Pray for Everyone (God Save the Queen)

September 18, 2022 15th Sunday of Pentecost 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Prayer for Everyone (God Save the Queen) Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship One: Divine Parent, you feel what we feel. Many: Our joys and our pains are yours too. One: Divine Healer, you delight in our wholeness. Many: You are the balm for our heavy-laden hearts and souls. One: Giver of life, you are able to renew us Many: We open ourselves to you, have your way within us.( Rev. Tena Nock, United Church of Christ Worship Ways) Invocation Divine Nurturer, we are thankful that we can come to you any time. You have made it possible for us to come, as we are however, we are. We rejoice in knowing that you walk with us whether the road is rough or smooth. You are steadfast. Help us to nurture our relationship with you, ourselves, and each other so that we may be a balm when none can be found. Amen. ( Rev. Tena Nock, United Church of Christ Worship Ways) Song – O Master Let Me Walk with Thee UMH 430 Children’s Sermon 1Timothy 2:1-7 Learning to be Peaceful By Lois Parker Edstrom The Bible teaches us that we should pray and give thanks “… for all men: for kings and all who are in high places…” (2:1). We understand why we would pray and give thanks for our parents and other family members, our friends, teachers, doctors, and the leaders of our country. We are thankful for their care. We want the best for them and we ask that God would give them wisdom to do their work in the best possible way. It is difficult, however, to understand how to pray for those who hurt us. We know there are evil people who do evil things. We don’t give thanks for the evil things they do, but we can pray that they will accept God’s love and turn their lives around for the better. Why would we do this? The Bible teaches us that we do this so that “we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence” (2:2). When we pray for others we learn about respect. We understand that “there is one God” (2:5) and that God is in charge. We learn about how to be peaceful. Deer come into my fields and after they have had enough to eat, they lie down to rest. I wish you could see them. They are very quiet and still. They look so peaceful. There is much wisdom in the Bible. One of the reasons we pray for everyone, including ourselves, is that we learn about respect and we learn about having a peaceful life. Find time to be quiet and still. Think about God’s love and how good it feels to be peaceful. Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2013, Richard Niell Donovan Prayer for Transformation and New Life Source of Wholeness, we confess that sometimes our goals don’t align with yours, and we get lost. At times, we have pursued power, knowledge, and wealth instead of you, who are the source of all. We know that you are the balm we need, and we turn ourselves towards you. You are steadfast in your love and justice. Help us to be the same, help us to be a balm to others as you are to us. Amen. Words of Grace The Divine one is steadfast in love, justice, and righteousness. Know that we are called and empowered to do the same. In a chaotic world, we can know peace, and in a chaotic world, we can be at peace. May God’s grace be a balm for us, and may we be a balm to and for others. Amen. (Rev. Tena Nock, United Church of Christ, Worship Ways) Scripture – 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Sermon Pray for Everyone (God Save the Queen) A brawny man stood in front of a painting by the great artist John Singer Sargent in an art gallery in New York City. He kept muttering to himself, “I’ve been given a place at last. I have a place at last.” Artist Robert Henri was standing nearby. Henri was mystified at the man’s words. “Are you in this sort of work?” he asked the man. “Oh, yes,” said the man, “but this is the first time I’ve been displayed like this.” Now Henri really was disturbed. “But I thought that this work was by the great painter Sargent,” he said. “That’s right,” said the man, “but it was me that made the frame.” St. Paul saw himself as the frame, but Christ was the painting. It was the power of the risen Christ working through him that was the source of his great accomplishments. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,” wrote St. Paul on one occasion, “but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Is that a truth too great for our little hearts? It is to say that if we will but surrender our lives, there is a source of power available to us—that can flow through us—and help us to accomplish more than we ever dreamed possible. This morning, we look at the second chapter of Timothy – the book written to help us to know what it means to be a church leader. And no matter what we do in church, we are all Christian leaders. I think the lectionary developers started last week with Timothy 1 and now skips to chapter 2 to help us to understand that prayer is the framework of our faith and what we do as Christians. No matter how much we talk about prayer, I think it is the one thing that we all struggle with in some way. When I talk with family and friends who don’t go to church and say I am praying for you – they look at me as if I have three heads. I try to pray in some way everyday – and yet I struggle with what it means. There are prayer that I have been praying for 15 years daily, and yet I feel like nothing changes. I always ask God what that means. My beautiful daughter, to whom this volume is dedicated, had a bedtime prayer one night when she was in kindergarten — having heard in school of the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and the danger it posed for the environment, she prayed, "Dear God, those people who are cutting down the rainforest, please kill them." If regime change is your heart's desire, then of course you can pray for it. Remember though, prayer is not a labor-saving device — no matter which way you are praying, your prayers commit you to working toward the end you have in mind. Prayer brings hope to every situation. Hope for the good of all. Paul sees every encounter as an opportunity to invite God into the situation. What a wonderful way to live. The truth is that everyone we know is either struggling to remain faithful to Christ or hasn't been introduced to him yet. Everyone we know is facing trials, and tests, looking for a route to happiness and meaning in life. Our text is short, but it is very rich with lots of lessons. But I want to talk about three of them: That we should pray for everyone, especially our leaders. That prayer is the foundation of our peace, and that Christ is our intecessor, who brings our prayers no matter what they are to God. If your look at the title of the sermon – it is – Pray for everyone (God Save the Queen). Since her funeral is tomorrow, I just thought that it would be appropriate to pray for her. She is not our queen, but she is a part of everyone. We can pray for our mayor, the city council, the governor, the legislators and all fo those seeking office. A friend of mine belonged to a prayer group that received permission to meet in city hall to pray for the city. They prayed for the mayor, the city council, the police and fire departments, the school board, teachers, and social workers. Not many of those people knew they were being prayed for but my friend said he saw things begin to happen in the city. He claims prayer made all the difference. Be assured that God uses them and opens doors for us to share our witness. Do you know what an intercessor is? It is a person who stands in the gap between the world and God. Paul says that is our role. We are to be praying for the deliverance and salvation of the people all around us. We have no idea how our prayers impact our workplaces, our city, our state, our country, or our world. Praying for others is called intercession. To intercede is to mediate on behalf of another. It is to represent another in the hour of need. It is to stand in the gap in the time of need and the moment of despair. Christ is our ultimate Intercessor. He is the Priest acting on our behalf. He is the living bridge between humanity and God. Because Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, he is our Mediator. This is why we pray in Jesus' name. We cannot cross the breach between God and us. But Jesus is God come to our side. He is united forever to our humanity, so we can speak to him and be heard, uniting us with his divinity. It is God made present in the hour of trouble. Timothy chapter 2 starts out by saying request, prayers, thankgiving, be made for all people. Pray for kings and everyone in authority so that we can have quiet and peace. If we read further one verse beyond our scripture – verse 8 says Therefore, I want men to pray everywhere by lifting up hands that are holy, without anger or argument. Most of our worship service is intended to be a prayer for God – we have all of those prayers included in our service. It is not a common practice for this congregation – but lifting our hands is a devotion to God. III. TO PRAY IS TO COMPLETELY SURRENDER Verse 8: “I want people everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." Henri Nouwen says we come to God with tightly clinched fists. So prayer at first is painful because we discover we do not want to let go of the things that hold us and bind us. We want to box with God over what is. If you are Almighty why do you seem so feeble? If You will our good, why is there so much bad? If You came to save the world, how come it isn't saved yet? Like Job, we reduce God to our perceptions then curse God for being impotent. It is not always easy to believe. Often we pray “God help our unbelief." Pain and suffering continue to be problems near and far. Questions leave us with clinched fists. We cling to our hurts. We still haven't gotten over the girl that rejected us or parents who ignored us. We are still jealous of the colleague who got promoted over us; disappointed that we didn't receive a letter; angry that we were ignored. Oh yes, we've learned to live with it. It is pushed back into the recesses of our heart. But there is something about prayer that opens the soul and makes you conscious of the pain that is inside. So, suddenly we are faced with these hurts of our lives and to pray is to face the hurt, the jealousy and the disappointment. We come to God with clinched fists when he invites us to come with open hands. We have treasures we do not want to part with. You know how it is. You have to get a grip on what is yours and hold your own against those who would take it from you. We make excuses. “That's just how it is with me," and we say it as if we have given up on the belief that there may be plenty for everyone. So here we stand, with balled-up fists trying to protect what time will ultimately take away. To pray is to open our hands. It is opening our hands to God's promises. We are not alone. We live in God's world. He will not leave us nor forsake us. When you pass through the waters, he will be with you. The rivers will not sweep over you. He is the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge God and he will direct your paths. We need to open our hands to our own weaknesses. A boy prayed: Dear God, please help me be a good boy and if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. A man prayed: please make me the kind of person my dog thinks I am. Open our hands to be led. Prayer is not a magic means by which we control God but a humble means by which God can release his power and purposes through us. Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm through the night, lead me on to the light. Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home. So let us pray. Let us be a church that really prays, that takes a request for prayer seriously. Let us pray for one another. Let us pray for ourselves. Let us pray that God's kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Faith Breaks, by J. Howard Olds When we pray together in public it is a way for our minds, body and spirit to become centered in one place. When we lift our hands up – it centers everything else in our body. Did you know that your feet takes its cues on how to move from the hands. I learned that in my running club. That if you want to run faster, you don’t move your feet faster, you move your hands. When you are swimming and you just move your feet you don’t get very far. You have to move your hands and feet to move forward. When we pray with our hands lifted up open and welcoming the spirit of God in our lives, our actions and our hearts. The scripture says that we are to pray for others, especially our leaders so that we all can live a life of peace and quiet. If only peace in life was just that simple. In the time that this was written, it was leaders who were the biggest enemy of Christians and living a Christian life. And sometimes they are not always concerned about the peace and quiet of others. On my birthday I travelled to Evanston, where I went to school in search of peace and quiet. Coming from a chaotic family – one of the most important parts of my college experience was going to the library to study. Being in the quiet really helped me to collect my thoughts and to calm down. As an adult, every year I try to go back to the university library and just sit on fifth floor, where there is just quiet. This year I spent the whole day, walking into libraries, walking into churches, gardens, along the lake all in search of some peace and quiet. What I found was there is no such thing. Everyplace outside all you could here was crickets. Even inside of the library, I was not listening to silence, but always the air conditioner in the back ground. And not that I have come home, the crickets are moving inside my house, and they chirp at all hours of the night. Even if I come here in this sanctuary to pray – it is not quiet, because the ceiling fans are always running. And yet the peace that I feel when starting to pray – doesn’t mean that the noise goes away – it means to my focus us beyond it. The peace and quiet is in here and not out there. The Greek word for prayer means having an open conversation with God about whatever is on your heart. Trusting that God is a trusting, compassionate involved God who listens. The peace and quiet that we pray for is not just for us, it is for everyone in the world. That is the mission of every Christian to play a part in God bringing salvation to all of the world – everyone. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a 26-year-old Briton by the name of Derek Redmond was favored to win the race. Halfway into his semifinal heat a torn hamstring sent fiery pain through his right leg, causing him to crumple to the track. As the medics came to his rescue, Derek scrambled to his feet hopping, pushing, in a crazed attempt to finish the race. That is when a big man pushed through the crowd toward the track. He wore a t-shirt with the question “Have you hugged your kid today?" He wore a cap that said, “Just do it!" The man was Jim Redmond, Derek's dad. When he got to his son he said, “Derek, you don't have to do this." Derek replied, “Yes I do." That is when big Jim put i True peace starts with a footstep . . . . a stride forward into God’s future. Or as Dante put it in one of the greatest quotes in the history of literature, “In his will is our peace.” ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Leonard Sweet Sermons, by Leonard Sweet We intercede for ourselves and others, because Christ is the great intercessor for us. • All means all - God in Christ erases the dividing lines and unites us, prayer practices and reinforces that belief (Thomas Oden, Interpretation: First and Second Timothy and Titus) : o All people should be prayed for (v.1) o All people should be saved (v. 4) o God is God of all people (v. 5) o Christ died as a ransom for all (v.6) o “Paul” proclaims this truth to all (v.7) One God, One mediator, One Christ It says that there is One God, One mediator, One Christ for all people. If there is one God for all people – then our hearts should be in one place. That is on the things of God. Prayer helps us to center our mind, body and spirit in that place. Amen. Song Take My Life and Let it Be UMH 399 Prayer Weeping God, we come to join in your tears for those people who are suffering. We weep for those fleeing from violence and oppression; for those falsely accused of rebellion, when only seeking for justice; for those searching for freedom to practice their faith; for those escaping from famine, flood, earthquake, or other natural disaster; for those seeking a better life, for all those looking for acceptance, hope and love in new places. Compassionate God, as we join with you in sorrow for these and other situations where fear, despair and danger are the ruling factors, show us how we can help. Guide us as we search for practical ways of offering assistance. Strengthen us in our fight against injustice and evil. Fill us with your Spirit of life, love and grace, so that we may become a part of your healing, comforting presence to those who need to find refuge and security. Amen ( Based on the Weeping God by ©Marjorie Dobson) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Invitation to the Offering (Luke 16) (don’t need to print) God, in Jesus Christ, has given us much to be faithful for. Our tithes, gifts, and offerings may seem little in comparison to God’s gifts to us, but we are called to be faithful over all that we have: our time, our talents, our gifts, and our service. When we give of ourselves, we practice the spiritual discipline of stewardship. When we are faithful over a few things in this life, in the life to come we may be faithful over much, much more. May God bless us in our giving, that God’s kingdom may be here with us on earth. Offering Prayer (Luke 16) Lord, we got up this morning, ate our breakfast, got dressed, and came to church— all to give you praise and thanksgiving. May these gifts be a blessing for those who had no bed this morning from which to arise; for those who had no breakfast and are hungry this day; for those who have no new clothes; for those who long to worship you but cannot. Take these gifts and use them as you will, O God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. (Erik Alsgaard, United Methodist Ministry Matters) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Be faithful with little. Be faithful with much. Be faithful with what belongs to another. Be faithful with what is your own. Serve only one master. There is one God. We will serve this God alone. And may the grace, mercy, and peace of the one God be with you. Amen. (Nancy Townley, United Methodist Ministry Matters) Community Time Benediction Friends, our worship continues even as we leave this moment. Friends, we have gathered in joy to sing and pray and hear God’s word. We have come as friends, called friends by the Christ we follow. And now we are sent out into the world, to make friends. Let us be about the business we have been given. Let us go with God. Amen. (Derek Weber, United Methodist Discipleship Ministries) Additional Illustrations The best illustration of the cross is a story told long ago by that great British preacher, Charles Hadley Spurgeon. The radio newscaster Paul Harvey tells this story each year before Easter. Spurgeon was walking the streets of London deep in thought when he saw a young street boy. The lad was carrying an old, bent birdcage. Inside was a tiny field sparrow. Spurgeon stopped the boy and asked him what he was going to do with the bird. "Well," the boy said, "I think I'll play with it for a while, and then when I'm tired of playing with it- I think I'll kill it." He made that last comment with a wicked grin. Moved with compassion for the bird, Spurgeon asked, "How much would you sell me that bird for?" "You don't want this bird, mister," the boy said with a chuckle. "It's just a bloody field sparrow." But then he saw that the old gentleman was serious. "You can have this bird for two pounds," he said slyly. Two pounds at that time would be worth more than a hundred dollars today--an astronomical price for a bird worth only pennies. Spurgeon paid the price, and let the bird go free. The next morning, Easter Sunday morning, an empty bird cage sat on the pulpit of the great Metropolitan Tabernacle where Spurgeon preached. "Let me tell you about this cage," Spurgeon said as he began the sermon. Then he recounted the story about the little boy and how he had purchased the bird from him at a high cost. Then with great seriousness Spurgeon said, "I tell you this story because that's just what Jesus did for us. You see, an evil specter called sin had us caged up and unable to escape. But then Jesus came up to sin and said, 'What are you going to do with those people in that cage?' "'These people?' sin answered with a laugh. 'I'm going to teach them to hate each other. Then I'll play with them until I'm tired of them--and then I'll kill them.' Jesus asked, "'How much would it cost to buy them back?' "with a sly grin, Sin said, 'You don't want these people, Jesus. They'll only hate you and spit on you. They'll even nail you to a cross. But if you do want to buy them, it'll cost you all your tears and all your blood--your very life!’” Spurgeon concluded, "That, ladies and gentlemen, is just what Jesus did for us on the cross. He paid the ultimate, immeasurable price for all who would believe, that we might be free from the inescapable penalty of death." You have just heard the heartbeat of the Gospel, the best news that has ever warmed the hearts of humanity. If you have never personally received the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, come down front in just a moment, kneel here, and whisper to Christ these words: "I a sinner receive you as Savior and will follow you as Lord." ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Sermons, by Bill Bouknight The pastoral epistles to Timothy and Titus were not to be read as theological edicts on the nature of church structure. These letters were directed toward real faith communities wrestling with particular problems. Like that group of Separatists at Plymouth Rock, these congregations were seeking to forge a life of faith and obedience to Christ amidst unfamiliar and sometimes hostile territory. Since Christ had not returned to take his followers to heaven's realm, the church was forced to grapple with the very real challenges of establishing heaven's dominion in their earthly domain. Imagine you only have a short time to prepare your successor in ministry. In that time you can only share a few of your insights. What would you tell him or her? There is a story told about a group of seminary students that went to visit an old historic church they had heard a lot about. When they entered the huge building, they were met by a gray-bearded gentleman they thought was the janitor. He offered to lead them on a tour through the facilities and answer any questions they had. They walked through the sanctuary, stood in the pulpit, and looked down from the balcony. When they had seen just about everything and asked every conceivable question they could come up with, the old gentleman asked a strange question, "Would you like to see what fires up this church?" They weren't really interested in touring the basement and seeing the boiler, but just to humor their host, they followed. They went down a narrow stairway to an area beneath the pulpit. As the gentleman opened the door, he said, "Behind this door is the secret of this great church. Everything that happens upstairs starts down here. This is where the fire in the pulpit begins." The old man, actually C. H. Spurgeon, the great preacher himself, opened the door to reveal several dozen people on their knees in fervent prayer. Spurgeon would always insist that the secret of any church, big or small, was the prayers of the people. It was Spurgeon who said, "I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach." Ernest Hemingway wrote a story about a father and son who had a serious misunderstanding. In the story, the boy finally runs away from home. The father however, is not content to let his son go. In an effort to find the boy, the father puts an ad in the Madrid, Spain newspaper. It contained these words: Dear Paco, Meet me at the town square at noon on Sunday. All is forgiven...Your father That Sunday, 800 males by the name of Paco showed up at the town square. They all came seeking forgiveness from their fathers. Alexander Pope said, “To err is human, to forgive is divine." At the heart of the Christian faith lies the principle of forgiveness. Come let us take a closer look. A visit to Yellowstone Park discovered the only animal a bear would not fight for food is a skunk. With one swing of his powerful paw the bear could crush the skunk. So why does the bear allow the skunk to eat with him? Because he has discovered the high cost of getting even! When you check into a Sheraton hotel room these days you have a new message you can hang on your doorknob to keep the housekeeper away. Instead of “Do Not Disturb” the message now reads “Peace and Quiet.” The sign at Sheraton’s more upscale sister, The Westin, simply reads “Peace.” People are not just looking to keep disruptions and disturbances at bay. They are looking to find something positive. They are searching in life for some “peace and quiet.” Or if “quiet” is too much to ask, just some “Peace.” E. Stanley Jones, that great missionary/evangelist/writer once said that this is the great divide between Christianity and the world religions. Not that they do not have truth, not that they lack noble sentiments, gracious teaching, or gifted leaders. But in them, said Jones, the Word became word—a set of teachings, a morality, a religious framework. Only within Christianity does the Word become flesh. And it is that Word become flesh that offers human beings access to the Father. O Lord, our governor, your glory shines throughout the world. We commend our nation to your merciful care, that we may live securely in peace and may be guided by your providence. Give all in authority the wisdom and strength to know your will and to do it. Help them remember that they are called to serve the people as lovers of truth and justice; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[2]