Sunday after Ascension – morning
Sunday 13th May 2018
Sunday after Ascension – Easter 7 – morning
Acts 1.15-17, 21-26
John 17.6-19
Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs
“Thy Kingdom Come” – what do we mean when we pray those words? You do it every time we gather for worship. You do it probably when you pray yourselves at home. But what does it mean?
Some might think this is the most challenging prayer we can make. Genuinely asking God into every corner of our lives… do you think we actually mean it? Do we think about it enough?
Anyone who has read their magazine this month, will know that Thy Kingdom Come is also the name given to these 10 days of dedicated prayer between Ascension and Pentecost. It began a few years ago following an initiative of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. And it has caught the imagination of Christians worldwide. So now you will find people in all kinds of churches, not just Anglican, but Methodist and Roman Catholic and many others taking part in their own ways. A couple of years ago we set up prayer stations around church and invited people from the community to come in and explore the phrases of the Lord’s Prayer through the displays. We have not done that this time (perhaps we will again one day) but that does not mean we can’t take part in different ways. You can sign up to receive a daily email into your inbox; you can follow it on social media; you can just take 5 minutes each day, consciously to pray for 5 other people among your friends or family. Ideally 5 people who do not have an existing relationship with God or Jesus. You don’t have to tell them you are praying for them, if you don’t want to…. But then again perhaps you might. It could lead to an interesting conversation about faith. Why you have it, what a difference it makes to your life, why you think it would improve theirs…
You might also think about praying before you make any important decisions or have any significant meetings this week? Nothing very fancy or using special language. Just an acknowledgement that sometimes it is hard to make the choices we have to in daily life and asking God to be with us in all that we do. See if it makes a difference to your decision making or to the outcomes of your meetings. It can’t hurt and might actually improve things! You won’t know unless you try it. Too often we tend to think that prayer belongs either in here on a Sunday or perhaps last thing at night in our own private space. But actually as practising Christians we should be constantly praying. Constantly asking God into our lives, letting his kingdom come to us.
That is what the apostles did when choosing a successor to Judas. They did not know which candidate to appoint. We assume that either Justus or Matthias would have been equally well qualified, so in the end all they could do was to cast lots, but by doing this in an atmosphere of prayer, they could all feel that God’s hand was in the final choice.
And the whole of our Gospel reading today is one long prayer. An opportunity to listen in to JESUS in deepest conversation and communion with his father in heaven. Asking for the gift of the Holy Spirit to fall on his followers – a gift that will become realised next Sunday as we celebrate the feast of Pentecost.
Perhaps we sometimes think that those people on whom the Spirit descended with such dramatic effect, were very different to ourselves? But I don’t think there was much difference at all. Their lives were difficult. Their relationships were no doubt troubled at times. They had plenty of doubt – even though they had spent several years in Jesus’ company, hearing him preach and teach; seeing him bring healing and wholeness. For those of us who do not have such an advantage it is little wonder that we sometimes doubt. Which is exactly why we should pray Thy Kingdom Come. To quote the end of the prayer journal:
“Those friendships, that situation, that difficulty. Not to mention the pain and hardship in the lives of others around the world that you just can’t bring yourself to imagine.
And because all is not well with the state of the world – we pray, Thy Kingdom Come.
We pray, Jesus, please bring change, make things different as only You can.
But, before we do, just one thing.
If you, if we, dare to pray this prayer be ready that God will take you far more seriously than you take yourself.
Be prepared not just to look on as an observer, but to take a full part in His mission to see His Kingdom Come.”
Amen.