Dr. David D. Young
February 10, 2008
Psalm 63: 1-8
Ephesians 2:13-16a
Ephesians 6:10-18a
"Welcome to Central Avenue"
(Prayer)

Having crossed from one liturgical season to another, we move from Epiphany to gather here on this first Sunday in Lent.

For the next seven weeks we will explore our Lenten Sermon Series, "The Cross of the Uncrowded Way: Difficult Disciplines of Discipleship." The series gets its title from an intentional wordplay on the hymn you are hearing underneath my words. It’s called, "Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life." How many of you are familiar with that hymn? If you want to look it up it’s #423 in the Pilgrim Hymnal.

It was in thinking about that hymn that the Lenten Sermon Series came to mind, "The Cross of the Uncrowded Way." So much of our life and the society we live in call for us to join in the crowded way.

The crowded ways - think of how much time people spend at the shopping malls. I think of how many people flock to athletic and entertainment events – from ball games to concerts. I think of how millions of people spend countless hours in front of the television set. And I think of all the activities people run to and from – this lesson to that practice. And this club to that social activity. And I am no exception.

Where cross the crowded ways of life? All over the place in this complex and postmodern world we live in. The crowded ways in life are generally easy, pleasurable and least demanding. It’s easy to follow the crowd and do what it appears everyone else is doing. But the "Cross of the Uncrowded Way" is a different cross altogether. It is the Cross – the way, of Jesus Christ. And there are truly few people who commit completely to that way of living. And I can assure you that for those who do – it is an uncrowded way – there aren’t crowds trampling people down to follow in the way of the cross of Christ.

Oh, there are a lot of people who go to church and dabble at being a Christian. And there are tons of people who want to be a Christian, as long as it doesn’t interfere with their social life, family life, work life and free time. There is a cost – if we are to faithfully follow the way of Christ. So, "Welcome to Central Avenue!"

There are two basic "Central Avenues" in life. The first is what we might think of when hearing the phrase, the central avenues – where the action is in a community – where the popular crowded ways are – like Greenwich Avenue. And then there is the less traveled Central Avenue of faith – which for all of our lives, for that matter, is the discipline of prayer. Prayer is a fundamental discipline of discipleship. Thus, the Central Avenue in our relational traffic flow with God, if you will, is prayer.

I have already lifted up some of the markings of Central Avenue, U.S.A. – that is – the preoccupations of doing the popular things and being in the fast lane of life. Now, I would like to share some of the markings of the other Central Avenue – looking to the discipline of prayer.

Some years ago, a commissar was rolling along in his car in the country near Moscow. Suddenly he noticed a man kneeling at the edge of a field, his hands folded, his eyes closed, his face upturned.

"Why aren’t you working instead of doing that?" the commissar asked.
"But, comrade, I am praying to God for our leader," Answered the old man.
"That’s something! I suppose in the old days you used to pray for the czar," inquired the commissar.
"Yes, comrade," replied the man.
"Well, look what happened to the czar!" said the commissar.
"Exactly!" answered the old man with a smile.

We must believe that prayer has power. Perhaps not in the twisted way of the old man, but that prayer is significant and makes a difference in life. Jesus agonized greatly in some of his prayers – and he didn’t always have clear answers – but he kept on praying – even during his final moments on the cross. To the very end he was in a communicative process with God.

I wish I could say I have a lot to show for all my prayers – but I can’t. Yet, the clear example of Jesus, who our Ephesians text says, "reconciles us to God in one body through the cross" – that clear example shows us that we cannot give up. We must continue to long for God, in the words of the Psalmist "my soul thirst for thee." For ultimately we know that beyond God there is nothing. "It is in God that we live, and move and have our very being," to again draw upon the Apostle Paul. You see, the discipline of prayer is a vehicle to involve us in God’s plan, not to involve God in our plans.

The late Roman Catholic priest, Henri Nouwen, in his little yet powerful book on prayer, entitled With Open Hands, offers this insight,

"Whenever you feel that a little praying can’t do any harm, you will find that it can’t do much good either. Prayer has meaning only if it is necessary and indispensable. Prayer is prayer only when we can say that without it, a person could not live."

Prayer is essential in the life of faith – it is our Central Avenue with God. To pray does not mean to think about God in contrast to thinking about other things. Or to spend time with God instead of spending time with other people. Rather, it means to think and live in the presence of God.

To pray is to know the two-pronged dimensionality of communicating with God. Simply put, it is expressing our praise, compassion and concern on the one hand and listening for what God would say to us on the other.

Praying in this total life way is a lot easier said than done. I suspect that if you are like me, almost every single one of us here this morning would admit – if we were really honest with ourselves – that we need to grow in our prayer life. I can tell you - that I have a lot of room for growth.

Sometimes I allow myself to get so busy or so distracted – that I have little time left for intentional prayer – and it’s easier to say to myself – "I’ll do it later." But as an anonymous person of faith reminds us,

"Anyone who is too busy to pray is busier than God ever intended he or she should be.

Or as another anonymous poet puts it,

I got up early one morning and rushed into the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I didn’t have time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier came each task;
"Why doesn’t God help me?" I wondered.
God answered, "You didn’t ask."
I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn’t show me.
God said, "But you didn’t seek."
I tried to come into God’s presence; I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided, "My child, you didn’t knock."
I woke up early this morning, and paused before entering the day
I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.

Though that poem might be a bit simplistic – it makes the point, we need intentionality and a disciplined prayer life.

But so often, I know in my own life and perhaps for you - we tuck in prayers. We tuck them in – at mealtimes, bedtime, certainly we pray at church meetings. What I am suggesting is we need to be even more intentional but perhaps less structured on our praying and take substantial time to pray – perhaps ten to twenty, even thirty minutes to sit quietly and pray.

If we are God’s children – but don’t allow for regular communication with God – which is what prayer is – we stifle connectedness, consistency, and caring. It’s just like in our own families – if we don’t express ourselves and listen – that is communicate – we don’t have much of a relationship. But fortunately, as opposed to some human relationships, God always stands ready to communicate with us.

And the great thing is that prayer brings about change. We often hear that prayer changes things. Actually, prayer changes people – and it’s people, like us, who change things. Prayer is the Central Avenue God uses to change us and to help us grow in faith and faithfulness. There are so many different ways to pray and so many different postures: kneeling… head bowed… eyes closed… hands folded…helpful to me, with open hands…no right or wrong way. Can’t let form, style or posture get in the way. What is clear to me this Lenten season is that we cannot wait until we feel like praying or until we feel we have the time. The issue – plain and simply – is doing it.

In his book, "The Cost of Discipleship", and there is a cost, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, states,

"It matters little what form of prayer we adopt or how many words we use, what matters is the faith which lays hold on God and touches the heart of God who knew us long before we came to God."

Now I know there are many of you here today who are uncomfortable praying in public – but I also suspect there are some who are uncomfortable praying privately. And all I can say is, "try it!"

Actor Cary Grant offered an encouraging word some years ago – yet it is still true today,

"If you don’t have faith, pray anyway. If you don’t understand or believe the words you’re saying, pray anyway. Prayer can start faith."

And once it is started, friends, it need never end. We can be in a deep state of prayer – while doing all the external things in life. The next time you are in a group of people and idly chatting about the weather or whatever – let me suggest that underneath that conversation you pray for those persons and their situations and struggles. It will make a difference. For as our Ephesians text says, "Pray at all times in the spirit, with all prayer and supplication."

You see, we can be in a form of prayer even in the midst of our busy and hectic lives and all the conversations that fly around us. The Central Avenue of prayer can put us in touch with the Central Avenues of the world.

The group that travels to Honduras this week invites your prayers to support the group. I could have brought in the current state of affairs, political situation, world situation, hunger, poverty and all the natural disasters happening around us. But each of us needs to find our own way into our prayer life and I encourage you and invite you to take that journey.

And finally, on a very personal note – just as we need to discipline ourselves to begin the day in prayer and pray throughout the day – so also should we end the day in prayer. I used to lie in bed at night and pray – and about halfway through slowly fall asleep. And I have felt very guilty about that for years. And then only about a year or so ago, it hit me, that I was really falling asleep into God. And since we’ve got to go to sleep eventually at night, what better way to go – than into God’s tender care and keeping – and who knows, maybe the conversation still continues with God even while we’re sleeping. As the Psalmist says, "I lie upon my bed at night and wait for thee, O God."

Well, one sermon on prayer cannot motivate you to grow in your prayer life. I can only lift up our universal need – and the possibilities which might emerge if we try. Ultimately, each of us is responsible when we walk out of the sanctuary this morning – for how we approach God in prayer. And as I said earlier, surely, God stands ready to reach out to us through that Central Avenue of prayer. So,…welcome to Central Avenue!

I would like to close with a familiar 13th century prayer from Richard of Chichester,

"Thanks be to thee, O God through our Lord Jesus Christ
for all benefits which Thou has won for us,
for all the pains and insults which thou has borne for us,
O most merciful Redeemer,
Friend and Brother,
may we know Thee more clearly,
love Thee more dearly
and follow Thee more nearly,
day by day."

And that is indeed my hope and prayer for all of us this day and in the days to come, - that we may know the Lord more clearly, love the Lord more dearly, and follow our Lord more nearly day by day – as we journey forth on Central Avenue.

Amen.