5 I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments;
6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned.
7 We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses.
8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples;
9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.’
10 They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great power and your strong hand.
11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!” At the time, I was cupbearer to the king.  Neh 1:5-11 (NRSV)

Have you heard echoes of Nehemiah’s prayer in worship services you attend?  Knowing the source of some of these phrases may make those prayers even more meaningful.  They do for me.

Indeed, as we’ve discussed before, the very word chosen to articulate the idea of “the church” – ekklesia – means to be called out: in the sense of being called out to serve.  That’s something that we’ve lost since the beginning of “modern times”.  We are so wrapped up in expressing our individualism, that we forget what it means to be part of community – to subordinate ourselves to God’s will and the service of others.

One neglected way of putting on the full armor of God is to “pray without ceasing”.  As mvtclass members know, I teach a couple of other classes as well – one of which doesn’t generally use the Adult Bible Studies series.  I had already thought of teaching a series in this class (which is focused on historical religious studies) on the Liturgy of the Hours.  Partly this was because I became interested in the concept not only of monastic prayer, but of cathedral prayer, when we did our study on the history of worship.  Partly it was because the references to Morning Prayer and Evensong that I’ve read quoted in novels (think P. D. James for one) always struck me as both comforting and beautiful.

 One thought that has recurred to me as I’ve explored this whole “blogging concept” is that – with our busy post-modern lives, maybe the only way to have daily communal prayer and study is virtually – in an online world.  It’s one of the reasons that I’ve added a feature to the right-hand sidebar that will provide the full text of the Daily Bible Study scripture from our quarterly lesson books.  That way, if you forget to read the verses before you leave the house in the morning (or if you forget where you put your book ), you can find it on the blog.  Whether you read any of the posts or comments, you can read God’s word – “the sword of the spirit” – and utter a brief prayer.  As virtual cathedral prayer, it’s not much, but it’s something. 

So – what are your thoughts on God’s call?

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.
15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.
16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Eph 6:10-18 (NRSV)

We had a pretty good discussion on the power of the Word of God as well as the other pieces of “armor”.  Basically, we all agreed that these were ultimately about the power of God’s sacrificial love for us.  And what do we use this power to oppose?  The “cosmic powers of this present age”.  After everyone finished with Darth Vader breathing, we had a pretty wide range of opinions about the nature of these powers: any where from Milton’s fallen angel to the evil that we generate ourselves.

So, what do you conclude about God’s armor and when have you felt the need to put on “the whole armor of God”?

1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.  Psalms 25:1-5 (NRSV)

A continuation of the “lifting up” in the 24th Psalm, this is a prayer for deliverance, guidance and forgiveness.  Verse four (as well as vv.9-10, 12) continues Wisdom’s concerns with the right “path” or “way” (cf. Psalms 1).  The psalm is an acrostic – that is each line begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  The New Jerusalem Bible seeks to give a sense of this pattern in its translation:

1 Aleph  adoration I offer, Yahweh, to you, my God.
2 Bet but in my trust in you do not put me to shame, let not my enemies gloat over me.
3 Gimel calling to you, none shall ever be put to shame, but shame is theirs who groundlessly break faith.
4 Dalet direct me in your ways, Yahweh, and teach me your paths.
5 He  encourage me to walk in your truth and teach me since you are the God who saves me.
(Waw) for my hope is in you all day long— such is your generosity, Yahweh.   Psalms 25:1-5 (NJB)

Actually, vav (or waw, depending on who’s doing the translating) is missing, but the NJB seeks to correct the acrostic in translation – perhaps in the spirit of trying to capture the original – by splitting verse 5 into two parts.  Personally, I like the NRSV, though it is less “poetic” than the Jerusalem Bible.  In either translation (as well as in the Jewish Society’s Translation, the NIV, NASB, ESV, KJV, and the Message) the focus of verse 5 is to walk or be led in the way of “truth”.  “Truth” is what we are encouraged to put on as a “belt” in Ephesians 6:14.  So, what is this “truth” and how does it serve as part of our armor in the struggle against cosmic powers and spiritual forces of evil?  This is the question that we’ll ask in one form or another of each of the metaphorical armaments that we are to don the last week of this quarter’s lessons.

1 Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father, to younger men as brothers,
2 to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters—with absolute purity.
3 Honor widows who are really widows.
4 If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some repayment to their parents; for this is pleasing in God’s sight.
5 The real widow, left alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day;
6 but the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.
7 Give these commands as well, so that they may be above reproach.
8 And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.  1 Tim 5:1-8 (NRSV)

By “real” widow, the writer means someone without children or grand-children or other family members upon whom she could rely.  Concerning verse 6 – living for pleasure – Wesley says:

Delicately, voluptuously, in elegant, regular sensuality, though not in the use of any such pleasures as are unlawful in themselves.—Wesley’s Commentary

In other words, if she is so focused on the passing pleasures of this world, she really is dead while living – for those things ultimately do not satisfy.

Okay – so what has this to do with the great mystery of our faith as discussed last week and as referenced in part of tomorrow’s lesson scripture for this week (Ephesians 5:32)?

     Maxie Dunnam quotes Second Corinthians 9:10 – “Now he who provides seed for sowing and bread for food will provide the seed for you to sow;  he will multiply it and swell the harvest of your benevolence, and you will always be rich enough to be generous.”  What a promise that is!  Our giving back to God what He has freely given to us is of such importance that it is a much written about subject in the New Testament, see, Matthew 6:21; Matthew 7:6; Matthew 10:8, Matthew 22:21; Luke 12:48; Luck 16:10-12; Acts 20:35; 1 Timothy 5:8; 1 Timothy 6:6,7; and, 1 Timothy 6:10.

     The subjects of stewardship and tithing are ones that can be uncomfortable to discuss in an open forum.  I believe that is why we are given our church packets and asked to take them home and open our hearts to Him through prayer.  There, we can ask for His guidance and have trust in our Father that, when we give with a generous heart, He will accept our gifts and, as He assures us in Second Corinthians 9:10 – “add a little something to it!” – Karen

     Worship is not optional, it is a commandment. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20:8 – This is not to say that we are only to set aside one day for worship, but rather it is the opportunity for the church to celebrate together and gather strength and support in one another’s arms, praising God and saying “Hallelujah” and “Amen” together.  It offers Christ the opportunity to walk amongst us loving us as a whole body, His body.   I believe that when the early churches read Paul’s letters that they actually felt his presence amongst themselves.  Do you feel the presence of our Savior when His Word is spoken from the pulpit?

     Consider this…what if the day you decide to not be present is the day that God has a very special purpose for your life and the life of His church?  We all have reasons to be absent from our church worship service from time-to-time – but do we take the time, when absent in body, to become united with our church family in worship and prayer during our scheduled worship services?  

     Maxie Dunnam asks – “Have you ever experienced a deeply moving worship service?” – I say – “Let’s share!” – Karen

In looking at today’s chapter, let’s start with some scripture:

9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10 (NRSV)

 We’ve discussed (and even blogged) this topic before.  What does it mean that God will answer our prayers?  We can have that discussion again, but I like the way that Maxie Dunnam turns it around:

“What if there are some things God either cannot or will not do until people pray?”

Think about that for a minute (and then post your thoughts).  I’m fine with “will not do”, but what is your reaction to “cannot” do?

The author also gives us a different perspective by tackling us once again on our human tendency to want to work our way toward a certain result, even when we might be reluctant to pray for that very same result.  “If it is right to work for a certain end, isn’t it just as right to pray for that purpose?”  He then quotes the Scottish theologian, John Baillie:

“Clearly we must not pray for any end towards which it is wrong to labour, but likewise we must not labour toward any end for which it is wrong to pray.”

There are many other things we can say and discuss about prayer, but what are your thoughts on these specific ideas?

 But born to do what?  That is the question left unanswered too often.  That is the difference in what we believe and what others believe.  To what purpose do we die?  For what purpose are we “born again”?  For me, the answer is to live our lives as if Christ were in us.  And that focus is on “us” — not “me”, but “us”.

 ”We” are the Church — the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church — the Bride of Christ.  We not only serve as Christ would serve individually, but corporately as the Church.  Sometimes we forget this in our frontier society attitudes toward the “rugged individual”.  True stewardship recognizes that we bring our gifts, our prayers, our service together.  In the Adult Bible Study Series for this quarter I was struck by today’s Daily Bible Study scripture, which is from Acts:

44 All who believed were together and had all things in common;
45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.
46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts,
47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.   Acts 2:44-47 (NRSV)

What a wonderful description of the early Church.  We forget sometimes how much the Church is the focus of the New Testament.  Think about this for a minute — how many of the Epistles are directed to individuals?  How many to churches?  How much of Paul’s concern was for what the churches were doing as it was for what trouble and dissension was being caused by individuals?  Maybe “losing our lives” means not doing so individually so much as surrendering our individuality in voluntary service for the greater good.  How do you square this concept with what you might think about the American ideal of the “rugged individual”?  But is this really an “ideal” in our heritage; or did the founding fathers (and mothers and brothers, etc.) really make the same argument that it is through “hanging together” that we achieve true freedom?

 I know some of you have thoughts on this . . .