Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
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Scripture |
Luke 11:1-13 11 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins, 5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. 9“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! |
Devotional |
Jesus had finished praying when his disciples ask him, “ Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” Jesus’ disciples realize something is missing in their prayer or at least John’s disciples experienced something they were missing, This has been a common request from all disciples. Luke’s Jesus gives a shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer but he teaches about a life of prayer. They learned about prayer but also about living life as a disciple. Prayer includes more than words but also a relationship. Luke’s picture of God as a friend who is in bed with his children around him but is willing to get up to help one in need. This is a friend who gets up to give his friend whatever he needs. The native Indians did not have a word for prayer or for religion. James Moore describes what I believe to be prayer and a relationship with God. American Indians thrived in a daily rhythm in which the word “religion” did not exist, simply because no direct creed of faith could be separated from existence itself. No churches were built; no weekdays were set aside for worship. Life and prayer were practically seamless, In effect, God cast no shadow because Native Americans integrated the divine into all things. An etched panel at the Jemez State Monument in New Mexico, written by an anonymous member of the Jemez tribe, captures the basic Indian approach to spirituality. “We have not word that translates what is meant by ‘religion.’ We have a spiritual life that is part of us twenty-four hours a day. It determines our relationship with the natural world of our fellow man. Our religious practices are the same as in the time of our ancestors.” 1 Can prayer be a way of living life as well as words? This picture of prayer and God works for me. A better picture than an old man with a white beard, in a long robe sitting around waiting to fill a shopping cart with stuff I want. Prayer should not be limited to words but should also include a relationship with God. Could it be that these Native Americans knew more about God than the European Christians who came to teach them about God? Did they discover what Augustine (334-430) taught, “you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until it finds rest in you.” Like the disciples, I would like to learn more about prayer and learn more about Native American spirituality. Learning about Native American spirituality involves more than reading the book and watching the movie Dancing with Wolves, and learning to pray involves more than reading the book and watching Mel Gibson’s Passion of Christ. Learning to pray is a life long endeavor. 1 James P. Moore, One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America. New York: Doubleday, 2005. p. 2 |