May 29, 2011

As people of faith, we are frequently asked to pray for those experiencing trouble. Be they victims of natural disaster, those experiencing a health crisis; perhaps folks going through a difficult transition such as a job loss, or going away to school. We pray because as part of the beloved community we are called to do so. This was part of the model for ministry which Jesus taught. However, do we remember to give thanks for the comfort which comes from and through prayer?

In Psalm sixty-six, the author divides the song in two equal parts. The first half is a plaintive request for Holy intervention. The words reflect a life in need of fixing, so the prayer is one of ‘God let’s make a deal.’ It has been said that ‘there are no atheists in fox-holes.’ To that end the early part of this psalm/song is one of siege. The second half is about holding up the personal promise given. The author states that if God grants protection, and care, then a life of service and praise will result. To modern hermeneutic scholars this sounds like the prosperity theology of a televangelist, yet a closer look at the Psalms would reveal it to be a balanced understanding of what a life of faith looks like in real time.

Anyone, past puberty in terms of faith, knows that sometimes life is all about cherries while others is about the pits, figuratively if not literally. A good friend once said, “Too often we treat our faith as if we live in a Stained Glass Fox-Hole, but the reality is we reside in a garden with ample room to take root and grow.” How fortunate we are that God’s grace is the foment of our existence.