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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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Bishop's reflection
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God is in the news: 'Games of the gods' and 'Theatre of the gods'. The opening of the Athens' Olympic Games was spectacular and took us on a fantastic flight back over two thousand years of Greek mythology. You may recall that Athens was bedecked with gods back in the Apostle Paul's day. Noting an altar 'to an unknown god', Paul took the opportunity to tell them of the God who is Lord of heaven and earth and 'in whom we live and move and have our being.' (Acts 17:28) It does matter who God is.Take prayer. When it comes to prayer, it does matter whom we pray to. Prayer is a conversation. The participants in a conversation shape it. The person and the god prayed to, shape prayer. Christian prayer is therefore shaped by the nature of the Tri-une God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Paul commented to the people of Athens that since we are 'God's offspring' we ought to think in certain ways. For Paul, prayer is our response of love to our divine adoption. We talk, chatter and enjoy loving companionship. This is the intimacy that the Christian delights in. Jesus said, 'I have called you friends.' (John 15:15.) This is extremely offensive, indeed blasphemous to other faiths. It is the deep love relationship of the 'Our Father . . .'.prayer taught by Jesus to his followers. 'Prayerful activists' has two key meanings.Firstly, being about the business of prayer is active. Prayer is not a passive pursuit. Prayer is ever engaged with the Heart of the universe, with the affairs of the universe. Prayer is therefore active in knowing the life, joys and sorrows of the world and bringing them before a loving God. This is no easy task. It is work. Albeit a labour of love. But let us not kid ourselves. Prayer is work and therefore we commit ourselves as 'prayerful activists' to prayer ministry. Secondly, 'prayerful activists' means that we are to be truly at prayer and also truly at work doing the task prayed for. 'Prayerful activist' states the dual commitment to prayer and service. It has been said, 'We should pray as though everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on us'. However, this is not as theologically correct as it might be. It is better to emphasise God! Because we trust God we know God will act and we are to also to act and do the work that needs doing; recognising that should the work be done, it is God's doing, and our thanks are to Him. This is well illustrated by the story of the two girls who were walking to school when they suddenly realized they were going to be late. One of them suggested they stop and pray that they wouldn't be late. 'No,' the other replied, 'let's pray while we run as fast as we can.' An old saying, 'When we pray the Lord expects us to have our hoe (talents, treasure and time) in hand.' WisdomAs a young boy I recall Sunday evenings at my grandmother's home listening to a radio program called, 'More things are wrought by prayer, than this world dreams of.' * These words have stuck with me ever since and highlight not only the wisdom of grandmothers, but also the profound truth of prayer and its effect on history. May we be 'prayerful activists', remembering the example of the Apostle Paul who prayed for people in the homeland of the Olympic Games: 'We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.' (1 Thess. 1.2) And so, to prayerful activism,
*Tennyson, Idylls of the King |
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