This morning, in Genesis 18:20-33, Abraham is praying but it looks suspiciously like bargaining.  Does Abraham assume that prayer is a means of influencing God?  That if he is persistent enough, like the man who calls on his friend at midnight in Jesus’ story, God will give him what he asks for? 

Jesus does indeed say, in Luke 11:1-13, that everyone who asks receives but what we receive is the Holy Spirit.  He promises that God will give us the gift of God’s self.  Prayer for Jesus then is not transactional but relational.  It is not God who is changed by our prayer but we who are changed by entering more deeply into a relationship with the divine.  Although Abraham’s prayer seems profoundly transactional (he wants something and he is attempting to persuade God to give it to him) it is also relational: a means of Abraham discovering more about the nature and identity of God. 

What is beautiful about Abraham’s prayer is that he brings his whole self, he is honest and direct.  In his prayer he explores how he relates to God, he who is just “dust and ashes” and yet “takes it upon [himself] to speak to the Lord”.  A relationship requires both sides to show up, to be fully present and so does prayer.  It is only when we come before God, just as we are (for better and for worse) that we can receive God just as God is.

It is interesting that both Abraham and the man in Jesus’ story are petitioning, not on their own behalf, but on the behalf of others.  Discovering who God is helps us to discover who we are and so how we should act towards God, self and the world around us.     

On Sunday 13th July at 6.30pm in church, our monthly choral Evensong service.

Some major roof maintenance started this week. The old roof is being re-covered but with new upstands and skylights ( to replace the existing, many of which are broken). The new ones are triple glazed, improving heat performance.