 Praying for the right thing  The Layman – Volume 39, Number 2 – Posted May 8, 2006
As we look to this June’s General Assembly, some of us are anxious about the possibility that the assembly will change the constitution to permit governing bodies to exercise local option on “essentials” of our faith and polity by adopting the Peace, Unity, and Purity task force’s recommendation 5. Some of us dread the approval of the Trinity paper, which seems to permit unhallowing names for God. Other issues stir concern – the repeal of the Biblical understanding of sexuality in the 1993 Authoritative Interpretation and G-6.0106b, the continued loss of members that the denomination refuses to face, the cutting of missionary support at the expense of programs tangential to the Great Commission. And underneath it all is apprehension that assembly decisions could spark a sundering of the denomination and present us with hard choices as individuals and congregation. A wise mentor once instructed me to pray for the need, not the answers. So, as we pray for this gathering in Birmingham, we should try to sort out what needs to happen from what we want to happen. The Bible helps us. First, the Scriptures give us comfort if we are so sick at heart about the PCUSA that we don’t even know how to pray. In Romans 8:26-27, God tells us that when we come to talk with him but are too weak and distraught to ask for what we need, the Spirit intercedes for us. The Spirit, in our groans, expresses what words cannot, and does it in accordance with God’s will. Second, if we seek instruction about the objects worthy of prayer, Jesus himself teaches us in the Lord’s Prayer. He tutors us by the first three petitions to seek: the hallowing of God’s name, the coming of his kingdom, and the doing of his will on earth in the same manner as his will is done in heaven. Our Westminster Catechism reflects that by putting God as the center of our focus: our chief purpose is “to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” Such requests may seem like they are too large and general, but I think they help us reframe the issues facing the denomination as well as quiet any fears we may have. Their largeness gives us perspective on what is at stake at this General Assembly – it is first and foremost a faithful or faithless witness to a lost world from people professing to be his people. The decisions made will speak volumes about who we think God is and what kind of living mirrors his character. Their largeness helps us to discern the true needs for the coming gathering. They show us that we do not have to worry about correctly advising God to pass this overture or defeat that recommendation in the business of the assembly. Rather, we can with full confidence earnestly implore God to bring glory to himself and advance the coming of his Kingdom. We can leave to him how to bring that about. We can with full confidence know that whatever happens – whether “disaster” or “victory” from our immediate perspective – God is in charge and is working his will in his way and in his time. Then, after the adjournment in Birmingham, our next prayer would be that God will give us eyes to see the outcome of the assembly as the fulfillment of our supplication, as well as faith to take the next step where he is leading us. Peggy Hedden, an elder in Columbus, Ohio, is the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Lay Committee. |
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