April 25, 2004

Matthew 6: 1-8 , as read by Anne Robertson

"Learning to Pray"

Portions of the sermon ©2004 Anne Robertson

TEXT: Matthew 6: 1-8

Today's sermon was not written out-we simply had a conversation about prayer. I shared some of the things important to me and others took the microphone and shared what prayer meant to them, how they prayed, where they had struggles, etc. One way of prayer does not fit all. Some talked of sacred silence, others prayed with song or movement or words spoken aloud. Some prayed in the shower, in the car, and in the woods. Some prayed with others, some prayed alone; some prayed the prayers of the saints, some spoke words out of their own heart.

We emphasized that prayer was two-way. We talk to God and we listen for God's response. We acknowledged that telling God how to run the world and how to deal with every difficult person and situation might not be in anyone's best interest. "Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done" is an important phrase. We recognized that God sometimes says "No" in answer to our prayers and remembered that even Jesus was told "No," when he prayed in Gethsemane for the cup to be taken from him. We acknowledged that there are desert times in the lives of all Christians when our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and hit us back on the head.

For those who were not present this morning, I invite you to engage the topic as we did by going to my Sermon Talkback discussion board and sharing your experiences of prayer. What works for me may not work for you, and hearing the experiences of many can help each of us find the way of prayer that touches us most deeply.

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