Sunday, August 26, 2012

“Even Our Prayers?”

I Kings 8:22-30, 41-43

August 26, 2012

The Pastoral Prayer

O God, we praise your name for the wonders of your creation. Even as the Mars Rover Curiosity is expanding our knowledge of your creation in the universe, new species are being discovered on this planet. Wonder of wonders, we are in awe of your power, and we sing your praises.

We thank you for the wonders we have seen with our own eyes here in Ohio. The beauty of the earth and the joy of human love. We thank you just for being alive and awake.

But we are aware of conflict in the world. We pray for the people of Syria, where one in ten citizens there is a brother or sister in Christ. We pray for those caught up in conflict in Burma and Bangladesh, and in internal strife in Kenya and Iraq. We hurt for our neighbors in conflict and pray for peace.

We pray for the American service personnel who are seeking peace in many places around the world. May their work result in a just and lasting peace, and may they come home safe, and sound, and soon.

We pray today for those in pain--whether the pain of physical illness or the pain of grief. Give them healing and peace.

We especially pray for the concerns of our Saturday morning guests, whose difficulties are many. Grant them your loving consolation

We pray for those who serve our cities, county and townships, especially our own Russ. Grant them patience, courage, mercy, and understanding in the difficult service they provide.

We pray for the students and teachers and administrators who have returned to school this week. Give them fresh eyes for new knowledge and a sense of wonder about all they teach and learn.

We know that much of what is on our hearts is unspoken, and we ask that you will hear us in our silence as we pray.

We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus, our Christ. Amen.

1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven.

He said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand.

Therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that which you promised him, saying, ‘There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David.

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built! Regard your servant’s prayer and his plea, Lord my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may heed the prayer that your servant prays toward this place. Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling place; heed and forgive.

“Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of your name—for they shall hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm—when a foreigner comes and prays toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built.

I remember the first time, six years ago, that I saw this sanctuary. I was captivated by the faceted glass, and the stained glass, and the beautiful peak of the ceiling. I was remembering that this week, and thinking of those of you who saw this sanctuary for the first time together, more than 55 years ago. If you were a part of that dedication service, please stand if you are able. Let's acknowledge these folks for a moment, and then recognize that they have a sense of what today's readings are about.

This lesson for today is part of a larger reading which is Solomon's prayer and the dedication of the first temple of Jerusalem. That prayer and dedication are themselves part of a larger reading which describes the building of the temple, even down to some of its most tedious dimensions.

Perhaps the folks who were a part of that dedication service of this sanctuary as Ben Hegelbarger entered this space can share some of the exhilaration that the people of Jerusalem—even all Israel—must have felt when Solomon led the procession into the magnificent temple for the ceremony we read of today. This temple was certainly the most opulent building ever known to the ancient Israelites. Its massive bowls for lamps and gold and cypress surely would have been an amazing sight to see.

Well, actually, the folks who lived in Jerusalem couldn't help but see it every day—it was on the highest point of Mount Zion in the middle of the city. But, seeing something is different from worshiping in it. To see the Ark of the Covenant—the ornate vessel that was said to carry the presence of God on earth. I can only imagine what those average folks must have felt when they entered that temple, following their king, and the Ark and the Priests and Levites. It must have been an amazing experience. And after all the entrances and the installation of the Ark, Solomon offers a long, very long pastoral prayer. I wonder what those first worshipers in the Temple learned from that prayer? And, more importantly, I wonder what we can learn from that prayer?

First, we learn that God is greater than. Greater than what? Exactly. Solomon acknowledges that God cannot be contained on earth in this fancy building, much less in heaven. The priests must have been edgy at this point—after all, it was the official belief that God's presence on earth was symbolized by the Ark, and now by the Temple itself. And here goes the King, saying that nothing can contain God. Not heaven. Not earth. And certainly not the Temple.

God is greater than. God is greater than our prejudices. God is greater than our politics. God is greater than our religious differences. God is greater than our church buildings. The Lord is greater than any of the ways in which we try to box God in. God is greater than.

The next thing we learn is also about the character of God. It is Solomon's petition that one day, when a foreigner comes to pray toward this house, that God will hear, and answer the foreigner's prayers, so that God will be known by all.. Now, what do you think that meant? Was Israel a pristine race? Not really. Was it so pure in its demographic makeup that there were no non-Israelites living there? No. If you go and read the Torah—the law of ancient Israel—you'll see that it makes numerous references to the strangers (aliens) living among you. Aliens were to be treated the same as everyone else. It really was not a surprise-or it shouldn't have been—to those who heard Jesus say, “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.” No, This is one prejudice which, at least at this point in Israel's history had been conquered.

I can't help think that this petition prayed by Solomon so long ago is about people who just wouldn't fit into any of the categories he understood, but foreigner was the best he could come up with in his categories. I believe Solomon was thinking of folks who just wouldn't fit in.

Us.

Paul, in the letter to the Romans, describes Christians as being grafted on to the Jewish covenant like a branch grafted on a tree. That grafting, of course, occurs in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Solomon couldn't see that far down the tunnel of history, but remember the trait that he was known for? Wisdom. Solomon knew that there would be folks who wouldn't quite fit in to his understanding of the world and of faith and of covenant would somehow fit into God's understanding of covenant, and he prays that God will hear them, so that all will come to know God.

And so, the second thing we learn about the character of God is—God is Greater than. God is greater than our understanding, and our nationalism.

And then, there's us. Here we are, 25 centuries and more down the line, and what are we to learn from this ancient prayer of King Solomon? In the last section of the sermon, we saw ourselves as the foreigner—the folks who just might not fit in, and yet, we will and we do.

But what does this say to us as we gather in our own temple five decades after we dedicated it? Would Rev. Hegelbarger's prayers that day inform us as much as Solomon's?

I've been thinking about who wouldn't quite fit in, and it's a growing list. First, there's foreigners themselves. Like Jesus said---do for them, do for him.

There are women who work on fourth street selling their bodies. They don't want to be there, and they'd rather do anything else. But there they are. There are gay and lesbian folk. They don’t quite fit in to human understanding, but I believe they do to God.

I read a article describing Mansfield recently which said that it has the most number of churches per-capita in the country, and also the highest heroin usage per-capita. What are we to make of this? We Mansfield folk seek meaning a communion with God. But, we are also a people in pain—physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. And we are just as likely to seek relief in the needle as in the sanctuary. That breaks my heart. Should break yours, too.

The plight of our neighbors is getting worse. The blight in our neighborhood continues to grow.

And here we are, fifty years after we dedicated our temple, not quite knowing what to do. The ministries which need our attention around us are overwhelming. There are so many people who just don't quite fit in—like us as we were grafted into God’s people through Jesus Christ. And we almost don't know where to start.

Really? Let me ask you this. Ten years ago who would have believed that we could feed 300 people on a Saturday morning? Six months ago, would you have believed we could produce a VBS as part of a consortium of six congregations and make a difference in the lives of 80 children?

But, you know what? You did not do this on your own. You did this because—and here's that third point—God is greater than. God is greater than our limitations. God is greater than the boxes we try to keep him in, and God is certainly greater that the boxes we shut ourselves in. God is greater than any of the limits we can place upon ourselves.

God is greater than.

And yet, this great and wonderful God is as near to us as our own breath, and loves us, supports us, and lifts us up.

And in the prayers of Solomon, this great and wonderful God has drawn near to us, and heard our prayers—even our prayers. And, now we pray,

Loving God, we thank you that you have brought us near to you and heard our prayers—even our prayers. We pray that you will strengthen us and give us your imagination as reach out to those who, in our eyes, might not fit is, but in your eyes, are your children. Make us be Good News for Mansfield, and for the world. Amen.

Offering

Invitation

In 1 Kings 8, King Solomon places the ark in the new temple and prays for God’s presence to reside there. We also pray for God’s presence to reside with us in our church. Our building provides space to be with one another in God’s presence. Like Solomon’s temple, our church requires financial support to keep up with repairs and evolving ministry needs. Today, let us consider the importance of our building: what it means to us and to our community. Let us make our offering knowing that part of our financial support will be used to maintain a sacred gathering place for God and the people of God.

Prayer

Creating and sustaining God, you have given us special sacred spaces to gather together for worship, for prayer, for support, and for celebration. Please accept our gifts for the ministry of this congregation and for the church in the world. We pray that in time all people will find sacred spaces where they will feel your presence. Amen.

Benediction

Go in peace and care for one another in Christ's name

- and may the love and the grace of God surround you,

- may the wisdom and the mercy and the power of Christ Jesus fill you

- and may the comfort, the challenge, the wisdom and the power of the

Spirit be with you, both now and forevermore. Amen