Praying As Fast As I Can

I first started serving Symons Valley United Church, I was one of the two ministers they had planned to call. The problem was that the second minister was not available to begin at SVUC for another six months. When people asked me what my new work involved, I would was start with,  "Well, I'm alone in team ministry and so I'm doing a bit of everything." One of those things that I had to do a lot for those six months was preach. Until my first month with SVUC, I had never preached two Sundays in row, much less preach a month of sermons. About half-way through that very full time, a kind someone asked me, with ernest, HOW I was doing? My response was intended to be humorous but I have to admit, a bit of despair snuck in. I answered, "Well, it's incredible...Sundays just keep coming each and every week!" I have always loved preaching however having to do everything I had to do and then write a sermon each and every week's end and then preach it was exhausting. I felt quite proud and satisfied with my ability to keep up with the weekly at the end of the six months but I have to tell you--I was SO happy to hand over the bulk of the preaching responsibilities to my new teammate when she arrived. Of course, over the past five years, things have changed dramatically in our staff team here at SVUC and now I am the main preacher. And I love it.

Anyway. I tell you all of this because, in my second week of reading 52 books in 52 weeks, my thoughts earlier this week were, "oh my goodness, is it a new week? What do you mean it is time to read another book again!?" And, then later this week, "arg! I need to now write about the book! WHAT was I thinking!?"

But I have to tell, without any intent, I picked THE PERFECT book for this week. I chose not to choose which book I was going to read after last week's Insurrection by Peter Rollins--I just took the book that was next on top of the pile I have on my desk. It happened to be Help, Thanks, Wow: Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott.

Anne Lamott is a bit of hero of my mine--theologically speaking. She has written a number of books based on her faith journey, her doubts, her certainties, the struggles she has experienced in her complicated and very full life, her complete and total love for her son, her grandson and her God and her total and complete dismay and despair over certain presidential administrations in the USA.

Peter Rollins took me on a bit of mind-blowing read last week in his exploration of what would happen if we just acknowledged that our God is not one who will save the day. Nor will God actually do anything with our rites, rituals and doctrinal declarations. God will not heal by faith alone or if you just believe hard enough. What do we do with a God like that? The book was full challenging and beautiful theological points but it was rather philosophical. I missed feeling connected with God. It was head stuff not heart stuff.

Anne, however, is all about the heart. She also believes in a God that will not actually DO anything with your prayers other than reflect them back to you or use them to shine a light on someone else's situation that desperately needs your attention. Despite this understanding of God's power (or lack thereof, depending on how you look at it), Anne believes deeply that prayer has power beyond anything we can imagine to assist us in healing and becoming a healthier version of ourselves. God's power sits right there, with us as we pray.

I have been holding tightly to this book this week, as we enter into the last week on earth that does not have as its US president, The Donald. Anne's book has reminded me that when all seems lost and it seems nothing more can be done, you can still pray. This week I've been praying. A lot.

Twitter, Facebook and journalists are all freaking out, in these last days, as the full weight of what's about to happen descends upon the citizens of the USA. Marches, rallies and protests are being planned for the day after Inauguration Day. Who knows what is going to happen. I have been a bit obsessed with listening and reading about all the craziness that is going around the appointing of this or that person, the growing awareness that Obamacare IS, in fact, THE SAME as the Affordable Care Act and the mounting worry of potential loss of freedoms and rights that have been granted over the past eight years.

If I think I  have got a little knotted up these past few days I wonder what Anne Lamott is going through. She has not made secret her thoughts over the presidential administrations of both Bushes. I think she is going to lose it when the Trump Administration begins in ernest. From other books by her that I have read, I know, for a fact, that one of the key components of her surviving Trump--emotionally, psychologically, spiritually--will be through prayer. She may even start with "Help!"

Here is a prayer she includes in her book that she "uses in a pinch" (p. 34)

Hi God.

I am just a mess.

It is all hopeless.

What else is new?

I would be sick of me, if I were You, but

            miraculously You are not.

I know I have no control over other people’s

            lives, and I hate this. Yet I believe that if I

            accept this and surrender, You will meet

            wherever I am.

Wow. Can this be true? If so, how is this

            afternoon—say, two-ish?

Thank You in advance for Your company and

            blessings.

You have never once let me down.

Amen.

 

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