Sunday, March 2, 2025
The Last Sunday after the Epiphany
TAKING TIME TO PRAY AND LISTEN
The Rev. Mark D. Wilkinson, Rector
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Katy TX 77450
Jesus is off to a mountaintop or wilderness place to pray. This time he takes Peter, James and John. Only in Luke’s gospel is the Transfiguration set in the context of prayer. In fact, Luke’s gospel shows Jesus praying more frequently than any of the other gospels. Jesus shows not only his disciples the importance of prayer but also shows us the importance of prayer.
Jesus knows how demanding his work is and frequently in Luke goes off to pray; usually having the disciples with him. They see Elijah and Moses and experience God. They do not see God but are engulfed in a cloud and experience God in the cloud. This only happens because they have taken the time to give God the opportunity to break into their lives. If the three disciples had not gone up to the mountain with Jesus, they would have missed the encounter.
However, they cannot stay on the mountain. Whenever anything like this happens, you cannot stay in that moment. As soon as the disciples begin to understand they hear the voice and then it is just Jesus and the three disciples. Jesus is no longer clothed in shinning white, he is just their leader, yet something has changed. The disciples do not say anything as they come off the mountain as they must, and do not tell anyone what they have seen. Their ministry though begins to change from this point on.
Prayer is one important way that we can ask God to change us, to help us grow into faithful followers, true bearers of the good news. Prayer is also a powerful for discernment and guidance.
There is a statement that I want to plant in your minds. “We are not called to go to church, we are called to be the church.” Church is not a place or a building. An important way to be church is to pray not just for ourselves but for others in prayers of intercession and not just on Sunday mornings!
Now one thing that is important to consider is developing a prayer life in the form of what the monastic world calls a Rule of Life. My spiritual director constantly reminds me that we all make time to eat, to sleep, to exercise so why not make time for prayer in your life as well. All of these are important for a healthy balanced life.
This is all fine and wonderful some of you may be thinking and I can almost hear some of you saying, Mark I’m busy, I’ve got too much going on. I don’t have time to pray. Well maybe you do have time.
What you need to do and this would be a great Lenten practice, is to find little times, just 5 minutes here and there. The Rev. Margaret Gunther refers to it as praying in the cracks. She spoke about mountain or rock climbers who pause when they have a good hold or place for a moment to rest. I remember last summer watching the climbing competition in the Olympics. It was noted by the commentators and my son who is a climber that those moments to gather yourself before making a difficult move is important. So too is taking a moment for prayer before something difficult.
Taking the opportunity when you find it. In the narthex there are the Daily Devotions from Living Compass. Each day has a scripture and meditation. It only takes a few moments. There are several apps on the internet for daily prayer and meditation that are free to download on your phone or tablet. I have several of those linked on the church’s website page on the page called related links.
You might log on to our Facebook page every morning at 8:00 for livestream of Daily Morning Prayer. If you aren’t available at 8, then log on some other time in the morning. One thing I have been doing since the start of the pandemic is using an app called “Pray as you Go.” Each day there is a 10–15-minute meditation with scripture and some music. The app is put out by Jesuits in England, and it usually includes a short Ignatian style meditation. I listen to it as I do my morning walk and prayer time. BTW combing a walk with prayer is just one way to get some prayer time into a busy day.
Now these are all great suggestions, but let us not forget one important message of today’s gospel. This may in fact be the most important lesson from today’s gospel for today’s world situation. The disciples hear a voice that says, “This is my son, my chosen. LISTEN TO HIM.” In all these types of prayer at some point we have to stop talking and start to listen. For the answer to our prayers is in the listening and being present. If we do not take the time to listen then we are treating God almost as a wishing well. We throw our prayer in the well just like a coin and then go on our way not waiting for an answer. I saw a meme Thursday that said, “Prayer is more than leaning on a shovel and asking God to dig a hole.”
One of the things I have done as I prepare to retire from full time ministry is to schedule an 8 day silent retreat the second week of May. This is an intentional extended time to stop and say to God, I’m here and I’m listening. What’s next, what do you have in store for me and then take those days to listen, to listen to his son his chosen.
Pastor Steve sent out this psalm and I would like to close this sermon with this thought.
Listen for the One amid the others,
the one who awakens something lovely in you.
If you don’t turn from this clanging world to listen
you won’t hear him.
Listen for the voice that calls you Beloved,
the voice that calls you to love.
Listen to the voice that speaks of Creation’s wholeness,
that beckons you to completion.
A voice that leads you toward others,
not your own rising above and away.
Listen to the song of the immense flowering within you,
the risk and passion you can dance to.
You will hear it in stillness, not in frenzy,
in silence, not in noise.
You will hear it from those who are belittled,
not those who are honored by this besotted world.
The Beloved will not speak of success,
but death and resurrection.
Listen for one who speaks with hope and delight,
listen to him. Listen to him.
There is a lot of noise in our world right now. A lot of negative, angry hateful noise. As Pastor Steve says we need to conscious about stepping out of, away from the noise. More than ever, it is important as we move into Lent this year to take that time. To take out our ear buds, put down our phones, our tablets, close our computers, turn off our TVs and take the time to listen. Even if it is to just go outside for a break and walk without any distractions.
As we move into Lent and a time of preparation not just for Easter but also as I prepare to retire and you prepare to begin the process of discernment for a new rector, listening for God, to listen to his son, his chosen for whatever may be the message, the answer to those prayers. God has great plans all of us. God is speaking to us and we need to listen.