Day Six: Thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath as a day of rest

I know; it’s the seventh day you’re supposed to rest.  But it was Saturday which is technically the Sabbath God was talking about so…I rested.

I’m resting today. I spent the morning talking to Kate on the phone.  Then I had Morning Prayer in my folding chair in the shade of a Black Walnut tree (Watch your heads). Then I took a shower.  Then I sat in my chair again and vegged in front of Facebook.  The days seem a lot more productive when I’m riding the bike, no? 

I’m also thinking a lot about the paradox I’m having about prayer.  What is the purpose of asking God for something that is or is not already going to be.  The bible, tradition, and common practice point us to ask for each other’s prayers.  Since the beginning of the church we have sought the intercessions of the saints in heaven.  And yet God knows already how things will be.  So I am at a theological paradox.  I’m compelled and taught to pray for God’s will (often articulating a preferred outcome) in the lives of loved ones; at the same time those prayers are already answered. “Yes, No, Wait.” 

I have experienced, firsthand, prayers have been answered with physical healing or a particular desired outcome with no outside influence..  Not just through medical science have I seen healing but also in times that doctors even said it was miraculous.  I’ve also known times that prayers were asked for healing and the person died from their sickness.  All these things are true.  They happen.

What I conclude from this is that when I say "I believe in God," that belief is not just intellectual assent to theological precepts and doctrine.  To believe in God is to have a relationship with him.  Relationships are hot or cold depending on how much you communicate with the other. 

Prayer is the most basic vessel apart from the sacraments that we communicate with God.  If the bible is (as some say) God’s love letter to humanity then our prayers are our letters back to him.  And so regardless of the outcome of requests or desires our prayers tell God our hearts and minds.

Prayer then, isn't boiled down to what we are asking of God.  It's the pouring out of ourselves to our Lover.  It is self revealing because what can we hide from him that he does not already know.  We cannot lie to him, and therefore we cannot lie to ourselves about our wants, needs, shortcomings, sins, hurts, pains desires, joy.  Prayer helps us to articulate all these things.  And the more we do it, the more we become our true selves.  Honest with ourselves and with who we are to others.  Which in the end is God's sanctifying work.