Checking In with Headquarters

Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-7
Theme: “Checking In with Headquarters”
The 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The 17th Sunday after Pentecost
September 19, 2010
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
The Rev. Paul R. Dunklau

+In the Name of Jesus+

In the northeast corner of the state of Illinois, close to the Wisconsin border, sits a lovely community of between twenty five and thirty thousand folks, which is Zion, Illinois. The name Zion is right out of the pages of the Bible. One wonders if the citizens are called Zionists – which is another interesting term.

I mention Zion, Illinois because a fascinating story emerges from the town. In 1987, city leaders found themselves in a bit of a kerfuffle. (I love that word, kerfuffle.) As it turns out, the Illinois chapter of an organization called American Atheists filed a lawsuit against the city of Zion. They cited that the seal of the city – which contained a cross, a dove, and the phrase “God Reigns” – was unconstitutional. Five years later, this kerfuffle made it all the way to the United States Supreme Court which upheld a lower court decision that the city seal violated the principle of separation of church and state and that the Christian symbolism must be removed. Following the court order, the city obeyed. Shortly thereafter, they unveiled their new motto which read “In God We Trust.”

“In God We Trust”, of course, is on our currency, and the phrase itself has an interesting history of its own. It was first legally challenged in 1970 and 1978 when the atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair argued that the phrase violated the first amendment. The high court, on this matter, sided against Ms. O’Hair. In doing so, in preserving the status of “In God We Trust’, they quoted the words of Justice William Brennan from a previous ruling. Here’s what the justice said: “The truth is that we have simply interwoven the motto so deeply into the fabric of our civil policy that its present use may well not present that type of involvement which the First Amendment prohibits.” Let me try to put that in layman’s terms: we’ve used the motto so frequently that it has lost any significant religious content. The court allows it because we’ve used it so much that it doesn’t mean anything anymore.

The courts have their rulings and so, apparently, do the clergy. A number of years ago, my father – who is with us here this morning – told me about a Lutheran Church he’d been attending in California. He had noticed that the church rarely used the Lord’s Prayer in its worship. When he talked to the pastor about that, he was told that if it was used all the time it would lose meaning. In other words, it will mean more if you don’t pray it as often. But when, I ask, did the use of the Lord’s Prayer depend on the meaning we attach to it? The disciples of Jesus once came up to him with a request: “Lord, teach us to pray.” The disciples wanted to have a teachable moment. Hip, hip, hooray for the disciples on that occasion! In reply, Jesus didn’t say “I’m busy, so remind me to get back to you on that.” He didn’t say “Here’s a prayer, but don’t use it very often since it might lose its meaning.” Neither did he hand out a course syllabus on “Prayer 101.” There was no “how to” book called “The Prayer-Driven Life”, or something like that. Instead, Jesus said, “When you pray, say “Our Father, who art in heaven… .”

The subject of prayer is before us this morning – both in our reading and from this pulpit. When that subject comes up on a personal level, I often feel like bowing my head with more than a smidge of shame. When I was in grade school, I’d get a report card. It would have the usual grades – A, B, C and so on. But on some areas, the card would also have the abbreviation “N.I.” listed; N.I. stands for “Needs Improvement.” There needs to be an “N.I.” next to my prayer life!

But hold on a second! Isn’t it like us – all of us – to grade things? We’re quick to put forth our two cents worth, offer up our rulings, our assessments, our opinions about something (in this case, prayer) before we really know that something is.

What is prayer? It’s conversation with God – with heart, mind, soul, even body, with voice, in song, and even in silence. Prayer is a gift! There are laws and rules and regulations and responsibilities and duties and all of that. But then there are gifts. That sounds better, doesn’t it? It sounds like the Gospel; it’s all gift!

As hard to believe as it still is for me, I’m going to be ordained this afternoon. There were days when I thought this day would never come, but now it’s here. I’m convinced it has come on the wings of prayer – your prayers and those of many others. One of the questions, this afternoon, that is required to be asked and answered is this: “Will you seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination and love?” Did you notice how the word imagination got thrown in there? Cool. I decided to apply a bit of imagination to prayer, and I’ve come up with a name for it. I claim no copyright. You can use it at will or use something else if you’d like. But I’d like to call prayer “Checking in with Headquarters!” In the morning as you get up, check in with headquarters. When you sit down to eat, check in with headquarters. When you turn off the lights and go to bed, check in with headquarters. It doesn’t have to be long or drawn out, but check in with headquarters. When life delivers bad news as it most assuredly will (even on a daily basis), check in with headquarters. Just this past week, a good friend of mine was talking about what a friend of his once said. This individual said: “I’ve experienced every pleasure the world has to offer, but I don’t think I’ve ever been truly happy.” When I heard that, I thought that maybe checking in with headquarters would help.

When you are, as C.S. Lewis once observed, “surprised by joy”, check in with headquarters. No text, no email, no priority, express, or snail mail is needed. You have a direct connection. You don’t have to go through a priest, a pastor, a saint, or anyone or anything else. There’s nothing blocking the line to headquarters! Jesus Christ – whom our reading calls the mediator between God and humankind -- has made that possible for us all.

If we’re on the line with headquarters, that means that we must be here on earth engaged with some kind of mission. Our lives – whether young or old or healthy or infirm – have a purpose, or an end, as the Westminster Catechism puts it. What is the chief end of humanity? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

All of us have people that we especially enjoy being around. We sing their praises. We converse with them, we chat with them; we can let it all hang out with them. We find that we can be ourselves with them.

In a little over a month, the church will observe Reformation Sunday. We’ll stop and take note of historical figures such as Martin Luther and John Calvin and others who helped to get the church back to the basics. Speaking of Martin Luther, there was a point in his life when he was in exile and on the run. The authorities were chasing him. He’d caused quite a ruckus. His supporters assisted him in hiding. He was in a castle. He was in his own private room on the second floor of his castle. One day, a supporter of Luther’s walked down the hallway and overheard a conversation Luther was having behind the closed door of his room. This supporter was shocked because he knew that only Luther was in the room. Had the reformer gone mad? He tip-toed down to the door and continued to listen. Indeed, Luther was talking – in a tone most conversational. He was talking to God as if God were right there in the room with him. Headquarters was right there with him. Jesus says: “Lo, I am with you always – even to the end of the age.”

Let me switch gears and offer a couple of suggestions on prayer that I’ve picked up through the years. I believe that the more you know the more you know what you don’t know. But what you do know, you share. So, again, here are a couple of suggestions. If you’ve ever wondered what to think or say with your mind, voice, or heart in prayer, these might help. First, take the word “Pray” itself – P.R.A.Y. The “P” stands for praise. I once heard the story of a young adult who became a follower of Christ and was new to the whole subject of prayer. When asked what his first words of prayer to God were, he said, simply: “I thanked God that He is God.”

The “R” stands for remember. We remember, for example, that we have fallen short of the glory of God. We also remember that we are forgiven. God so loved the world that He gave His Son for that very purpose – that we be forgiven.

The “A” stands for ask. “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door will be opened unto you,” says Jesus Christ.

And finally the “Y” stands for yield. In this case, it means yield to God’s will. Remember how Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before He was crucified. He asked that the “cup” be taken from Him. But he concluded the prayer by saying, “Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.” He yielded His will to that of His Father in heaven.

Here’s a second suggestion. Hold out your hand like this. (Demonstrate) Which finger is closest? That’s right, your thumb! Pray for those who are closest to you – your spouse, your immediate family, extended family, and friends. The second finger is your index or forefinger. It has been called the pointing finger. Pray for those who have pointed you in the right direction in life. It could be anyone – a teacher, a mentor and so forth. The next finger is the tallest finger in the hand. It can represent authority. You pray for those who are in authority. In the earliest days of Christianity, the church was literally under attack by the ruling authorities. Some of the Caesars would murder Christians for sport. Still, the church prayed for them. The next finger is the ring finger, the weakest in the hand. You pray for those who are weak, for those less fortunate, for the poor, the sick, and those hurled around by the assaults of life. And finally, consider the smallest finger on the hand and then pray for yourself.

Not long ago, I came across a sign with an American flag on it. It said: “Prayer is Our Only Hope.” If that is true, then we’re in worse trouble than any one of us thinks! Prayer is NOT our only hope. The One who answers our prayers is. It is as the great hymn says: “Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come.”

But still, the Apostle Paul didn’t mince words when he wrote to young Pastor Timothy: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.”

That’s a mouthful, my friends. Paul is insisting that his young friend check in with headquarters. And notice: the prayers are non-discriminatory; no one is left out. Prayer for everyone is urged upon us.

There’s funny little story about a farmer who invited his brother and wife to join him and his wife for Sunday dinner. They bowed their heads, and the farmer said the prayer: “God bless me and my wife, my brother John and his wife. Us four and no more.”

Obviously, the farmer didn’t get the gist of our reading: we pray for everyone– even, and maybe even especially, for those who anger us and engender resentments! There’s a reason for this too. St. Paul says we pray so that “we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” Have you noticed how “noisy” the world is? Have you observed how contentious the world is? If I read it correctly, when we check in with headquarters we are urged to ask for some peace and quiet.

But it is not just peace and quiet. Peace and quiet should go with godliness and dignity, says the text. When put together, these words – from the original – convey this idea of reverence for God and respect for all of humanity.

So there you go! We want to honor God, respect our fellow human beings, and live with some peace and quiet! Checking in with headquarters like this, is, we are told, “right and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

What is that truth? Here again, our text does not disappoint and chimes right in: “There is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all… .”

That message is why St. Paul was appointed an apostle. That’s why this Paul will be ordained this afternoon – so that this message can get out. It’s the message that the blood was shed, the price was paid, the forgiveness given, and the love God is real; it’s here right now, and it’s for you. That’s the gospel in two words, by the way: for you.

With a message about prayer, about checking in with headquarters, it’s appropriate to close with one. It’s a bed time prayer that I learned as a child, and it’s the verse of a Christmas carol. It captures pretty much everything I’ve tried to say today, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before. It’s the last verse of “Away in A Manger”. Pray it along with me if you’d like:

Be near me, Lord Jesus.
I ask Thee to stay –
Close by me forever
And love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with Thee there.

Amen.