“And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.”
Luke 1:10
We are good at finding a focal point in many of our biblical stories. This verse is from the narrative of Zachariah burning incense and learning that his wife Elizabeth would have a child (John the Baptist). And while we sit and ponder his experience I think we might be remiss if we don’t take time to wonder about all those in the community who were outside of the temple. What about all those who were praying for Zachariah and waiting for their own prayers to be answered? What motivated them? Who called them together? What were their prayers about?
Prayer so often seem nebulous; a thought, a breath, a sigh. How do we know? How do we know that we are being heard? How do we know that it matters? How do we know…
My take on it is this – when we pause to focus on an issue or a concern or a celebration – when we make a conscious effort to name what is going on in the world, our minds are turned in that direction. And our actions follow our thoughts and our minds. Maybe instead of asking if our prayers are making a difference in the world – we can ask if our prayers are making a difference in us.
Do our prayers change how we relate to the world? Do our prayers bring peace? Prayer makes a difference because we, God’s created people, join together to bless the world
God’s work, our hands.
(Here are a few more places to read about why prayer matters)
Peace and Light
Pastor Erin
No comments:
Post a Comment