What happens when we pray for others?

If you have moved beyond the idea of prayer as some sort of cosmic slot machine – where you put in a request and hope that a combination of piety, good will and divine mood will line up and discharge a favourable response – then what do you expect happens when you pray – particularly the prayer for others that is known as intercessory prayer?

This is the kind of prayer that I as a pastor will offer when visiting the sick and afflicted and which my congregation is committed to when it prays for comfort for those affected by disaster, wisdom for those who rule us, and strength for those who serve us. Recently my church committed itself to participation in Project 54, an inter-church exercise in prayer focused on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be hosted in this city (Perth) in October. We have been allocated the Seychelles as our “intercessory” task.

We don’t know a lot about the Seychelles. One or two of us have briefly holidayed there. Some interesting things have happened, however, before we have got under way.

  • We are trying to find out as much about the Seychelles as we can, looking for connections we can establish both within our own denominational tradition and ecumenically.
  • It has caused us to consider enhancing our participation in the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, the World Council of Churches aid to prayer that covers all countries in the course of a year.
  • It has heightened our contemplation of the global nature of the Church, hurting where it hurts and rejoicing where it rejoices.

Someone recently remarked when visiting our church that there are not too many churches that have a globe of the world at the front.
Our globe is a reminder of the importance of intercessory prayer and its function of raising awareness and fellowship and solidarity with those for whom we pray.

A self described non-praying person remarked this week “I just hold them in my thoughts.”  I might contend that if this person’s awareness, sensitivity, compassion and knowledge of that for which they hold in their thoughts is enhanced, they might, in fact, be praying! I would add, however, that to do so from a perspective of faith broadens horizons and expands heights and depths beyond our awareness.

When we think of the Church as the Body of Christ, we might think of intercessory prayer as its circulation system, uniting the whole organism to function as one in the things that matter, love of God and neighbour.

The King’s Speech – a reflection

Jenny and I joined a theatre full of baby-boomers to take in The King’s Speech, an art movie that is giving the holiday blockbusters a run for their money.

The tension is set when Australian iconoclasm meets the brittle straitjacket of the cultural accoutrement that had built up around the British Crown and ther establishment that kept it well oiled. According to the story as it unfolds, this accoutrement, filtered through early childhood experiences, had a lot to do with the speech defect of Prince Albert, second in line to the throne.

Essentially the narrative is one of transformation as Prince Albert struggles to find his voice, which he cannot do without claiming his own authority. Authenticity, he learns, comes from within, not the structures that are imposed upon him.  Spiritual wisdom across the traditions marks such progress with a change of name. Is it historical necessity (“the requirement of a less Germanic name”) or parable that Prince Albert becomes King George VI at the abdication of his brother, Edward?

As someone who has also had to work on speech defects in order to be a credible public speaker, I found the movie most compelling. The unconventional wisdom of Lionel Logue, the non-credentialed speech therapist, reminded me of various mentors that have helped me along the way.

Jesus is baptised – why?

I remember visiting this site some years ago, but what I recall is the question that I am most often challenged to answer than the details of the geography or “sense of place.”

The question arises again this Sunday as the season of Epiphany leads us to ponder the events surrounding Jesus’ baptism. Why did Jesus compel John to baptise him? Was it even necessary? John baptised people for the “remission of sin” – a kick in the pants that turned them towards embracing the reign of God. Jesus was the epitome of those who were oriented this way – so no wonder John balked at his request, wishing to submit to being baptised by Jesus instead.

So why?

Jesus’ enigmatic answer is that his baptism was necessary “to fulfill all righteousness.”  And indeed it was sealed by divine signs of approval in the dove and the Voice. Read the whole account here. But what does “to fulfill all righteousness” mean? If we can find a satisfying answer to this, we have answered the opening question.

I won’t go into it here but I think the answer is more widely focused than what Christology (theology of the person of Jesus) – as important as it is – can answer. Somehow it catches up John, the popular movement that surrounded him, the story of Israel, the role Jesus is now beginning to play and an invitation that bridges cultures and millenia. Hopefully I’ll work it out by Sunday!

Cultivating Mindfulness

Every so often a word grabs attention because it seems alien to everyday speech, yet begins to appear prolifically. It begs investigation. Yesterday “mindfulness” appeared frequently in a Virtues Project workshop hosted at our church. Later in the evening, I received an unrelated invitation to complete the final phase of a survey being conducted by a university study on “mindfulness.”

So what is it? The Virtues Project describes mindfulness as “living reflectively, with conscious awareness of our actions, words and thoughts. Awake to the world around us, we fully experience our senses. We are attentive to others’ needs. We refuse to rush. Living mindfully lightens our lives by helping us to detach from our emotions. We transform anger to justice. We seek joy instead of mere desire. We cultivate our inner vision, aware of life’s lessons as they unfold. Mindfulness brings us serenity.”

This description, of course, gels well with terms that emerge from the practice of Christian meditation, such as “wakefulness”, “awareness,” and “paying attention.’

In these terms, Jesus spoke of mindfulness often and carefully cultivated it within his own calling. I think this is why he was able to differentiate a different kind of touch in the midst of a clamouring crowd (Mark 5:21-34). Of course this is not the only instance where Jesus models mindfulness. There are many more where Jesus teaches it – just survey the Sermon on the Mount!

So, if you’re a New Years Resolution sort of person, “mindfulness” might not be a bad one to aim for.

‘No grey areas’ in stance on whaling, says minister | The Australian

Politics is always going to see the tension between environmental striving and so-called economic necessity. This is a given. But why try and  hide it? When all comes to light, as it inevitably will, our lead negotiators are revealed as disingenuous, saying one thing (a lie) for public consumption while sealing compromise behind closed doors.

‘No grey areas’ in stance on whaling, says minister | The Australian.

Craft for a Dry Lake by Kim Mahood

Part of my summer reading is an autobiography that weaves the theme of attachment to land by settler and Aborigine alike. The death of the author’s father prompts a personal pilgrimage to the remote station lands of her childhood. Her connection to the land is marked by ambiguity – it is a wrestling with identity that does not find satisfaction without including Aboriginal perspectives and connection. Through writing and painting, Kim Mahood shapes her journey.

This excites me for it gels with the continuing “listening journeys” some of my church are currently engaged in, particularly as we seek to discern how our own identity is affected by connection to the land we now share and the nuances of mapping and naming the land which now has the layer of European settlement imposed upon it.

An excellent review of Mahood’s work is here:

Eco-humanities Corner :Kim Mahood’s Evolving Geographies by Saskia Beudel.

The SIEV-221 drama: lessons from a disaster

It’s only a few weeks since a maritime refugee disaster occurred off our coast. While the aftermath has largely slipped off the radar of mainstream awareness – the question of developing humane asylum seeker policy remains untouched.

Jack Smit of SafeCom is one of the most relentless and compassionate commentator/lobbyists I have come across for monitoring and challenging the political discourse.

What’s been going on since SIEV-221 foundered on the rocks of Christmas Island? Check out The SIEV-221 drama: lessons from a disaster.

We Three Kings of Orient Are…

… but not the magi of Bethlehem in Matthew 2:1-20!

  • We don’t know how many there were – tradition varies from the popular three to the less known twelve.
  • The magi are not described as “kings” – there are two kings in Matthews’s account – Herod and Jesus – and the nature of their respective kingdoms were (are) in conflict.
  • Neither are the magi described as wise men – indeed this reference best fits the scribes and scholars urgently summoned by Herod to disclose what could be known about the Messiah sought by the magi. They represent the wisdom tradition of Israel.
  • While the word magi is often translated “magician” or “astrologer”, an 8th century Syriac text renders the word for magi as those called “to pray in silence.”
  • Matthew’s gospel goes on to describe the kingdom of heaven as “hidden from the wise and revealed to little children.” The kingdom of heaven invites its heirs to service of one another and thus of God (exemplified in Matthew 25). To the extent that the magi of Matthew 2 reveal these characteristics in the brief account of their visit, they are both wise and royal.
The point of all this Christmas card iconoclasm?
To let Matthew’s gospel say to us what it really intends to say.
God is universally revealed in the human presence of Jesus right from his infancy. Those who approach Jesus with the clarity of simple child-like attention and a servant heart that eschews displays of power are the truly wise and regal.
(From this morning’s harangue!)

A New Year’s Resolution awaiting fulfilment…

A bit of bush doggerel for a job I have to get done…

I sit by the fountain on New Year’s Day;
the bricks shimmer and shine in burning heat.
Through the parched bowls the leaves swirl and sway;
no streams of water – the pump is beat!

Beneath the cover the water is brackish;
the pump underneath needs tradesman’s skill.
Although the still depths are cold and blackish,
I plunge down my arm – and, Oh! What a thrill!

The church built the fount six years past –
a feature for the courtyard – so we were told.
With garden seat and plants that last,
‘twas a place for resting for young and old.

And so it happened – the fount became a feature,
the running waters a delight to behold.
Not only people, but every bird and creature
rested and played by the streams of gold.

Shoppers passing,  old folk sitting,
mums with toddlers seeking distraction,
school kids massing, matriarchs knitting –
the ecclesiastic fountain gave strong attraction!

Three bowls gushing, an old man musing:
“Surely the Trinity!” pondered he with alarm.
A lone one sitting at midnight perusing
the sights of bubbling, the heart’s good balm.

In times of trouble, the fount gave solace,
Remember the tribute to Van Tuong Nguyen?
The waters yearn to resume their promise.
Let’s replace the pump and begin again.

I sit by the fountain on New Year’s Day;
the bricks shimmer and shine in burning heat.
The dented bowls and debris clamour to say
“Live streams again will return a good treat. “

Gulp!! – every day??!!?

You’ve got to be kidding. WordPress has just issued a challenge to it’s blogging community to post something every day. This is meant to inspire confidence and competence in “fit-start” bloggers like myself.
Well, I’m up for it – even though I’m a sprinter rather than a marathon runner!
The trick will be to keep things moderately interesting to at least 10% of those who stumble on to this page (a self- defeating statement in itself – but I’m leaving it ‘ere to keep me ‘umble)
So, roll on 2011!