October 11, 2010

time to make your Xmas list

It is mid-october and there are only 74 shopping days left until Christmas! It is time, if it isn't too late, to get your Christmas list together. Our local Rite-Aid has been selling Christmas tins of popcorn for weeks already! What are you waiting for!

The Sundays that the lectionary leans us to talking about prayer are always difficult. We have to juggle the many different understandings of prayer that exist in the congregation. There are some who see it as telling God your wish list: bless Tommy (with roller skate), heal Jenny (by giving her a doll), give me the winning lottery numbers, in Jesus' name, Amen.

There are others who say that prayer does nothing; you know "God's gonna do what God's gonna do." With all due respect to those of that ilk, that's balogna. I've seen prayer work too many times to believe this particular school of thought.

Oh, and there's the story of the persistent widow in which Jesus promises that God will not delay in helping us, that he will quickly grant justice to those who cry out to him. No winning lottery tickets, no roller skates, dolls, or toys of any sorts; just the Kingdom, help, and justice. So, what am I praying for? This week, I'm praying for the same thing i always pray for - a sermon. Amen.

No comments: