Pentecost 13                                       Isaiah 56:1, 6-8                                           8/14/05

                                                         “House Of Prayer”

About twelve years ago my daughter won an all expense paid trip to Hawaii for two.  She honored me by choosing to take me as her guest on this trip.  It was a wonderful break during the summer between my first and second year at seminary.

The time there extended over a Sunday, so we checked out possible places of worship.  The closest Lutheran service was a mission group meeting in a conference room of a nearby hotel.  We decided to give them a try.

The conference room was bare and sparsely furnished.  A table covered with a tablecloth was the altar.  The cross and communion ware were hand-me-downs from another church. 

Interestingly, I don’t remember a thing about the pastor’s sermon and only bits and pieces of the service itself.  What did make an impression on me though was the attitude of the people who were as friendly and reverent as any group meeting in a structure built to be a church.  We worshipped that day and our worship of our Lord, whom we knew to be very present, made that hotel room a “house of prayer for all people.”

A house of prayer – a church in our more modern terminology – can be almost anything, anywhere.  If you read the book of Genesis you find that Abraham was led by God on a long trek through a number of lands.  Each time he was allowed to set up camp and rest a while, Abraham built an altar and worshipped God.  Even without a roof or walls, Abraham had a House of Prayer.

Later the people of Israel were directed by God in the building of a temple.  In this House of Prayer they gathered to worship God, learn of Him and seek His will for their life together.  Over many centuries this temple was destroyed and rebuilt twice.  Our first lesson reflects the time just after the Israelites return from exile in Babylon and the dedication of the second temple.  This too would one day be destroyed, then rebuilt by Herod in the time of Jesus.  Finally in 70 AD the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed never to be built again.  Only one wall is left, the “Wailing Wall” where people gathered even today to pray.  This still then, in a sense, is a House of Prayer.

In the time after Jesus ascension back to the Father and after they had been put out of the synagogues, Christians met for worship in people’s homes.  Later, under Roman persecution they often met in the catacombs or burial places that might receive their bodies if they were caught.  Finally, as the world came to accept the existence of Christianity, churches started to be built.  In time they became more lavish and easily identifiable.  In more modern decades though there is greater diversity to what could be called a House of Prayer.

As you can see, looking at the posters I put up around our sanctuary, there can be many kinds of Houses of Prayer.  And wherever people gather regularly and evangelically, you can say there is a House of Prayer.  With this in mind, it is worthwhile to consider what constitutes a House of Prayer, and Is. 56:7 makes an excellent guide even though the writer of Isaiah couldn’t have envisioned in his wildest dreams what we call a House of Prayer today.

First, through the writer, God puts ownership and leadership exactly where it belongs – with Him.  He says, “for my house...”

There’s a certain comfort in saying, “my church” when referring to the church to which we belong.  Some degree of ownership seems helpful because when people feel ownership they are more likely to take responsibility for what happens to that church.  Unfortunately, of course, as in most things, people can go too far with that sense of ownership and act as though a church belongs to them.

When tempted to be controlling or self-centered about what happens in a church, we need to remember that even if an ancestor built the church, even if one is a charter member, even if one is an elected officer or pastor, or even if one is the biggest giver, the church is God’s House.  That doesn’t just mean He lives there, but we hold the mortgage.  It means this House of Prayer belongs to God.  As CEO and soul (note spelling) stock holder, God is to make all decisions about what happens in and with His house.  That means all decisions are made only after prayerful consideration, and the more important or difficult the decision, the more prayer should be used – not just to formally start a meeting, but at the time of decision making or discussion.

With very few exceptions when a church declines in membership and is forced to close, it is not because the young moved away, the neighborhood changed, the good givers died off, new people wouldn’t do their part or the pastor was lacking in some way.  Churches die because the people (which can include members and clergy) stop seeking God’s will for themselves, as servants in His House of Prayer.

And “House of Prayer” pretty clearly defines what the church is intended to be.  First and foremost it is to be a place where prayer is the primary activity. 

This may seem obvious, but I’ve known churches that had multi-grade day schools and the program that was so well intended originally came to take up so much time and energy, that being a House of Prayer came in a very distant second to supporting the school.  I’ve also known churches that became so focused on growth, self promotion and appealing to the unchurched that while they prayed, their prayers were not focused on God anymore, but on themselves or their charismatic leader.   And I’ve known churches that were more like country clubs, businesses or social/civic organizations where prayer is just a part of the tradition.

Far from these negative examples, the church as House of Prayer is centered in worship.  This is its main purpose.  God gave the church His Word and Sacrament so that people would be helped to grow in their relationship with Him.  Receiving God in Scripture and physically through the Lord’s Supper is a privilege beyond compare.   No matter how many times we’ve heard the stories, no matter how tired and old or new and difficult the hymns, no matter how over the hour the service may run, we need to remember what a privilege we have to be told again and again how dearly God loves us and how much He was willing to do to show it.

To understand and appreciate this means that the church must educate people. 

All who are baptized are disciples – that is learners – and Christian education is a lifelong activity.  In what other area of life do people think that they know all there is to know after fourteen years of weekly (and perhaps not even that) instruction?  In what other relationship would we dream of saying that we don’t need to learn more about the other person, that we know all we need to about them?  If continuing education is needed by any group of people it is needed by Christians.

The third primary purpose of the church as House of Prayer is to be a training camp for disciples.  Here we are not only educated about our God, we are also trained to serve Him.  Some of this service takes place within the church in the way of social ministry programs, evangelism or stewardship including stewardship of all creation. 

Much of our discipleship though is on the job training – in some cases, quite literally.  We take what we learn in worship, Christian education and in-House service with us and apply it to the daily situations of our lives.  We live mindfully and prayerfully, seeking to do God’s will at home, at work, at school or at play.  Then, we return to the House of Prayer each week to receive support for our ministries, learn more and give thanks for God’s presence with us throughout the week. 

We return to the House of Prayer, but hopefully, not alone.  Since our main commission is to witness, we always keep in mind that our first task is to invite others to join us.  For God has said, “for my house shall be called a House of Prayer for all people.” 

One of the joys of serving at St. Paul ’s is that I minister here with a diverse group of working people.  I’ve visited churches where you had to have a college degree, wealth and social standing to be accepted even minimally.  We have our growing edges, but thankfully we welcome everyone whether professor, businessman, student, salesman, teacher, laborer, office worker, retiree, homemaker, or unknown.  Our challenge is to integrate all people and help them feel as much a part of God’s family here as we do.  Then we truly can be called a House of Prayer for all people.

Following God’s command through Isaiah and with the intent of renewing our sense of purpose as a House of Prayer for all people, I plan to begin this fall a special prayer ministry.  One morning and one evening each week I will conduct a prayer service focused on discerning God’s will for us as His disciples.  It will include a brief liturgy, time for silent meditation and sharing and group prayer.  I hope you will join me at one of the two service times and help St. Paul ’s truly be a House of Prayer.  Amen.