9th Sunday after Pentecost/July 30, 2023
Psalm 119:129-136; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33,44-52
Opening Prayer:
Breathe in, the Holy Spirit of God…Breathe out, the concerns of the day…
Breathe in, the Holy Spirit of God…Breathe out, the words that get in the way…
Breathe in, the Holy Spirit of God…Breathe out, the transforming love and peace of Jesus Christ…Amen
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus puts before us another parable, and another, and another, and another, and another…little nuggets of teaching…to continue to open up the eyes, ears, hearts and minds of those wondering and wrestling with “what the kingdom of heaven is like”, “what the kingdom of God is like…”
And I believe, it’s the gift of the Holy Spirit, that can help us, as we strive to hear and make sense of the Word of the Lord…as we strive to listen more deeply to understand what the Spirit of God is saying to us, today, and every day…when we enter into a time of prayer with our scriptures, in our daily prayers, and in our times of silence…
So, this morning, I’m going to focus on the reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans…that speaks a bit about the Spirit…
Anybody here ever feel like you just don’t know how to pray? Ever feel like you just don’t have the right words or the right intentions? Ever feel like your prayers are not effective…or perhaps you’ve reached a point where you just don’t know how to pray or what to pray for anymore…
We can stress ourselves out pretty good trying to be faithful in our prayers…sometimes we come to that point, where we feel like the well-being of all those in our circle of life depend on our prayers, alone…sometimes our prayers eventually become just another thing on our to-do list, but perhaps even more distressing, our prayer life becomes a burden on us…instead of a life-giving practice, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to bring comfort, to bring peace of heart and mind, to help guide us and strengthen us to support one another and unite us to one another, through the love of God in Christ Jesus…in this life…and in the life yet to come…
Let’s take a look at the what the opening verses in the letter of Paul to the Romans says about the Holy Spirit…“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” Romans 8:26
Spirit…The Spirit helps us in our weakness…The Spirit intercedes for us…with sighs too deep for words…
Has the Spirit been a part of your prayer life? Or have you noticed that you’ve been hurrying through your prayers to get on to the next thing, or perhaps trying hard to find the perfect words you think you have to say, forgetting for a moment, that the Holy Spirit, the advocate, the comforter, is deeply present in your heart, always there, ready to be called upon for strength, direction, comfort, and peace…
Do you set aside a time of silence before you begin your prayers and throughout your prayer time… to tap into the presence of the Holy Spirit?
If not…perhaps, the Spirit…is the missing piece...waiting to be tapped into…Perhaps, we have forgotten for a moment that we say we believe in a Triune God…God as Father, God as Son, and God as Holy Spirit…and that the Holy Spirit was the promise given to us by Jesus, as he prepared his disciples for the time he would no longer be with them…he assured them that they/we would not be left alone without a helper to get through our sometimes difficult moments that all of us face throughout our lifetimes…and that we would be sent the Holy Spirit, an Advocate, a comforter, a helper, to be with us for ever…
So, how do we connect with this Spirit? I believe that we connect with Spirit, when we just stop and pay attention to what is present now in this moment…stop ourselves from “doing” and allow ourselves to “just be”. Stop ourselves from running from God and the quiet, and run to God, and allow our hearts to be still…allow our hearts to remember…that it is the Spirit that helps us in our weakness…the Spirit which intercedes for us...with sighs too deep for words…
Throughout the gospels, we have been given numerous illustrations of Jesus’ prayer life in which he stopped what he was doing, to go off and “be” with God…He knew the importance of being renewed and strengthened by the One who gave him the strength and the power to do the work he was being called to do…
Think about how energized and encouraged you feel sometimes after you talk to a good friend or family member… you may start off the conversation feeling pretty down and tired and exhausted from day to day life and responsibilities, worries, etc….You have the opportunity to talk about what’s on your mind, share your thoughts and feelings… and the most amazing thing that happens during this conversation, is the quiet listening presence on the other end of the phone…there are no words, no judgements, no advice, just silence, and a “deep sigh”, and a profound realization that you are not alone…this person listened…they understand…. They gave you the strength and courage to go on…
And so, it is with the Spirit and our prayers…We have a friend and helper, when it comes time for our prayers and discerning what’s next…we don’t always have the “words” we are looking for, and we don’t always need them…but with the Spirit…it is often in the deep sighs where we find the greatest strength, guidance, comfort and healing, and peace…
Let us pray:
Hymn prayer after sermon: (#82 – Marantha Praise Chorus Book)
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me. Amen.
Rev Julie Platson
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitka, AK