an open forum, so jump in and express yourself!