Pray for renewal

Lutheran, The, Jan 2004 by Hanson, Mark S

The Christian community lives by prayer

Let us begin the new year by calling this church to E prayer. That is the first objective of the evangelism Lstrategy adopted by the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The goal is to "activate and mobilize this church to pray for renewal that is grounded in the Word [so] every member, congregation, synod, churchwide unit, and institution might bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ."

To heed this call, every ELCA congregation must see itself as a school of prayer. What are your earliest recollections of someone praying? Perhaps it was being held in the arms of a loving parent, praying, "Now I lay me down to sleep"; the family bowing heads before a meal; or hearing the pastor in worship.

We learn to pray by praying. Even the disciples recognized their need to be taught how to pray: " 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.' Jesus responded, 'When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name' " (Luke 11:1-2).

Why do we pray? Prayer tends to the relationship God has established with us. Think of the distance that occurs when there is a lack of communication in a relationship. Is it any different in our relationship with God? Prayer also creates space for God to enter our broken, sinful lives. It is not one-way communication but a posture of openness to God's presence and word of grace.

Prayer also belongs to our relationship with one another in the community of the baptized. Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: "A Christian community either lives by the intercessory prayers of its members for one another, or the community will be destroyed. The face that may have been strange and intolerable to me is transformed into the face of one for whom Christ died." Prayer belongs to our life in the world. We plead with God for mercy, peace, healing and forgiveness, boldly believing our prayers make a difference, creating openings for God's presence to be more intense and effective.

Prayer belongs to the assembly gathered around the means of grace. There, we hear God's voice in words of promise and command. God leaves us sometimes praising, often pleading, confessing and thanking. Even when we fall silent, not knowing how to pray, the Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26).

I invite you to pray for the ELCA. Pray that we might be generous stewards, renewed in our lives of faith and witness. Pray knowing that when prayer for renewal begins, renewal itself is under way.

Resources

For prayer and prayer resources, see www. prayingchurch.org. For the evangelism strategy and related resources, see www.elca.org/vision evangelism.

By: Mark S. Hanson

A monthly message from the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. His e-mail address: bishop @elca. org.