Flexing Our Prayer Muscles

Luke 9: 28-36  (Exodus 34: 29)

 

Earlier in the week I was captivated by recent pictures from Sicily of Mount Etna.  Mount Etna is Europe’s largest and most active volcano; currently it is erupting. Since 1750 the volcano has erupted countless times – summit eruptions- with the eruptions lasting for five to ten years at a time. In 2021, over a six-month period, Mount Etna erupted enough volcanic material to grow approximately 100 ft in height.

I find this astounding.  Mount Etna grew 100 ft up in six months!

At the summit of this mountain, extraordinary change, fire, and smoke are constant.

 

The Gospel of Luke tells the story that

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As Jesus was praying, the appearance of his face changed.

 

This is the place to stop, to not hear the rest of the story, because there is so much in this one line to ponder. The mountain top experience happens in the first line of the story. Jesus goes to pray. Prays. And it changes his appearance. It is not unlike the story of Moses, who after talking with God on the mountain, -which is like prayer, conversation with God- comes down the mountain and people see that the skin of his face shone. Prayer alters one’s appearance.

 

What gets me about the story on the mountain is the next line?

Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep, but since they had stayed awake, they saw. Why were Peter, John, and James not praying? If a teacher chose me to go up a mountain with them, while they went to pray, my instinct would be that I was invited along to participate in the activity. I would try my best to pray too. If I was tired, I would fight sleep, and try to concentrate. Maybe I am being hard on the disciples, but Luke also recounts another story:

 

We read that after supper on the night of Jesus’ arrest, Jesus and the disciples go to the garden to pray.  Jesus’ steps aside and prays. Takes a pause. Goes to the disciples and finds them sleeping. Jesus says to them, “Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”

Not so long before going to the garden to pray, Luke writes in chapter 21, that Jesus reminds the disciples to be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and continues be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.

 

Luke is singular in his Gospel, emphasizing the importance of prayer in Jesus’ life. Jesus teaches the disciples to pray, giving the example of the Lord’s Prayer – but it is not the teaching of prayer that Luke highlights, it is Jesus taking time to actually pray. Luke records that:

Jesus prays at his baptism and as Jesus prays the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descends. Jesus takes time to pray before setting out to choose the disciples. Again and again, Jesus withdraws to a lonely place to pray, especially after teaching and healing crowds of people.

Jesus tells Peter at the last supper that he has prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail, and that on turning back Peter would strengthen the other disciples. Jesus prays for those involved in his death asking for forgiveness on their behalf.   

What is it about prayer that is central to Jesus’ life and actions? Does Jesus have the strength – to pray for those who persecute, torture, mock, and kill- at the end of his life, when facing death at the hands of the same, because of living a life of prayer; being constantly changed by prayer; becoming prayer – being in constant conversation with God?

 

In this morning’s story it is not the appearance of Moses and Elijah, the cloud, the voice, that is the great experience on the mountain, it is the prayer – prayer that changes one’s appearance- that is the mountain top experience, the element of change that grows a person exponentially to be able to live a life of faith and action.

 

Perhaps you have been to the Halifax waterfront store or had an opportunity to try chocolate from “Peace by Chocolate.”   Peace by Chocolate is a chocolatier company owned and operated by the Hadhad family.  The Hadhad family had a chocolate shop in Syria for 30 yrs. In 2012 due to bombing and war, the family was forced to leave everything behind, and flee to Lebanon as refugees.  The family are now in Canada and once here, with help from neighbours in Antigonish, they rebuilt their chocolate company and once again do the work they love to do.

Peace by Chocolate. Is there a better name?  Finding peace in what one loves to do? Finding peace in a new place? Finding peace in safety? Finding peace in one’s heart after so much disruption, grief and loss? Finding peace in the kindness of others? Finding peace and sharing it? Peace by Chocolate.  

 

How about – Peace by prayer. Change by prayer. Action by prayer. Life by Prayer. Joy by prayer?

 

American Evangelist Billy Graham wrote:

“We are to pray in times of adversity, lest we become faithless and unbelieving.

We are to pray in times of prosperity, lest we become boastful and proud.

We are to pray in times of danger, lest we become fearful and doubting.

We are to pray in times of security, lest we become self-sufficient.”

 

Did you notice that there was on time left out of ‘To pray in the times of?’ Humans are either in adversity or prosperity, danger or security. Humans are in the struggle of becoming faithless, unbelieving, boastful, proud, fearful, doubting, self-sufficient. Billy Graham’s words on prayer echo the focus of Luke’s Gospel: prayer is a continual conversation. Prayer changes one’s appearance.

 

And prayer did change Jesus. Prayer affected how he was seen, how he appeared.  People recognized that the Spirit was upon Jesus. People identified Jesus as having healing power. People noticed wisdom in Jesus’ teaching. People saw Jesus welcome and walk with the poor. People witnessed Jesus forgive his accusers from the cross.

Do we pray such that our appearance is changed?

 

When I think about prayer as a mountain top experience – I don’t think that I have grown 100 ft in six months or come away with a shiny face. On occasion I have come away with tears in my eyes, a momentary peace of mind, or a little less anxiety. And there are plenty of times when I have been the disciple whose eyes are heavy, who rather than praying, sits waiting for Jesus to be finished so that we can go back to whatever we were doing before going up the mountain.

 

Before the Season of Lent begins, Luke reminds us of the importance that prayer had in Jesus’ life. Our attention is focused on prayer -prayer that changed Jesus’ appearance – prayer that can change our appearance. Prayer the mountain top experience.

 

God of the volcano, God on the mountain, God in the lonely places,

Should my eyes weary and I fall asleep, may each breathe be a prayer;

Should my heart weary with the weight of the world, may each tear be a prayer;

Should my hope weary may each sigh be a prayer.

Grow my prayer, our conversation.

Grow the mountain top – that there be plenty of material erupting -as prayer becomes lived life; that my lived life deposits continuous peace, presence, kindness, hope, and healing.

Peace by prayer.

Amen.