The Spiritual Practice Of Prayer


Gate Pa – Lent 2 2014
Readings:
Hebrew Scripture:                       Gen 12:1-4                 
Psalm:                                           Psalm: 121                                                     
Epistle:                              Rom 4:1-5,13-17        
Gospel:                              John 3: 1-17                

What I want to say:
Use the story of Nicodemus to introduce the spiritual practice of prayer
Jesus is one who comes from God and who makes God known. In his life Jesus makes known the life based on love offered to all, a life that calls forth our trust and loyalty (belief).
Prayer is way we choose to live and pay attention to God’s loving presence

What I want to happen:
People to reflect on their own understanding and experience of prayer and to use Lent as a time to pay more attention to their prayer life.

The Sermon

1. Introduction:

heard - holds several big famous passages
born again/born anew
Jesus is lifted up –
infamous John 3:16
strangely leaves out equally important John 3:17
what are we to make of all this
remember that Johns gospel is not history
not account actual conversation
John using event that happened
weave story around it that more to do with theology
in particular – Christology
who is Christ?

 2. Rebooting your computer

what do if computer starts misbehaving?
restart it
reboot it
basically what Jesus is talking about here – born anew
In Jesus time – and still many places today
family born into establishes
who you are
role in life
honour
those who call neighbour (Jews ones love as oneself)
so to say born anew and from above – greek means both
like reboot, restart
re-establishes everyone’s family of origin to be
family God most high
all children of God
pause for moment
what does that to…..
how those listening understood society - live in
those first heard gospel understood society - live in
how we understand society we live in
what does do when all defined as children God
hold honour comes God
all who are children are our neighbour – those work for and help maintain their honour
redefines society
redefines relationship with God
redefines how we are to be with everyone else
how this happen
through Christ
one who comes from God
as such is one who makes God known
through death lifted back to God

3. Believers

context in story is tension with those believers who follower because of miracles
can only see death as disaster, and too hard
fail see moment profound love
allows life Jesus talks about to abound through Spirit
life that only those truly believe can behold
we live in world “belief” is intellectual assent to particular set dogmas and ideas
This context belief means trust and loyalty
those who give their trust and loyalty to God through Christ will have lives rebooted,
given new family origin,
and will live as members new society as children of God
question for us is
how do we grow as people who give our trust and loyalty to God?

4. Prayer

quotes on prayer
what stood out for you?
a lot of time prayer understood be a lot words
contrast to that one definitions I like is
prayer choosing live and pay attention to God’s loving presence
prayer is fundamentally about relationship
heart of lover is held by lover of hearts
prayer is making less of ourselves so we can be more aware of Who God is and what God is up to in us and in our world
look lives saints – all whom prayed a lot
prayer changes us
we slowly become children of God
through prayer we are born anew and born from above
like to say this point while now a lot about prayer
it has always been and still is hard
long time saw it as a duty
felt really guilty I was not belter at this
now see it as an invitation
as fransicscan supposed pray community obeidnece every day
truth is fail
thigns get in way
fall asleep
get distracted while trying sit in silence
long way to go
that’s ok
invitation is still there
God is still working away at me even if not paying that attention should
prayer comes out loving relationship with god
like any relationship needs some praciticalities
need make time for it – regular date
need make place meet
having place only use prayer really usefll
good develop prayer posture
only use when praying
begin – being still
breathing
listening
sensations

5. Prayer is

Bringing our whole lives to God
rational and non rational
conscious and non-conscious
body and soul
Listening
praying with scripture
paying attention to dreams
keeping a journal - examen
seeing a director/companion

Responding to God
Being With God

Invite you to to reflect on their own understanding and experience of prayer
notice how you bring, listen, respond and be with God
and to use Lent as a time to pay more attention to their prayer life.








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