[Propertalk] Fwd: Draft of Sunday's Sermon and Updated African-American Wisdom Statements

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:
-----Original Message-----
From: JUDY BOLI <JUDY.BOLI at ecunet.org>
To: PROPERTALK.topic <PROPERTALK.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Jul 24, 2010 9:52 pm
Subject: Draft of Sunday's Sermon and Updated African-American Wisdom Statements
Note #33097 from JUDY BOLI to PROPERTALK:

ear Friends,
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Why Does It Sometimes Seem our Prayers Are NOT 
nswered?” (Proper 12C, 7-25-10) and deals with the Gospel (Luke 11: 1-13).  I 
ave preached this sermon (or one like it) every year since 2004, except for 
008, because it answers a question on which we frequently need to meditate.
ere it is:
Deacon Joan just read the episode in Luke from Jesus’ life when he taught his 
isciples to pray the Lord’s Prayer.  When Jesus was finished, he made some 
ather startling statements.  Jesus said: “So I tell you to ask and you will 
eceive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you.  
veryone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door 
ill be opened for everyone who knocks” (Luke 11:9-10).  
My question to you today is- so why aren’t our prayers answered?  Was Jesus 
ying to us?  Was he just telling us what he thought we wanted to hear?  How 
ome we pray for healing, but our cancer remains; we pray for the deliverance of 
 son or daughter or husband or wife from addiction to alcohol or gambling or 
busive relationships and nothing seems to happen; we pray for peace, instead we 
et violence; we pray for a job and try and try and try- and nothing comes, and 
n and on and on.  But it’s not just us.  Paul prayed for deliverance from his 
thorn in the flesh”, but never got it.  Even Jesus prayed that “this cup pass 
rom me” but he had to go through with crucifixion.  What’s happening?  
ometimes we get what we pray for and sometimes we don’t.  Why?
Here’s a story about a person who seemed NOT to get his prayer answered: A 
reacher asked a member of his church how his family was getting along. “They're 
ll fine,” the member said, “Except my uncle. He's very sick.”  “Your uncle is 
ot sick," the preacher said. It’s impossible for him to still be sick, because 
’ve prayed for him.  He just THINKS he's sick.”  Two weeks later, the preacher 
an into the church member on the street again. “How is your uncle getting 
long?” he asked.  The member shrugged, “He THINKS he's dead.”
I don’t have any firm answers- but no- Jesus wasn’t lying.  God’s ways are not 
ur ways, and he said he would supply our needs, not our wants.  However, I do 
ave some thoughts that I’d like to share with you this morning.  Obviously, 
any times our prayers are answered just as we would choose.  An amazing double- 
lind (i.e. no one knows who is being prayed for, not doctor, not patient, not 
amily, no one) Harvard Medical School study with heart patients shows a 
easurable positive difference between those prayed for as opposed to those not 
rayed for.  This study confirmed a smaller study done ten years earlier by a 
an Francisco cardiologist and reported in the Southern Medical Journal.  So 
ometimes our prayers get answered with a wonderful “YES!”  Sometimes, however, 
he answer seems to be “no.”  What then?  Here are six possibilities for you to 
ull this week:
1.  If you are praying for a change of behavior in someone else, keep going, be 
ersistent.  However, keep in mind that God won’t force himself on anyone, but 
od will allow life to present the need for change in that person.  Even God, as 
he perfect parent, did not force righteousness on his children Adam and Eve.
2.  Is your problem a direct consequence of past behavior?  God seldom removes 
he consequences of sin, but he does walk with us through those consequences, 
iving us the power to overcome.  In fact, what started out as a negative often 
urns out to be a blessing to ourselves or someone else.  King David’s adultery 
ith Bathsheba resulted in the death of their infant, but the gift of Solomon as 
ing.
3.  Maybe you are suffering because of someone else’s sin.  Dr, Martin Luther 
ing, Jr. expanded the theology of the power of redemptive suffering- it was the 
ackbone of the civil rights movement.  It works when we love our enemies and 
ray for those who misuse us.  Furthermore, their evil doesn’t infect us with 
itterness and bring us down to their level.  Example: what could be more evil 
han crucifying the Son of God on a garbage dump, yet that evil redeemed the 
hole creation.
4.  Perhaps you are doing something to block God’s action or not doing 
omething that needs to be done.  If you pray and nothing happens, check out 
our behavior.  Are you poisoning your spiritual life with the bitterness of 
efusing to forgive an enemy?  (We just heard: “Forgive us our trespasses AS we 
orgive those who trespass against us.”- remember Jesus’ parable of the 
nforgiving servant in the Gospel of Matthew.)  I heard a fictional story from 
ne of my internet colleagues about a man we shall call Jim.  Jim had a serious 
roblem- he had lost his job and was broke.  In fact, he was about to lose 
verything he owned.  Being a faithful Christian, he knew just what he’d do- he 
rayed fervently that he would win the lottery.  The next day when the winners 
ere announced- nothing.  He prayed harder- “Please God, let me win the 
ottery!”  The next day he listened again- nothing.  Once more he prayed, this 
ime reminding God that he had promised to answer all prayer!
s, but to no avail.  Kneeling at his bedside, he pounded his hands in his 
illow, when he heard a mighty clap of thunder and a voice- “Jim, Jim, how about 
eeting me half way on this.  Buy a lottery ticket!”  In other words, do your 
art.
5.  This world isn’t a vacation spot; it’s a training ground.  God’s intention 
sn’t to make us happy, but to make us strong.  Would you really want your child 
o grow up in a world with no pain or discomfort?  What kind of human would this 
roduce?  How would your child ever develop compassion, endurance, spiritual 
ower, prayer power?  Helen Keller’s wise statement is true: “We could never 
earn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.”  That has a 
eal probability of being true.
6.  Here’s my last possibility.  Do you remember reading in “Forward Day by 
ay” a long time ago now of the writer who had heard of a terrible disaster?  I 
on’t remember what it was, but perhaps it was a tragic famine with pictures of 
ying children with swollen bellies looking at the TV camera every time you 
urned on the news- anyway it was that kind of thing.  He asked God why God 
llowed such atrocities, and he felt the answer came back loud and clear: “I was 
ondering the same thing about you!”  Perhaps our prayer isn’t being answered 
ecause someone else isn’t being faithful to their ministry, or more to the 
oint, perhaps someone else’s prayer isn’t being answered because we aren’t 
eing faithful to our ministry.  Cancer is a terrible curse on humankind, but 
erhaps the person who was intended to lead the team of scientists as they 
eveloped the cure is flipping burgers or bussing tables somewhere because we 
idn’t put enough time, energy, and money in h!
is or her education.  We plead for a cure for AIDS, but maybe the person 
esigned for that ministry is doing time in prison because the church down the 
treet didn’t reach out and touch
Some Sunday’s ago, I read you a few children’s prayers from David Heller little 
ook, Dear God: Children’s Letters to God.  I’m going to close with a few more:  
	“Dear God, thank you for my parents, my sister Anita, and for my 
randma and grandpa. They are real warm and special. I forgive you for my 
rother Phil.  I guess you didn't finish working on him.”  (Sean- age 12)
#61656;	“Dear God, my dad thinks he's you. Please straighten him out.” (Wayne- 
ge 11)
#61656;	“Dear God, my mom is acting weird because she is getting old. Can you 
ake back a few gray hairs? That would help bring back the house to normal.  
hanks for what you can do.” (Mike- age 9)
#61656;	“Dear God, my mom and my father are divorced. For 3 years.  Nobody's 
erfect. But why did you pick us?  I wish we were all with each other.  Maybe 
ou could have them get along- at least on weekends.  Please! (Stephen- age 11)
#61656;	“Dear God, do you think there's enough love today? I feel there's a 
hortage.” Love! (Ken- age 9)
The last two prayers- from Stephen about his parent’s divorce and from Ken about 
ot enough love, touch our hearts.  Who’s supposed to be the instrument for 
nswering these prayers- we are!  May God bless us as we try faithfully to bring 
is Kingdom to fruition here, now, as we reach out to others in His name.  Amen.

or anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom 
tatements are posted on our NEW PARISH WEB SITE. The address is: 
ttp://www.stpaulsepisag.com .
Blessed preaching.
udy Boli 
t. Paul's Episcopal Church
aginaw, Michigan
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