When I was nine years old, I received an “award” for perfect attendance during Children’s Choir in our church. The award was a plaque that many of you have seen. The image is a pair of praying hands, presumably Jesus’, and the words on the plaque read, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” When I was eight, I had no idea that these words came from a poem from Alfred Lord Tennyson titled, “Morte D’Arthur. (the Passing of Arthur). But in her shrewdness, my mother placed the plaque above the head of my bed, so that every night when I went to bed, every morning when I got up, and every time I came in that room, I would read those words about the power of prayer.
I do wonder if my mother realized the irony of placing that plaque where she faced it. Just on the other side of that wall, at roughly the same time that I got that plaque, was my mother and father’s room. And for the next six years, my father struggled with cancer, a disease which ultimate took his life when I was fourteen years old. Many days, often many weeks, he was confined to that room as he sought to get better. And many nights, encouraged by the words above my bed, I asked God to bless my Dad.
Have you ever prayed for something really big? The fact is, as reasonable as we hope our faith can be, the clear teaching of Jesus is that we are to ask for what we want. We are especially encouraged to pray for things that would make the world a better place. And we are to pray for things that just don’t seem very likely of going our way.
Let’s ask ourselves what this means for us in a world turned upside down. We’ll do so in worship on Sunday morning, as the sermons is titled, “More Things Are Wrought: Daring to Ask for a Different Reality”, arising from Luke 11: 1-13. The biblical text will be read by James Thomas, who facilitated our Appalachia Service Project team this past week. We will hear a report from those who traveled there, and see pictures of some of their work. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by Matthew Wachtman, will lead us in singing. We’ll also have a moment for children.
If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream. To join online, visit www.smumc.church at 10:30 AM, and click on the Live Stream banner.