Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Praying With Confidence

 Praying With Confidence

Luke 11:1-13[1]

When I was thinking about the message for today, I wondered if the title, “Praying with Confidence,” might sound strange. In fact, I wondered if it might sound “cheesy.” I’m not sure we’re used to associating “praying” with “confidence.” I think we tend to connect “praying” with “humility.” Truth be told, I’ve always questioned preachers and teachers who have spoken casually about how confidently we should all be praying. It made me wonder whether they were paying attention to what’s going on in the world. It made me wonder if they had ever had any real problems in life. I’ve never been comfortable with that kind of shallow, fake-sounding prayer as a cliché!

And in the spirit of “true confession,” I’d have to admit that I’ve always had a problem with praying. It’s not that I think that God isn’t there, or that God isn’t listening, or that God doesn’t care. My problem with praying has centered on the experience of pouring out my heart—sometimes for years—and having my prayers go unanswered. Or at least so it seemed at the time. I know the old saying: “God always answers prayer: sometimes yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait.” When you’re praying like your life depends on it and nothing changes, that just doesn’t cut it. I think I’m probably not the only one who’s had to face this problem with prayer. And when we do, it’s natural for us to wonder “why”.

Our Gospel lesson for today presents Luke’s version of Jesus’ teaching on prayer. The whole thing is meant to remind us that when we pray, we can do so in the assurance that God knows our needs, cares about us, and delights in providing what is good for us all. You may have noticed that I always conclude my pastoral prayer with “we thank you that we can pray in the assurance that, before we even know to ask or a word is on our lips, you are already working in each and every life to bring your grace and peace, and your love and mercy, and your joy and new life.” I don’t do that because I can’t think of a different way to end my prayer. I do that to remind us all that this is the way Jesus taught us to pray.

At the heart of this passage is Luke’s version of the “Lord’s Prayer.” It sounds incomplete to our ears. The fact is there are three versions of the “Lord’s Prayer”: this one, the somewhat expanded one in Mt 6:9-13, and the one from a second century Christian document called the “Didache” (or teaching), where we find the “full version” of the prayer we pray today. I don’t believe the “additions” to the prayer in Luke change its tone in any way. All forms of the Lord’s Prayer, including the one we pray today, remind us to pray in the recognition that all that we are depends on God, and to pray in the confident trust that God will provide for us.

I think that’s one of the most important reasons for us to pray in the way that Jesus instructs us: it reminds us who God is. We’re not praying to a God who is too far above us to hear or care about our prayers. We’re not praying to a God who disapproves not only our actions but who we are. We’re not praying to a God who gives only grudgingly. Jesus reminds us that when we pray, we’re praying to a loving Father who already knows exactly what we need, who cares deeply about each and every one of us, and who delights in providing what is good for us. So we don’t have pray as if we’re “begging” for God’s attention. Jesus teaches us to pray in the confidence that we’re always at the center of God’s loving care.

I think the other reason we pray in the way that Jesus teaches us is because it makes a difference in the kind of people we become. When we live our lives in the humble confidence that God knows, cares, and delights in providing for our needs, we can practice the same kind of care and generosity toward others. This also shapes the kind of community we create. When we come together as a community of believers who pray with this humble confidence, we shine the warmth of God’s unfailing love through the very spirit in which we gather, as well as through our caring for one another and for our community.

You may have found it surprising for a pastor to admit in a sermon that I’ve had a problem with praying. Truth be told, I’ve had problems with the Bible, problems with church, and problems with God at various times in my life. I hope that helps me be a better preacher and teacher. Or at least a more honest one. There was a time years ago when I was struggling with church. I had been through some major disruptions in my life and I wasn’t in the best place spiritually. I was actually preaching for a friend that day, which I find highly ironic. And when it came time to pray the Lord’s prayer, the beauty and the power of that prayer just came over me. I’ve always loved the Lord’s prayer, but it hit me in that moment: where else do we pray this prayer other than at church? Where else do we pray this prayer?

I still love praying the Lord’s prayer. It captures all the spirit of trusting in a God who like a loving Father knows our needs, cares about us, and delights in providing all that is good for us. I’m like most of you, though, in that I don’t always pay attention when I’m praying the Lord’s prayer. But I love the fact that we keep praying that prayer. To me, it demonstrates that we’re all still trying to become people who trust God enough not only to pray with confidence, but also to live out our trust in God through the generous and grace-filled way we relate to one another and to our world.



[1] © 2022 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Alan Brehm PhD on 7/24/2022 for Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE. For a video recording of this sermon, check out my Pastor Alan YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/tyR6Q8WB2Ao

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

The Joy of the Kingdom

The Joy of the Kingdom

Psalm 30; Luke 10:1-20[1]

Let’s be honest: our world feels like chaos right now. We’ve already lived through a time of turmoil that most of us couldn’t have imagined a couple of years ago. And if the sweeping changes that have affected everything from gas prices to the ways movies are released haven’t been enough, it seems like every week we’re hit with something that is “unprecedented.” It feels like that word is getting worn out this year! If you look closely at your friends and neighbors, or even if you look closely at yourself in the mirror, I think beneath the appearance of everything being fine, many of us are actually struggling. We’re tired, we’re stressed out, and we’re afraid. And the “hits” just keep on coming.

When you look at all that, it may seem completely out of touch with reality to even talk about “joy.” How can anyone in good conscience talk about “joy” while so many are suffering so desperately? And yet, with all the pressure we’re all living under, I would say that finding joy in our lives is precisely what we need. When we live out of our stress and fear, we are never able to be our best selves. But finding joy in life gives us the hope that enables us to rise above all that would box us in with fear and to live out of our compassion and kindness instead.

Our Gospel lesson for today might raise this question for some of us. When you look at all the turmoil and the suffering going on, it may seem irresponsible to talk about the “joy of the Kingdom.” But the joy found in our Gospel lesson for today doesn’t come from some naïve detachment from the harsh realities of life. It comes right out of them. In our lesson for today, Jesus warned those who would take a stand for the Kingdom of God of the dangers it may involve. In this context, he was sending 70 (or 72) of his followers “on ahead of him” to take the good news to as many people as possible. And he was preparing them for what will happen as they work to spread the “peace” of God’s kingdom.

Jesus knew that there would be some who would welcome the peace they were bringing into their homes and their lives. But he also knew that there would be some who would reject it. He warned them that he was sending them out “like lambs into the midst of wolves” (Lk 10:3). Jesus had already told them more than once that he must go to Jerusalem where he would face rejection, torture, and eventually death. And he warned those who would follow him that they must be prepared to take up their own cross “daily” (Lk 9:23). Jesus knew that those were willing to join him in sharing the “peace” of God’s kingdom would not be welcomed by everyone they met along the way. And he knew that some of them would literally risk their lives for the sake of the good news.

Even though this group of disciples apparently did not face that level of threat on this occasion, the call to follow Jesus and to carry out the mission of the Kingdom of God would sooner or later lead many of them into danger. We might think that would put a damper on their sense of joy in serving God’s purposes in this world. But that was not the case. As the New Testament shows us, time and again those who suffered for the sake of their faith considered it a privilege to be counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ, for the sake of God’s kingdom, and for the sake of the peace, justice, and freedom God was bringing into the world.

Their joy in serving the kingdom of God didn’t come from the ease or comfort of their lives. Rather it came from the promise of salvation. That’s what Jesus meant when he instructed his disciples to “rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Lk 10:20)! Their joy was inspired by the confidence that God will never fail us or forsake us but will be with us no matter what our circumstances. Their joy was inspired by the assurance that God will keep his promises. Their joy was inspired by their faith that God’s kingdom will make all things right and restore everyone and everything to life. That was the kind of joy they found as they followed Jesus in ministry to their world.[2]

Jesus continually bore witness to the joy of the Kingdom—in his parables, in his proclamation of the Gospel, and in his life. What makes the good news about Jesus so joyful is the faith that God’s kingdom of justice, peace, and freedom is already transforming this world. That hope frees us so that we can live joyfully now, even in the midst of all the difficulties we may face, and even in the face of the suffering that many have to endure!

When you think about the stress and fear we’re all going through right now, I think we might agree that we could all use a dose of joy right about now. I’m not talking about looking at life through rose-colored glasses. I think the joy we need is the joy that Jesus pointed us to: the joy of God’s future, where those who suffer will be comforted, the poor will be supplied with everything they need, and the oppressed will be set free to live the lives they were meant to live. It’s a joy that comes from looking for the day when God will turn all the mourning in the world into dancing. As we redirect our lives from fear to joy, we can serve others with love in the hope that God’s kingdom is already making all things new!



[1] © 2022 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Alan Brehm PhD on 7/3/2022 for Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE. For a video recording of this sermon, check out my Pastor Alan YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/W4DbflNw06Y

[2] Jürgen Moltmann, The Passion for Life: A Messianic Lifestyle, 74, calls this kind of joy the “laughter of the redeemed, the dance of the liberated.”  Moltmann uses this phrase with reference to the celebration of the resurrection at Easter, but I would say that it applies as well to the joy of the kingdom of God in Jesus’ ministry.