Sermons
Nineteenth
Sunday After Trinity
Sunday 17 October 2004 at 10am
At the 10.00am service on Sunday
17th October two people from the congregation offered some thoughts on ways
of praying which had been particularly helpful to them. Their contributions
were part of a service in which the subject of prayer was explored more
widely. Astrid's and Jerry's thoughts are published below:
Prayer and Silence
Silent prayer is not something I can claim
to be well grounded in, but it is important to me and so I hope my experience
may be of some help. What it has done for me is to give me the knowledge
that God really exists. When there is so much suffering both near at hand
and world-wide no-one can be blamed for doubting God's existence, or at
the very least for doubting that God is love, but silence for me removes
the doubt.
This first came to me in 1960 during a holiday in Southern Germany. I went
up a mountain in a very old-fashioned chair lift. It was a single chair
and the chairs above and below it were empty. As the chair rose above the
trees there was utter silence - not a voice, a bird, an animal or a breeze.
I could see the whole of the lake beneath me with mountains beyond it, but
there was not a sound. During those few moments of complete silence I knew
that God existed. I no longer just believed, I knew. There was no need for
me to say "God is" or even to think the words, but because I knew
God existed I also knew that no matter how much I failed as a Christian
and however badly things went wrong in the world "All would be well".
The experience passed only too quickly and was pushed to the back of my
mind, but now and again a glimpse of it comes back, especially in Julian
Meetings. The room where these are held can never be completely silent because
it's surrounded by the busy life of Harehills, and - even worse - it isn't
easy silencing one's own thoughts and distractions, but, sitting with like-minded
people all waiting upon God in their own particular ways, the conviction
returns. We know that there is a God, and that God is Love. To quote from
one of Julian of Norwich's best known passages "Sin is behovely but
all shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall
be well". Though often we can discern no meaning to this life, nonetheless,
to quote Julian again, "Love is God's meaning". Julian herself
queries this and if she couldn't understand I certainly can't but it is
during silent prayer that I know.
Astrid Fielden
Prayer Triplets
Normally when speaking to an audience (which
doesn't happen often) I'm speaking from a position of knowledge and expertise.
Today I am not so certain. My knowledge and experience in prayer has been
limited. This has either been in church or in a personal and singular way,
and this sometimes perhaps could be confused with meditation.
When the prayer triplet promotion was advertised after Easter this year
as a follow-on to the house groups and I have to admit to being somewhat
less than wildly excited. There were several reasons for this, some of them
rather immediate and so illogical, and although it was some six months ago
I can remember they revolved around things like:
- not having done this sort of thing before,
- not having done this before with others!
- what if I haven't got anything to pray about?
- will there be long periods of uncomfortable silence?
- have I really got time for this?
Looking back a lot of it I can see that a lot of them involved me being
rather self-centred, and I needed to widen my outlook a bit. Anyway I didn't
put my name forward or sign any list. This in fact did no good at all as
I was approached with what they call in sales training "the assumptive
close" with a line of "well you're going to do it aren't you Jerry".
Statement or question, I didn't say no.
I think there were some 8 prayer triplets when they started - I was part
of the only male one.
Was my apprehension justified? The short answer is no. And yes, although
I wasn't totally comfortable immediately, I found that actually setting
aside the 30 minutes a week was useful. That the discipline of having to
find the time with the others was worthwhile. That sitting still in communion
and the sharing of thoughts with others was a fantastically beneficial time
for me. That talking and listening was of real benefit. That we have a tremendous
amount to be thankful for even when we need help. That there were times
when I felt strong feelings of presence.
In fact as summer approached I found when given the chance to break for
the summer that I was actually keen to keep the triplet going . The triplet
did not remain the same threesome, but the feeling of communion, common
purpose and fellowship remained. The whole thing was rather like diving
into a swimming pool that you've just dipped your foot in and found was
colder than expected. That sometimes it would be a bit of 'oh bother, it
prayer triplets tonight' but that once I got in the water was actually warm,
and that half an hour went past very quickly.
And yes, like Astrid we did have periods of silence, but they became not
uncomfortable but more of a time to receive that 'still small voice of calm'.
A time really to appreciate the beauty of God's peace.
Jerry Watson
|
©
St Edmund's Church, Roundhay - Charity Number 1131904
|
18 October, 2004
