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Luke 11:1-13 I received a brochure at the office last week for a workshop. For the low cost of only $295, I could attend a one-day workshop called "How to Communicate Effectively." The brochure promised that an expert instructor would provide tips on clear verbal communication, effective letter-writing, motivational meeting strategies, and strong negotiating skills. Based on the testimonials, the workshop sponsors are doing a good business, because the brochure included testimonials from people all over the United States. Wow! $295 to learn how to communicate effectively? Isn't that a lot of money? But, we seem to have a deep need to learn how to talk to each other. Haven't you seen similar offers to teach parents how to talk with their kids? Or relationship seminars to help husbands and wives communicate with each other? Or tips for how to communicate with the opposite sex? The list goes on an on. Sometimes we seem at a loss to know how to get our point across and how to listen to the other person. So, it should come as no surprise to us that the disciples asked Jesus the question we read in today's scripture lesson. "Lord, teach us to pray." They were hungry to know how to communicate with God. How to talk with God and how to listen for God's voice. It's a hunger that we all experience as human beings, and the disciples looked to Jesus for the answer. Many of us have been taught how to pray in various ways. In a similar fashion, the disciples of Jesus had been introduced to prayer. They knew that John the Baptist had taught his disciples how to pray. But, they were looking for information about the best way to be in communication with God. How about you? Have you ever felt the need to have better communication with God? Perhaps when you've felt a deep loss? Maybe when you can't figure out which direction to take? Or, it might be that you simply need to share your happiness and joy with the Creator. Jesus taught the disciples about prayer, including a model prayer that we call the "Lord's Prayer." Christ's teaching's about prayer gives us four important lessons about communicating with God. I. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND OUR RELATIONSHIP The model prayer that Jesus teaches the disciples begins with the same word that his own prayers do, "Father." Jesus invites his followers to share in his own prayer life. He assumes that we will approach God just as he does. Isn't it good to know that Jesus himself, whatever thoughts he may have had about his nature and mission, thinks it's appropriate for us to call God by "Father?" In the Epistle to the Hebrews, we read that Jesus shared not only our human flesh, but also our human approach to God. This mean's that Christ's religious life was a human religious life. When we recognize this, we can see the Lord's prayer in a new and intimately personal way. It's not only the prayer that Jesus gave his disciples, it's also his own prayer. This is the way he prayed. II. FORGIVENESS IS A CENTRAL PART OF TALKING WITH GOD One of the lines in the Lord's Prayer is confusing to some people. It says, "Forgive us our sins for we forgive everyone who sins against us." What does that mean? Does it mean that God won't forgive us unless we forgive other people? Wouldn't that be a reward for a good act on our part, instead of a free gift that God gives us? Well, let's think for a few minutes about the nature of forgiveness. We need to understand the relationship between forgiveness and repentance. First, let's get a clear idea of the meaning of repentance. It's a word that has a very religious sound to it, doesn't it? Repent you sinners! Repent of your sins! Here's what it really means. The Greek word for repentance means to turn around and go in a new direction. A couple of weeks ago I was on a business trip in Oakland, California. One night I was walking back to my hotel and I realized that I was on the wrong street. If I had continued going in that direction, it wouldn't have taken me where I wanted to go. Instead of reaching the hotel, I would wind up at a loading dock by the bay. So, I realized the truth. And I repented. I stopped. I turned around. And I went in a new direction. I started off in a direction that would take me where I was supposed to be going. Now, instead of repenting, I could have kept walking down that dark street. Along the way, I could have said all kinds of sincere things, like, "I'm really sorry that I'm heading down this wrong road." Or, "You know, it wasn't really my fault that I took that wrong turn, and I'm feeling really bad that I'm heading the wrong direction." That's regret, or remorse that I've chosen the wrong road. But, unless I was able to come to grips with the truth and change direction, I wouldn't have repented. It's the same way in our spiritual journeys. We can understand that we're taking actions that will take us further away from God. But until we grasp that truth, and turn toward God, there is no true repentance. So, repentance and forgiveness are two inseparable actions. Unless there is a realization of the truth, there can be no true forgiveness. Forgiveness depends on repentance in this way. In the same way, repentance depends on forgiveness. Stay with me now. Knowing that another is willing to forgive us helps make repentance possible. Knowing that God, or our spouse, or our children, or our friends is willing to forgive us, helps to make repentance possible. But the experience of turning in a new direction and being forgiven also involves forgiving others. That's because we can't turn away from our own mistakes without also being forgiving to other people. Why is that? Well, I think that if we are unable to forgive others, we haven't fully understood our own mistakenness, and brokenness, and incompleteness. If we're not able to acknowledge that, we haven't fully accepted God's gift of forgiveness. Jesus is teaching us to approach God in a spirit of turning to a new direction and of being understanding and forgiving. Because to forgive and be forgiven belong together. III. WE DON'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE WITH GOD IN PRAYER How many times have you been tempted to make deals with God in your prayer life? "Oh, God, if you'll just do this, I promise never to do that again." We often approach prayer with the perspective that it's going to be a struggle, a tough negotiation. Above all, we seem to think that we need to pry God's help from stingy fingers. Why do we have this perspective? Perhaps it's because we've dealt with so many people in our lives who depend on power and negotiations to dispense what we need. Have you ever tried to get help from a government bureaucracy, or an insurance agency, or a technical service line - only to be put on hold or shuttled from one person to another. Karen Blixen was a pioneer farmer in Kenya during the early part of the 20th Century. She operated a coffee plantation near Nairobi and came to love and appreciate the native Kenyans. She became involved in the Kukuyo Tribe's search for a homeland, and went from official to official pleading her case, with no results. Just before leaving Kenya to move back to Denmark, she reached the breaking point. Where else could she turn? Let's see what she did, as portrayed in the film, Out of Africa... [VIDEOTAPE] Isn't that what we get used to when we deal with human beings? Dropping to our knees and begging for consideration for a worthy request? But, is it really fair to assume that we must approach God the same way? Jesus uses a story about a man who goes to his neighbor's house at midnight and asks for some food for a guest. Can you imagine that? You're fast asleep, all the kids are tucked into bed, and one of your friends gives you a call asking for some burgers, chips, and soda. He's got an unexpected friend in town and needs some extra food. He doesn't get on his knees and beg, he simply let's you know his dire situation. How would you react? Jesus suggests that we probably wouldn't get up and rustle up some food, just because the person is our friend. Instead, we would be moved to help because of our friend's boldness - an expression of a deep need. Wouldn't the same kind of bold expression of need on our part move a loving Father-God to reach out in compassion to us? Just as a father whose son asks for an egg is never going to say, "here you are son," and hand him a scorpion instead, it's just as ludicrous to think that our loving God will give us something harmful during our time of need. IV. WE NEED TO ASK FOR WHAT WE NEED That seems like a simple lesson, doesn't it? But, it's one that we forget as humans all the time. We simply forget to ask. Think about your relationships with others. It could be with a spouse, or a friend, or a family member. How often do you get upset with that person because they aren't giving you what you need? It's a common problem in marriages. We settle into a relationship with someone and, after a while, begin to assume that they will know what we need to be happy. Have you ever done that? Instead of being open and communicative about our hurts and our desires, we expect the other person to magically show up with the right jewelry, or the perfect evening plans, or the right words in a time of trouble. In case you don't already know this, it doesn't always work out that way. If a marriage is going to thrive, its partners need to be skilled in asking for what they really need. But Don, you might say. God is all-knowing. Maybe my spouse can't read my mind, but God can. Why do I have to ask? Why doesn't God just shower me with everything I need? Jesus said to us, "Ask and it will be given unto you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." We need to ask because we're on a spiritual journey with God. We don't always know exactly what to ask for. And that means that we have some seeking to do. We have some doors to check out. God isn't a cosmic Santa Claus waiting to give us our wish list. Neither is God a heavenly slot machine waiting to spill riches into our laps. God is our Father, who loves us. And God is waiting to richly answer our prayers, to lead us on exciting new searches, to give us the courage to open new doors and to grow in ways we could never imagine.
As Christians, we enjoy an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe. Jesus, who called God "Daddy" (Abba), invites us to do the same. To fully experience communication with God, we need to be willing to stop and go in a new direction and to forgive ourselves and others. God isn't a spiteful bureaucrat, just waiting to laugh at our needs. God is a loving Parent who wants to see us flourish and grow. But, we need to spend time talking with God. We need to remember to ask. And we need to be willing to search for answers and try new solutions. It's all good news. We don't need a day-long seminar to teach us communication or negotiation skills to communicate with God. We can rely on the direct communication and loving support that Jesus described. Amen. |