The Paradox of Prayer

At New Millennium we enjoy reading books about faith, ethics, and and discussing them.  We're currently reading The New Being by Paul Tillich, who is viewed as one of the leading moral thinkers of the 20th Century.  The New Being is a collection of meditations about various subjects and questions related to faith and living. 

In Tillich's meditation titled "The Paradox of Prayer," we've been reminded that words are not the essence of prayer.  Prayer transcends words.  At best, we extend God our trust.  To use the words of a revered hymn, we "stretch our hands" toward God for various reasons (to express our thanks, to offer praise for God's attributes, to confess our shortcomings, anxieties, fears, and pain, to petition God for help for ourselves and others, and to commit ourselves more to God). 

Whatever the reasons may be that prompt us to "stretch our hands" to God, let's admit that our words can't bridge the gap between us and God.  We aren't good, smart, or anything else enough.  We can stretch toward God, but we need help to reach God.  And we should admit that we aren't even smart, good, or anything else enough to know ourselves well.

Somehow, prayer involves more than us stretching.  Stretching is our participation in prayer.  Catching is God's work.  Tillich reminds us (using St. Paul's moving statement in Romans 8:26-27 about the Holy Spirit interceding for us) that prayer actually involves God interceding to God on our behalf.  God bridges the gap between our stretching effort and God.  God meets us, grabs us, and moves beyond our feeble stretching efforts.  Our duty is to stretch, trust, hope, believe, and count on God.

Prayer involves us counting on God with every breath and heartbeat.  God is present to catch our feeble efforts in prayer and bridge the gap between us and God.  That's good news.  Pass it on.

Grace and Peace to you from New Millennium Church.