18th July 2010 - "Choosing what is better"

Colin Hull - All Saints', St Michael's and Peter's, Tewin
Genesis 18: 1-10
Col 1: 15-28
Luke 10: 38-end

Introduction - Martha and the special guest

Jesus has arrived and Martha is trying get a meal prepared. Ladies you know what is it like looking after special guest who has just arrived, especially if he has turned up unexpectedly.You want to show hospitality to an important friend- doing as much as you can to make him feel at home.

You get the drinks. Cooking or roasting some meat or fish. You’re slicing the veg and boiling some water but worried is all taking too long. You’ve got to lay the table as well. You’re worried the room looks untidy and wondering if you should get the broom out.

Then you notice your sister (or husband or other relative) sitting chatting with him. Wish you had the chance to sit down too but some one’s got to get things ready! How dare they sit there while you are working to get things ready? Maybe you get a bit angry.

So you complain to your guest you’re being left to do everything and no one is helping you. But He replies in a gentle way that actually your sister is doing the better thing sitting at his feet and chatting to him. She has got it right while you are worrying to much and scurrying around.

I wonder what you think of that. Mary sitting at Jesus feet is doing a better thing than you trying to be practical and hospitable. The implication is that your activity is not the right response at this point in time. He wants your attention rather than worried hospitality

The Cloud of Unknowing

I recalled reading something about this story many years ago in book “The Cloud of Unknowing” by an unknown medieval monk. He used the story to show the difference between two monastic traditions. With my memory jogged I looked his commentary up and re-read it. The author belongs to a tradition of an enclosed Contemplative order where the principal purpose is to be separated from the world in order to get close to God. While we are in this life much of God and His Character and Wisdom is hidden from us, like a Cloud of Unknowing that is between us and God.

The author uses the Martha-Mary to show the difference between the type of religious person who is always busy trying to serve others and look after material things (the Actives) and those who just aim to get closer to God (The Contemplatives).

Prayer and beating upon the Cloud is service to God, more so than any other activity or concern. The Actives are going out and being hospitable- doing things for others- missions and care etc. This is good but it is imperfect. The Contemplatives do and more important thing

The author may be pressing his case too far but his central theme is that the work of prayer and being close to God is a most important calling. There are of course to this day a continuation of both monastic traditions, the Active and Missionary Orders and the Contemplative Orders and we can still learn a lot from both.

But in all the monastic traditions there is a call to the centrality of prayer before, during and after activity. Even the Active Orders focus their activities around a daily prayer routine. In our busy lives there is often too much activity and no time for reflection on what is really important in life- prayer life can be squeezed out by work and family and other concerns. So often there is no time to top up spiritual batteries and inner energy from the Spirit. No time to concentrate on the most essential drawing closer to God and knowing Him better. Too much work and activity, and not enough time for reflection and resting in the Lord’s presence means there is a lack of meaningful Christian focus in what we do.

An exemplary couple

When I was in my late teens and twenties I got to know a very special married couple; Gordan and Ketha , who both retired. They hosted prayer groups in their house. The groups met for prayer meditation on the scriptures and for intercession for healing. Gordon discovered a natural healing gift that seemed on many occasions to cure extreme pain. Their house became a sort of haven for many visitors. I often left their house feeling more peaceful and less stressed than when I had entered.

Gordan and Ketha gave a lot of time in devotion to God and it showed in the type of people they were. They were people who radiated a state of peace. It was partly through them that my own interest in Christian meditation on the scriptures grew. I remember them with fond affection as additional surrogate Grandparents, whose house was an open door to me if I was passing by.

A Muslim challenge

About six years ago I received a new challenge to my prayer life- Faridah came to my place of work from Malaysia to do some research and study for her PhD with one of the London universities. As with many Malaysians she is a devout Muslim and her long shirts and headscarf made her look a bit like a nun. I sometimes had to use a computer terminal in part of her office. The office was divided in to two by a small partition.

One afternoon at about 3pm I heard the Muslim “call to prayer” come from her computer. I heard her get up from her desk, lay out her prayer mat begin whispering her prayers which lasted about 10mins. I subsequently observed she also did this at about 10am each day and at lunch time to.

Here was a lady bringing her prayers and devotional life in to the workplace. She is not alone.

I have subsequently learned of several other visiting Malaysian Muslims doing the same. In fact at work we now have a prayer room for them to use.

It makes me wonder “how many Christians stop during their working day, down-tools and start praying”?

Call for Contemplatives

I think there is a very special need and place for people like my friends Gordan and Ketha There is a special calling for some people to devote a lot of time to prayer and meditation and to offer up to God long periods of prayer to be close to God and pray for the needs of others. If you are retired or don’t have a regular job of work is God calling you to invest more time in your prayer and meditation on his word?

Maybe you can organise your time better to deepen your prayer life and devotion to Him. There may be others with whom you can share a new focused prayer together for the sake on the church and the community.

But that does not let the rest of us off the hook! The more active we are the more we need the time with God, to pray, meditate on him and his word.

We all need a better balance of work and service and contemplation. There is a need to take our prayers and contemplation of Christ and His salvation into what ever we do and wherever we may go. We need a greater awareness of God’s presence in each place and in each situation we meet. We need times of retreat from the work of the moment and find God who is there with us and waiting for us to meet with Him.

How many of us punctuate our day with prayer in manner that Muslims do? Have we the time and space or could we make it so? How do we carry our prayer and devotions into the day?

For myself I have found certain advantages and ways of carrying prayer into work. Working on a country estate there is plenty of scope for prayerful walking while bird-watching, Franciscan style praising God and enjoying God in creation or prayerfully thinking about other things in family and work. I have also downloaded prayers onto my work PC to use when I have the time at tea breaks. Singing in St Mary’s choir for many years I have a memory of many hymns and settings of psalms and canticles - I can bring them to mind during my work.

I give those as examples that I hope will help you think about how to carry God into moments in your day. How will you do the work of prayer among your other activities and concerns tomorrow?

Jesus said to Martha:

“Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her”

May we also choose as Mary did, and come and sit at His feet.