17-Feb   2007

Sunday school: Proverbs 27:3 "Provocation by a fool" is very heavy.

Scripture reading: #675

Tonight @ 5:00 – Celebrating being family - Annual church reports & dinner @ 5 p.m. in the fellowship hall

Wednesday @ 7:00 – Leadership: honesty, integrity & consistency

In tonight’s Reports we will be asking how well we are doing in fulfilling our mission by asking: “Who are we?”

We are family! Since we have just celebrated the best week of the year for lovers, let’s look at who we are – individually and corporately, as folks called to ‘love.’

We are called to be:

· Family of God

· Brothers and sisters

· Encouragers and caregivers

· Living stones…life-givers to the community around us

Therefore I will not keep silent

Importunity...many see it as a word to describe the day-to-day practice of a typical pre-schooler. It conjures the image of a child in the toy department of a large store, 'needing' the toy of which dreams are made. Needing, pleading, begging, bargaining...oh but it doesn't usually stop there. Soon we hear whining, wailing, sobbing and snubbing for isles around.

For many of us this is an uncomfortable situation. Having helped raised two well-adjusted, grown daughters, and having worked in 'mental health' for many years, I know from personal experience that this situation never needs to happen.

I can almost, even now years later, hear the skepticism and even anger that has been directed my way when I would suggest that not only do children not have to act that way, but that they can be taught in such a way that it is a genuine delight to have your kids with you when shopping or fine dining.

So, I approach this subject of "Importunity" with a certain amount of discomfort.

There are certainly those who approach God in much the same manner as many, if not most, children running loose in Wal-Mart.

There are also those, on the far other extreme, who wouldn't think of begging God for anything - their philosophy being, "What right do I have to expect anything from God? He has given me the ability to do for myself. He expects me to do what I can do and learn to be content."

There is a middle ground that is Biblically based. Job referenced that in 7.11, "Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul." God wants to hear the cry of our heart. Jesus gave illustration and encouragement of this in Luke 11.5-13 and 18.1-8.

The 'importunate' or 'persistent' individual needing bread to feed his midnight guest, and the widow needing justice against her adversary were parables Jesus taught to illustrate that we "should always pray and not give up."

We "should always pray and not give up."

Is this persistence to be limited to situations of justice and/or unselfish needs for purposes of hospitality? Not strictly speaking. However, there is a scriptural principle needing to be kept in focus here. Greed, lust, envy, strife, anger, vengeance and vindictiveness are not valid reasons to ask God for anything, much less to beg him tirelessly.

What is our motivation?

Perhaps even more telling would be an honest appraisal of what our typical attitude has been, historically, to our daily life - its rewards and challenges. If we live in a daily attitude of appreciation and thanksgiving, accepting the bad with the good, we probably will have a different approach to what needs importunacy and what needs "nevertheless, not what I want, but Your will be done."

I suspect that much of the importunate prayer comes from an attitude of entitlement. That can be reflected in the whine of "why me?" as well as the boldness of "I deserve this." This attitude is not only lacking in grace, it is not in keeping with our understanding that what we each have differs according "to the grace given us." (Rom.12.6)

The encouragement of Paul to the Galatians in chapter 6.2 - 4, is to carry our own load and bear each other's burdens. While God may not release you from your load nor relieve you from carrying another's burden, He has promised to lighten the load as we walk in yoke with Him. As we walk and talk in fellowship, our importunity gets a fair hearing.

If you stop, balk, or decide to just sit down and whine, I doubt there will be much of a sympathetic hearing. 

Don't just sit there...do something! Move in close to the One who can bring Justice and supply Bread. Walk as a thankful, confident child hand in hand with your Father and see what rewards are in store for you before "nighttime comes."