Christian prayer foundations: Divine consistency

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Divine consistency

God continues to promise rescue and blessings to all who feel as if they do not deserve this attention. 'I will never forget you' says God in Isaiah 49:15.

Yet, in the face of misfortune and adversity, it is common to believe falsely that God is no longer aware of us, and needs reminding. This is voiced in some Psalms.

'How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

(Psalm 13:1)

'O God, you have rejected us. You have broken us; you have been angry; now restore us.' (Ps 60:1)

'My God my God, why have you forsaken me?' (Ps 22:1)

'O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?' (Ps 74:1)

God never ceases to forgive sin and heal its effects. His kindness and compassion don't just stop with disregarding the penitent's past. There is always promise for the future as well.

'When the time comes to save you, I will show you favour and answer your cries for help.

I will guard and protect you and through you make a covenant with all peoples. (Is 49:8)

There's a hint here of the universal relevance of the story of God's chosen people to all humankind, a theme which comes to the forefront in the Gospels and Acts, proclaiming him who is 'light to lighten the Gentiles' (Luke 2:32)

The theme of restoration of the promised land after the ravages of war and famine repeats itself in the prophetic record, throughout the history of Israel.

I will let you settle once again in your land that is now laid waste. I will say to the prisoners, ‘Go free!’ and to those who are in darkness, ‘Come out to the light!’ They will be like sheep that graze on the hills; they will never be hungry or thirsty. Sun and desert heat will not hurt them, for they will be led by one who loves them. He will lead them to springs of water.' (Isaiah 49:9-11)

Remembering the consistency of God in contrast to human variability is cause for praise and thanksgiving. The sentence that appears as part of post-communion prayers in Anglican forms of the Eucharist is well worthy of repetition, not only after the church's greatest act of remembrance, but in everyday prayer as well.

'O give thanks to the Lord for he is gracious; for his mercy endures forever.' (Psalm 118:1)

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About this blog

The basis of Christian Prayer.

Christianity born of Judaism, owes its spiritual mother an immeasurable debt in many dimensions of faith; e.g.

Belief in one living eternal God, infinitely just, true and good, creator, source of all that exists.
Belief that time and the cosmos, despite the repeated cycles of nature, is a process of change with a beginning and end.
Belief that human beings are made in the divine image and likeness of their creator.
Belief that each person is called to find the meaning and purpose of life in relation to God, and develop this by means of prayer and worship throughout life.
Belief in the essential value and importance of understanding who and what we are as spiritual and moral beings, conveying this understanding through stories told about God in relation to humans.
Belief that remembering the story humans tell about themselves in relation with God is at the core of the personal relationship each has with God.
Belief that the rich record of these stories in sacred scripture has a life of its own and can inspire those who read and study them with a sense of meaning and to creative responses that nurture human existence intellectually, morally and spiritually.
Belief in the value of repeating the same annual pattern of scriptural story telling, in response to the cycle of the seasons, as a prime means to development as human beings as our creator envisaged.

Jewish believers derive their core sense of identity and cohesion from remembering the Exodus story and performing the rituals of Passover, and belonging to their ancestral homeland, Israel. Christian believers, keep Lent, Holy Week and Eastertide, to remember the ministry, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, two thousand years ago.

This story is understood as the foundation of personal relationship with God. It imparts a sense of belonging to a global fellowship of believers not dependent upon a specific homeland. The land of Israel plays a central part in the Christian story of faith, yet it's a story that's considered relevant to life, wherever it is told and awakes people to faith.

Forty days of Lent, fifty days of Eastertide is a season to work with the essentials of the Christian story and rediscover their meaning and relevance to lifes today. It is a time of returning and renewal, offering an enriched understanding of faith, and way to deepen the life of prayer.