Meditating on Proper 22: No Ask too Big

 

Proper 22    

The Sunday closest to October 5

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to
hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire
or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid,
and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy
to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus
Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Preface of the Lord's Day

I am not always a good Christian. Every now and then I look outside and if I see two young men in white shirts and black ties going through the neighborhood from house to house, my temptation is to close the curtains, turn off the lights, and hide. They are not burglars, of course. They are not solicitors in the strictest sense of the word. No, they are missionaries on a mission, and I generally have absolutely no desire to speak with them or invite them in. It is not that I am inhospitable. On the contrary, I do everything I can to make people feel at home.

Do you need a cup of water or coffee? You’ve got it. Do you need to borrow a cup of sugar or flour or a stick of butter? You’ve got it. Do you need the shirt off my back or the sweat off my brow? Nothing is too much to ask of me. But …

… to ask me to waste time discussing your religion as compared to mine, your theological perspective as compared to mine, God as you worship them as compared to how I worship mine? No, I am at the age where I am not borrowing fifteen to thirty minutes out of what’s left to waste time on such drivel. They honestly do not expect to make converts, nor are they willing to reconsider their own perspective on things. They are out to do their “duty” as they understand it, and converting the masses is almost beside the point. I figure if Paul could not convert the Athenians with his philosophical approach to the faith (in the Book of Acts), neither will I convert folks of other faiths no matter how eloquent I may be. If one’s not thirsty, it doesn’t matter what beverage the other has to offer.

That brings me to our collect for the day. We have a God who is more ready to HEAR than we are to pray. We have a God who listens – who listens to not just our words, but to our hearts. God knows what we are thirsty for, and sometimes we are just too busy, bothered, or confused to know what we want or what we need. Like the missionaries who travel through our neighborhoods two by two, we are busy doing our duty and not really listening to the promptings of our God.

Every now and then our kids will call and ask for a little help. Life is sometimes tough, and I know what it was like when we were young and faced a financial or family crisis. Over the years my father-in-law signed over a few vehicles to us when we were in need. We didn’t ask. He listened. He paid attention to what was happening in our lives, and he did what he could. When our kids need help, we pay my father-in-law’s generosity forward. If anything, I think our kids ask too little of us. But I try to listen. I try to listen to not only their words, but their hearts as well.

I worry that sometimes I am not bold enough in my requests to God. I also worry that if I ask too much, perhaps God will expect me to step up as well. I don’t mind God fixing the world, but if I am expected to lend a hand, I’m tempted to keep my desires modest. Is that any way to be? Is that any way to be a Christian – a child of God?

Of course not. So we pray to God knowing full well that our requests may be met with some practical ideas of how we can assist God with our requests. Do you really want peace on earth? Stop fighting with your neighbors or relatives. Do you want the hungry to be fed? Donate to the local food pantry, volunteer to work it. Contact the school and see if anyone has fallen behind their lunch payments. 

There is no shortage of work for us to do. Remember, God’s love is like that of the Prodigal son’s father (Luke 15). The child returns ashamed, embarrassed, worried about an uncertain future. He asks for nothing, yet the father hands him his ring. The child doesn’t ask for hand-me-downs, but the father drapes him with his robe. The child doesn’t ask for a meal, but the father lavishes him with a feast and dancing.

We do not need to beg God for anything. God’s desire is to fill us with God’s love and give us meaningful tasks to perform – each task suited to our gifts and abilities (which are also gifts bestowed upon us by God’s very own Spirit). So, let God know the desires of your hearts, and then, like God, listen for the answers. They may not come in the form we expect or hope for, but they will come, for God is more ready to answer than we are to ask. Just keep your curtains open, your lights on, and don’t be afraid of white shirts or black ties.