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My heart beats for love. I want to be different. I want to be who I am called to be. WORTHY and LOVED!

Sunday, April 30, 2017

“The Seven Next Words of Christ - Greetings… Do Not be Afraid” Matt 28: 1-10

I don’t know about you, but when someone tells me not to be afraid, it is usually during the times I am the most frightened. In the New Testament, angels, the messengers of the Lord, often greeted folks like Mary, the mother of Jesus and Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist with the words “Do not be afraid.” Jesus told his disciples to not be afraid nineteen times during his ministry. Times such as when they were at the wedding of Cana and the wine was going to run out - a mark of a lack in hospitality. Right before Lazarus was going to walk out of the tomb. When Jesus walked on water in order to calm the storm raging in the sea. All times the disciples should have been afraid, yet Jesus instructed them not to be afraid. 
We are now in the second week of our sermon series about the seven next words of Christ - the seven words of instruction that Christ gave after his resurrection, during the forty days that he continued to meet and teach the disciples. Today we focus on the words “do not be afraid.”
“Do not be afraid” can be such tricky words. As I said before, they often come at times when people are the most afraid. If we are not careful, such words can come off as a lack of sympathy instead of words of comfort. 
When I was at my first appointment, I traveled to Hershey during the week for chaplaincy training at the medical center. In the mornings we had classwork, and in the afternoon we visited patients in specific units that were assigned to us. In addition, a chaplain was required to be at each trauma call. Whether we were in a patients room or responding to a page, we were to be a calm presence in the midst of the chaos of the hospital, but we were also there to help guide medical staff, especially those in the beginning of their training, in what it looks like to be that calming presence. There was more than one occasion during my time at Hershey where I had the uncomfortable job of pulling medical staff to the side and telling them why there words were more harmful then comforting. I think of one of my favorite patients, who was at the hospital to deliver her second child. Her water broke too early so she was on bedrest hours from home. Most days she was cheerful. One day I found her in tears - a new doctor whom she had never met told her that they were getting an ambulance to move her to a different hospital (which the patient knew was unsafe due to her need for bedrest) because they didn’t have enough beds for her, but not to fear, they would arrange everything. Of course the woman should have been afraid for herself and her baby! A one minute stop in her room changed her life and what she had thought would happen to her over the next several weeks. 
Another young woman, a few years younger than me, went in for a routine delivery of her baby, only to find that he was born without one-third of his vital organs. She was told to not be afraid, as her infant was moved to NICU, which she took to be a promise that he would be okay - only to have him die a few days later. She felt betrayed into thinking that everything would be okay, when it wasn’t. Of course she should be afraid. 
In contrast, when Jesus tells us to not be afraid, he isn’t using the words in a way to diminish what the disciples or we are feeling. He isn’t telling them to buck up or stay strong, instead, he is inviting them the find their rest in God’s care. He is reminding them and us that the presence of Christ walking with us continually, even when we cannot perceive him, strengthens us for whatever lies ahead. 
Today we find a different version of the Easter story. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were headed to the tomb, but as they arrived the earth shook and the angel of the Lord came and rolled the heavy stone blocking the entrance of the tomb away. He shone brightly. The two Mary’s would have heard about angels such as these in scriptures before -maybe they even though of the similar description of angels given by the prophet Daniel, but more then likely they were just as shocked as the Roman guards present that day who shook out of fear.
The angel looked past the guards to the women and told them, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen as he said.” Notice that the angel did not tell them that there was nothing to be afraid of, for surely he knew the journey that lay ahead for the disciples. 
While we know the Easter story, know what came next for the disciples, the women at the tomb that morning did not. They were told to go quickly and tell the disciples that Jesus was risen - which is exactly where they headed. But on their way between the tomb and proclaiming the good news they ran into Jesus. Once he greeted them he too told them to not be afraid, before sending them on to proclaim that he would meet his disciples in Galilee - to gather them together for forgiveness and a mission.
The Gospel of Matthew is filled with extradionary moments - the incarnation, transfiguration, and resurrection. But the moment after the resurrection is just as spectacular, as God interrupted the women’s plan to go to the tomb with a greeting, words of comfort, and a task. 
Think back to the extrondiarny moments in your life. Maybe they didn’t seem so spectacular in the moment, in fact maybe at the time they filled you with fear - but in the scheme of life, they were the moments that changed your life. The women that day were probably frightened and joyful. Or afraid for joy. Yet, Jesus met them in the midst of the unknown, in the midst of the fear and told them to not be afraid.
When was the last time someone told you to not be afraid brothers and sisters? Not told not to be afraid in a way that diminished your feelings by telling you that there is nothing to be afraid of - but in a way that reminded you that nothing we encounter is greater than the love of the God who walks with us through life? And how do you pass on those words of hope and encouragement to others? The gospel message that while we cannot conquer death, God can. The truth that God can use even our most fearful and difficult moments to share the love of our Savior.
One year at a festival I had the opportunity to hear River Jordan speak. She had just finished writing a book entitled Praying for Strangers, her true life story of God leading her to pray for one stranger each day for a year. When she first started she would simply pick a person and pray for them, not knowing their needs. That was scary enough. Then she started to tell people that she would like to pray for them and ask if they had any requests. Now her fear was at a whole new level. But by the end of the year she was asking one stranger a day if she could pray with them! She found that as she responded to the call of God in her life to pray for strangers, that not only their lives were touched, hers was as well.

Friends, sometimes we let our fear get the better of us. If River Jordan would not have listened to the voice of God calling her to be not afraid, she may never had prayed for those folks. If the Marys would not have heard the angel and Jesus telling them to not be afraid they may have stayed at the tomb instead of going to meet the disciples. Fear is not a bad thing, but we need to trust God to walk with us through our fears. May these words of an ancient Christian benediction speak to you this day: “May you fear God so much that you fear nothing else at all.” Amen. 

Sunday, April 23, 2017

“The Seven Next Words of Christ: Who are You Looking For?” John 20: 1-18


This is a bit odd. Normally we don’t examine the same passage of scripture two Sundays in a row. Normally we look at different scriptures within a theme. But this week is a bit different. The Easter text that we used last week to proclaim “He is Risen” we will re-examine this week, in all of its richness, to hear the words that Christ spoke after his resurrection.
During the season of Lent, and especially on Good Friday, it is common for churches to think about the seven last words of Christ. These were phrases declared by Christ on the cross during his crucifixion. When someone is facing death, the last words they speak are usually important. For Jesus these words include reflections of his heart: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” “Today you will be with me in paradise.” The care that he had for others: “Behold your son: behold your mother.” Words that we don’t quite know what to make of: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” “I thirst.” And the moments when he gave up his spirit to Heaven: “It is finished.” “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
But Christ had a unique opportunity. He was resurrected and appeared on earth with his disciples for forty days after his death. In the church, we celebrate this as the season of Eastertide, not just one day. So Christ was able to continue to speak important words into the lives of his disciples until his ascension. Christ had next words, not just last words.
For the next several weeks we are going to look at the times Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection and these powerful words that he brought to them. Words of hope. Words of peace. Words of compassion and care. While the last words took place on the cross, the next words started with Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb. Therefore, we return anew to our scripture text from last week. 
Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, and John all had similar, yet very different experiences at the empty tomb on Easter morning. Mary was the first to arrive, but she simply saw a scene that disturbed her and ran. Ran to get help. When she declared to Simon Peter and John that “they have taken the Lord out of the tomb” they too had a sinking feeling that things were not as they should be. John arrived at the tomb first and made it closer then Mary - he crouched down to examine the tomb a little closer and found that it was worse than he feared. He saw the death clothes discarded. Simon Peter arrived and went into the tomb. Simon Peter and John had to suffer a range of emotions from shock to anger to disappointment, but at some point they realized that there was nothing more they could do, so they returned to their homes.
But not Mary. The whole while as the disciples examined the tomb, Mary was there. Maybe she felt guilty. Maybe she was hoping that the disciples would tell her that she was wrong and that Jesus’s body was in there. Whatever she was thinking and feeling, even after the other disciples returned home she stayed behind. For years it was the women who followed the disciples, those like Mary Magdalene, who took care of the needs of the disciples and Jesus - cooked for them. Financially supporting the work of the ministry. Tending to anything they could. And now she didn’t know what to do or where to go. She simply stood outside of the tomb and wept.
She did look into the tomb at one point and saw something even more disturbing then what the disciples had discovered. Instead of discarded death clothes she found two angels who asked her why she was weeping. To which she replied that they had taken the body of the Lord and she didn’t know where they put him.
I usually am pretty tidy and have a good system for where I put things. But once in a while I will misplace something. You know the thought that comes just before you lose something, “I’ll remember where I put this” which often leads to disaster later on. But I’ve never misplaced something of extreme value that I have not been able to find without some searching. But if I get upset over losing small things that don’t really matter, how much more upset must Mary have been that the body of Jesus had been in her mind, stolen by the Roman government. The “they” that she kept coming back to. 
To add insult to injury first the angels and then a man ask her why she is weeping. But the man takes it one step further - recognizing that Mary was crying out of grief of not being able to find someone whom she is searching for. Mary thinking that either this man helped take the body or may know where it is pleads with him to show her the way to the body.
Depending on the given day, the questioning sales associate asking “Can I help you find something?” can be a welcomed relief or small annoyance. When I have a short time to get in and out of a familiar store, or a place where things have been moved around since the last time I was there, the question is a helpful relief. It acknowledges that they noticed me and probably noticed that I was searching for something. 
Mary, in all of her grief, had been noticed. But what came next wasn’t an agreement to help her, it was simply her name being spoken by a voice that she recognized. She looked up, squinting through her tears, and felt a calm rush over her - the calm that came when she had been listened to and cared for by Jesus. Relief washed over her as she cried “Rabbouni!”
Friends, how long has it been since we have felt such relief wash over us? The relief of being recognized and called by name? The relief of seeing our Savior and knowing that we are being cared for? All too often our lives feel more like a mess. A tangling that we couldn’t have begun to imagine. Other times we seem to be devoid of feelings, simply going through the motions of living, but not finding joy. And still other times, we may enjoy our lives, but we walk around in such a way that we fail to notice the world of God around us. We know that something is missing. We just don’t know what to do next.
While I was in college I studied abroad for a semester in Australia. Our class schedule in Australia was quite a bit different from what I was used to in the States. I had fewer credits and only took classes two days a week. This left a lot of free time to explore, but also to serve. One of the places I ended up volunteering was a drop in center for IV drug users and prostitutes in the second worst neighborhood of Victoria. My job was to help sort through donations and simply talk with the men and women who came in for safety. It didn’t take too many weeks for me to realize that so many of the stories that I heard sounded the same. One bad situation led to one bad decision that simply unraveled out of control to the point where folks didn’t know what to do next. Didn’t know how to change or break the cycle. 
How often have we paused in our lives and had the same feeling - that sinking feeling that we don’t know how we even got here. That feeling of emptiness. When Mary arrived at the tomb that morning maybe that’s how she felt - if only she would have gotten here earlier maybe they wouldn’t have taken the body. If only she could convince someone to help her maybe now she could find the body. Yet, as she starred into the mess around her, she almost missed looking into the eyes of  her Savior. 

Friends, do you here the next words of Jesus in your life today: Why are you crying? Who are you looking for? Are we so caught up in the mess of our lives that we are hindered from hearing the voice of Christ and looking into the eyes of our Savior? What are you looking for this day and how can Christ change your life, in a way that brings care and freedom? Amen. 

Sunday, April 16, 2017

He is Risen - John 20: 1-18

We have arrived. For the last several weeks we have been journey together. Journey through the season of Lent, marked by spiritual disciplines. Journey through the final word of the cross. Journeying through letting our lives be transformed by Jesus…. 
And now we have arrived. At Easter.
And yet, so long ago, as Mary Madeline approached the tomb she did not see the day as a beginning so much as an ending. She was going to the tomb to pay her final respect to her teacher and Lord, Jesus Christ. Here was a man who had changed her life and now all she had to offer him was some anointing spices for burial. It seemed a meager offering, yet it was all she had. 
So she went to the tomb when it was still dark out, before the rest of the world had begun to stir, to give all she had to give. She had been grieving. The tears just wouldn’t stop. But through the haze of her tears she could still see that something wasn’t right when she reached the tomb - the stone had been rolled away. The stone that was supposed to keep everyone out - the stone that the Romans put there out of fear had been rolled away. And she did all she could think to do - she ran.
The gospel of John tells the Easter morning story as one of haste - one of running. It is so unlike John. If you want to see a gospel where everything moves at a high speed, look at the gospel of Mark. I still remember translating Mark in college and being struck by how quickly everything move. From one point to another. From one story to another. Not true of John. John wanted to make sure the readers got the point. So what is the point of all of this running Easter morning?
John wants us to feel the chaos of what is taking place. This is unexpected. This is not how things should be happening. Mary didn’t know what to make of the stone being rolled away so she ran to get the disciples. Then Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, ran to the tomb to see the emptiness for themselves. Mary hadn’t even looked into the tomb to know that it was empty but that is what she declared - “They have taken the Lord!” So they ran to see for themselves. What thoughts had to be racing through their minds as their feet sped up - who would take the body? Where is Jesus? What can they do? 
When they arrived at the tomb it was just as Mary said - it was empty. The disciple who reached the tomb first bent over and looked in, confirming Mary’s store. But Peter, Peter was a bit braver. He went into the tomb. And saw the death linens lying there - without the body. In that moment were they remembering Lazarus - Jesus’s friend who not so long ago had his own grave clothes? Where they remembering how he stumbled out of the tomb and folks had to help unwrap him? Were they wondering who would take the body and unwrap it? Jesus’s body may not have began to smell,  but it was considered unclean to touch a dead body. Who would want to do that? 
Then the first disciple took the same brave step as Peter and entered into the tomb. We are told that he believed, but he did not understand. What did he believe? That Jesus wasn’t there? That his body had been taken? Because we are also told that the disciples didn’t understand yet that the scripture had been fulfilled. 
Mary didn’t understand either. Even after the disciples returned to their homes, she stayed behind. She still couldn’t believe what happened. She bent down again to look into the tomb and this time it was no longer empty. Instead, there were two angels where Jesus body used to lie. While angels usually came to announce their news with statements such as “do not be afraid” this time they had a question, “woman, why are you weeping?” At which Mary, not even frightened or taken aback by the presence of the angels recounted how Jesus’s body had been taken away. 
Mary then turned around, away from the angels, and saw Jesus, who she didn’t even recognize as Jesus until he called her by name. Then she sprinted forth to declare the good news, “I have seen the Lord!”
The Easter story in the gospel of John wants to scream at us, and at the disciples so long ago, that “He is Risen! Jesus is alive”. Yet, just like the disciples we can often miss the point. We try to dissect the story to make it more palatable, to help it make sense in our minds, while missing the point. 
Theologian Karl Barth said that when we gather for worship any time, but especially on Easter Sunday, we seem to come with one question - is it true? Is the story of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection true and what impact does it have on my life today? 
We spend so much time trying to prove the gospel that we miss its mystery. Miss its holiness. We start to overlook the beauty of the Easter story - Jesus is alive! Something extradionary happened that changed the world and that can change our very lives if we let it!
Friends, Easter in all of its power and glory isn’t the end of the story of Jesus’s life and ministry, it is the beginnings. A new beginning. Easter is the story of a Risen Savior that no one believed was risen at the time. Even those closest to him. Even those he had repeatedly told about his death and resurrection. And because his disciples could not even grasp that Jesus was risen they also forgot what Jesus had been trying to teach them about the power of his resurrection in each of our lives.
Over the past year we have had several funerals in the parish. Funerals are hard because we come together in deep grief to mourn those who meant so much to us. But funerals can also be celebrations - celebrations of eternal life. Hear these words that are proclaimed at funeral services: Jesus said, I am the resurrection and I am life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, they shall live again and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I hold the keys of hell and death. Because I live, you shall live also. And from the apostle Paul “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. These scriptures are true because of the power of the resurrection. 

So the question for us this morning is not so much is it true but more improbably, do you believe? Do you believe that Christ has the power to conquer death? Do you believe that we can live eternally with Jesus because of the power of Easter? And have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Let us not miss the point this day, brothers and sisters. He is risen! He is risen indeed! 

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Transformation: What’s Next 2 Tim 2: 11-13

We are now in the final week of our sermon series on having our lives transformed into the likeness of Christ. For the last several weeks we have discussed what can block such transformation and what can help it blossom. But as we draw near to the end of this series, and the the end of the season of Lent - a time set aside to prepare our hearts for the coming of Easter - the question looms: what’s next?
In order to discern what is coming next we first need to remember. In Psalm 77 we find the words, “I will remember your deeds of old.” Whose deeds? God’s deeds. In order to trust God to move us faithfully into the future, we need to remember who God is and what God has done for us. 
I’ve been involved in different types of ministries over the years. One was an evening Vacation Bible School program that ran throughout the school year for one night a week. At the conclusion of one of the sessions the director gave me a little book that I still treasure today - a book of God’s promises. It seems that we don’t spend enough time in the Church talking about the promises of God. God promises to meet our needs, give us eternal life if we so choose, lead us by the Holy Spirit. God promises to love us, forgive us, protect us and give us peace. The list goes on and on. We need to remember the promises of God and trust God with our very lives. If we don’t know what God has promised, how can we move into these promises in the future?
We also need to remember who we are and whose we are. If someone asked you at a party who you are what would you say? Most people begin with their name. Then follow up with what they do for an occupation. Or something about their families. Or where they live. These are all wonderful things, but they are simply reflections of who you truly are. When you accept Jesus Christ into your life you become a son or daughter of God. That is our primary identity. That is what defines us. Our very relationship to God. 
Additionally, we need to remember the covenants we have made with God and with one another as the body of Christ. A covenant is a holy agreement between God and the people of God. It’s a vow, or promise that we make with our very lives. A contract. We make covenants at important times in our lives. At weddings we promise to have and hold our spouse from that day forward no matter what the circumstances - rich or poor, in sickness or health, until you are parted by death. At baptism we promise to renounce the force of wickedness at our lives and in the world and to claim the freedom that can only be found in God. When someone is baptized we as the church, the local body of Christ, promise to nurture the person being baptized. When we join the church we vow to give of our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness to the work of the Kingdom of God. 
But sometimes we go through our days in such a blur that we forget. We fail to remember the promises of God that claim us. We forget our primary identity - forget who we are. We forget the promises we made, sometimes so long ago, at key times in our faith walk. And when we forget we are more prone to sin.
No one is above sinning. Even if we have known Christ our entire lives we can still sin. In fact, each of us probably have different sins that can lead us astray. At my last appointment one of the churches on the charge took a leap of faith and invited AA to use their building. The local chapter of AA was a bit confused at first when I contacted them first, asking if they would like to use a church building, rent free, throughout the week to hold their meetings. But it was a decision we never regretted as a local church. We formed relationships with the man the woman who oversaw that meeting, and through them we learned one of the lessons of AA - you have to stay vigilant. You cannot let your guard down or you are more prone to relapsing. So it is in our faith lives, brothers and sisters. We have to remember in order to stay vigilant. When we forget and start to let our guard down, sin can overtake us. 
Sometimes as a pastor I will have folks who came to know Jesus in a powerful way come to me desperate to feel the warmth in their hearts that accompanied their salvation. The amazing feeling that overtook them when they were baptized. I always invite them to remember. For folks who have been in any relationship a long time will tell you that feelings or emotions can fade, but love is a choice. We make the choice to remember and love God every single day. Not just days when our hearts are warmed. Not just days when we feel like it or it comes easy. 
But once we remember then what? Where do we go from here? In the words of 2 Timothy, that all depends on what we choose. If we have died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we are faithless - he will remain faithful. Will we choose to die with Christ? Will we choose to endure? Will we continue to live into the covenant? 
As we end this Lenten journey, we leave this place continuing to grow in our relationship with God. Think about the person you are closest to on this earth - a spouse, a friend. Was your relationship the way it is today from the first time you met? Probably not. We grow in our relationships as we spend time with that person. Getting to know them. Having experiences with them. So it is with God. When we spend time with God we grow in our relationship and can trust God more.
We especially trust God more as we seek God’s will. For God doesn’t always reveal the will of the divine in dramatic fashion. In fact, often the will of God is revealed in bits and pieces, where we don’t know all the details. But we come to know more about God’s will by being in relationship with God. Spending time together in prayer and silence and being in the Word of God.

Brothers and sisters, let this not be the end of our journey. Let us remember who God is and who we are as sons and daughters of the Holy One. Let us seek to remember the promises of God and the promises we have made to God. Let us continue to grow deeper in love with God. Choosing to love God daily. Amen. 

Sunday, April 2, 2017

“Transformation: Prayer” 1 Thes 5: 16-18 Col 4:2 Eph 6:18

One of the things that we do as a people of faith is pray. We pray during worship and before meals. We pray when we are at Bible Study and when we get a request on the prayer chain. We pray before we go to bed at night. Prayer is part of who we are. 
But what we sometimes miss is what is happening during all of this prayer. Pray has the power to transform us because it deeply connects us to God. But the opposite is also true - when we stop praying, because we feel like we are too busy or because by the time our head hits the pillow at night we are too exhausted to pray - we can start to feel disconnected from God.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, is known for one of his many quotes - this one about prayer. “I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am to do it.” How many of us feel like Mr. Wesley? How many of us would take this as personal advice in our own lives - the busier we are the more time we spend not checking things off of our to-do list, but praying? My guess would be not many of us.
And yet we find words like those in this mornings scripture. To rejoice always, and pray without ceasing. What does that look like with flesh on it? I’ve told the story before of Brother Lawrence who wanted to join a monetary, only some of the other brothers didn’t particularly want him there so they gave him the hardest, messiest job in hopes that he would quite - washing all of the dishes. Think about the piles of dishes he must have faced after every meal - from cooking and feeding that many men. But a funny thing happened - Brother Lawrence took this job that no one else would want, and which was intended to drive him away, and instead made it into an opportunity to pray without ceasing. As he tackled those piles of dishes several times a day, every day, he took it to be an opportunity to talk with God in prayer. It became his own personal time of worship where he could grow with God.
We don’t often think about it this way, but prayer is an act of worship, both privately and publicly. In prayer, we worship God by praising and thanking God - or in the words of 1 Thessalonians - giving thanks in all circumstances. 
When I was in college I was a small group leader for a group of young women who met weekly to study the Bible and pray for one another. However, in order to be a small group leader you had to also be part of a small group that fed your soul and be part of a monthly training for all small group leaders. It was at one of these monthly trainings that I was introduced to the ACTS method of prayer. Adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. In other words praising God, confessing when we sin, giving thanks to God, and bringing our requests before God. Do you notice what is last? Bringing our requests before God. Yet, how often is this the only thing that we do in prayer? Coming to ask God to meet our needs and the needs of those we care about, while disregarding the act of worship through praising and thanking God in prayer. At all times. 
God wants to hear our requests, but God is also surely due our honor and praise. And God wants to hear our requests, but we also need to come to God in prayer when we sin. Its one of the reasons we pray the prayer of confession together every week - because we need to get into the habit of confessing before God. 
How could our prayer habits and our very lives be transformed if we approach prayer through the ACTS method, or joys and requests, or any other form of prayer that incorporates praise and confession into our requests as well?
Prayer should also become a habit. In Colossians we find the instructions to devote ourselves to prayer, but some translations read make a habit of prayer. Habit is a funny word that can sometimes rub us the wrong way. We can be tricked into thinking that a habit makes something less meaningful. But how many of us ate breakfast this morning? Brushed our teeth? Got dressed? Those are habits that have become part of our daily routine. Part of who we are and what we do each day. 
It is said that it takes 21 days to make something a habit. 21 days of incorporating something into our daily lives to the point where we wouldn’t imagine our lives without it. What if we committed for 21 days to pray every day, at the same time, as much as possible, until being deeply connected to God through prayer is something that we could not imagine our lives being without?
The truth is we are busy people. Are days are full. Sometimes too full. We have countless things and people that place demands upon our time until we feel so time strapped that we push God right out. So what if we reclaim some of that time to pray? For 10 minutes over lunch? Or 30 minutes at the beginning of the day before anyone else gets up? On the way to and from work? 
In one of my parsonages I had a little corner of a back room that became my prayer closet. I would go there every day, and light a candle, and simply be silent. Simply be in attitude of prayer before God. Now my favorite time to pray is before bed. I know that I go to bed at roughly the same time each night, so I carve out time to praise God in prayer before falling asleep. 
Another way that I am consistent in prayer is through prayer partners. I have three folks who I pray for and who pray for me. We are scattered across the United States, but whenever I get an email or text or phone call from them asking for prayer, I stop and pray. That’s part of my prayer habit. To commit to pray for them at times of need.
Friends, prayer isn’t about being long winded or having the best words to use. Its about connecting deeply with the heart of God. Even if you can only do that for 5 minutes at a time throughout the day. We sometimes make prayer too difficult. We want to pray, but we get tripped up on how we think prayer should sound instead of simply being in the presence of God. 
But we cannot talk about prayer without talking about one the questions that has plagued Christians for centuries - why do some prayers go unanswered? Friends, I don’t have any better answers for this than the countless theologians that have dedicated their lives to this question. Sometimes prayer goes unanswered because God’s answer is no. Sometimes they go unanswered because we have unconfessed sin in our lives. But more often then not, they go unanswered because we do not fully understand the ways of God. But the danger of unanswered prayer is that it can trick us into thinking that God is not listening to us or has left us. But that simply isn't the case. God loves us and we have the blessing of being able to pray to our God, whenever we want, and know that we will be heard and deeply loved.

There is no right way to pray, friends. Pray is our time with God and that is going to look different for each of us. What is important is that we be a people of prayer. A people who consistently pray, but for each other, as instructed in Ephesians, but also a people who see prayer as an act of worship - an opportunity to glorify God. Let us be a people known for praying. Let us be a people who pray at all times. Amen.