The Wooden Altar

 Altars come and go,

     one made to take life,

       another of stones, 

         twelve to be exact,

          the most holy place

            inside the Temple

once here, but no more.

Earth's meeting places,

     intersecting paths

       of raw human need

         God's gracious grace,

            desperate pleading,

              undeserved healing,

miracles everyone.

 

Worn out wooden rails,

     stained with wet tears,

       bearing heavy sins,

         lifetimes of regret

           and deepest sorrows,

             but nary a one,

like Christ's Calvary.

First Glimpses

It is interesting that the story of Saul of Tarsus, the antagonist of Christ, begins after the stoning of Stephen, the martyr for Christ.  What makes it even more intriguing is the fact that Saul was present holding the coats of those who were throwing deadly stones at Stephen.  As the young martyr was dying this violent and undeserved death, he spoke two final words, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit...Lord, do not hold this sin against them."  (Acts 7:59-60).  What Stephen could not know and what Saul could not realize was that a seed was being planted which would change the face of the Jesus movement.    

The seed planted through Stephen's sacrifice took root in the cold heart of Saul and then like a young shoot breaking the surface of the soil, it broke the hard shell around the persecutor's soul.  The ninth chapter of Acts tells us about the new life that burst forth from Saul of Tarsus.  "Now as he (Saul) was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him."  (Acts 9:3)  It was the Eternal Light that brought forth all creation  (Genesis 1:3) and which prevailed against even the darkness of the soul. (John 1:5)   

When the scales had been removed from the blind eyes of Saul by the healing words of Ananias,  Paul would connect his new life with the death of Stephen.  In Acts 22:20 we hear Paul speaking, "And while the blood of your witness, Stephen, was shed, I myself was standing by and approving and keeping the coats of those who killed him."  Saul saw the stoning of Stephen and he also saw the about to die servant of Christ in a moment when "he gazed up into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 'Look," he said, 'I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!' " (Acts 7:55-56).  Saul saw more than he bargained to see that day.  He saw his first glimpse of who he was becoming through the grace of God.

Wind Tunnels for the Spirit

The spiritual energy for the church comes from two sources.  One springs from the hearts of the people of God and the other springs forth from the Holy Spirit.  The first is mentioned in Acts 1:14 where the Word says, "All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer..." and the second is set forth in words like "a sound of rushing wind" and "tongues of fire."  It is clear from reading the first few verses of the second chapter of Acts that the descriptive language is pointing to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.  Churches do not flourish without a strong stream of prayer and the intentional work of the Spirit.  

There are several reasons why we know this is true.  The most obvious reason is that the Word of God speaks to this reality in the book of Acts.  Another reason for knowing comes from trying everything else and discovering that everything else is a promising source of spiritual life, but one that dries up very quickly.  Few of us can count the denominational programs and emphases that promised new life for the church and while they may have brightened the flame for a moment, they ended up not as wind and fire, but ashes and smoke.   

One of my favorite verses of Scripture is James 5:16.  While the New Revised Standard Version which is my main Biblical text reads it differently, I have always been partial to the old King James Version which renders that verse, "The prayer of a righteous man availeth much..."  To illustrate his point James goes on to lift up Elijah as one who prayed fervently and whose prayer God used powerfully.  There is no question that the Holy Spirit is ready to act in enabling the contemporary church to become the wind and fire church.  We can only wonder what would happen if the church was committed to praying until the doors and windows of the sanctuaries became like wind tunnels for the Spirit.

A Blessing to Any Church

One of my first remembrances of the prayer ministry of the church comes out of my pastorate to the Zoar Church.  Zoar was one of three churches on the Stapleton Charge, my first appointment.  There were two older women who were such saints that it was often said that they would surely find heaven's gate opened wide for them.  About that I cannot speak, but what I do know is that they were what we back then called "prayer warriors."  I learned early on in my pastorate that they did more than talk about praying.  They prayed and they prayed for their pastor.  They were not the only ones, but they were clearly the spiritual leaders of that church.  

I said often in the years to come that every young preacher should be so blessed!   Zoar was not the last church I served that had people dedicated to prayer.  As I remember the churches served, I remember a few in most every church who believed in prayer and prayed.  At the Vidalia Church there was a widow who kept pictures of the staff of the church taped on a mirror as a way of praying for the church each day.  At my last appointment there was a man who sat on the steps just beyond the door leading from the pulpit to the outside hall while I was preaching and prayed for me.    

Folks who are committed to prayer are worth far more to the Kingdom's work than any organized prayer ministry.  Prayer ministries tend to come and go with the enthusiasm of the moment, but people who are the "prayer warriors" "...do not grow weary in well doing..." (Galatians 6:9) and they can only be characterized as those who "...pray without ceasing..."  (I Thessalonians 5:16)  Any church blessed with a few such folks is blessed indeed!

The Jabez Prayer

When I remember the many prayer ministries of the churches I served, I remember one which just happened without any effort on my part.  It happened when Bruce Wilkinson wrote the little volume entitled, "The Prayer of Jabez."  It was a book which captivated the hearts of so many people.  Without any effort folks read the book, embraced the spirit of what was being said, and it propelled the church forward in its prayer life.  While some of its critics voiced concern that it was a prayer too self centered, it struck a positive chord with a great number of people.   

The prayer of Jabez is recorded in I Chronicles 4:10 and reads, "And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!'  So God granted him what he requested."  The book Wilkinson wrote was a very small volume that lifted up the four major concerns of the prayer, but overall it was a prayer that God would grant a larger sphere of influence for work of God's Kingdom.

The point of the prayer never seemed to be personal gain so much as a prayer that sought gain for the Kingdom of God.   I remember those days when the book was much talked about within most church circles.  It was a time when small groups were reading it, discussing it, and committing themselves to praying the Jabez prayer daily.  Praying the Jabez prayer, or any prayer for that matter that seeks growth for the Kingdom, can only help and strengthen the church. 

Prayer Rooms

After serving Methodist Churches for twenty eight years, Terry Teykl heard a call from God to involve himself in equipping churches to pray.  He wrote several prayer manuals and traveled all over the country.  As I have been thinking about various prayer ministries of churches I served, he came to the forefront of my memory.  He led prayer workshops in some of the churches I served and always left with my folks inspired and motivated to pray.  One of his emphasis was to establish Prayer Rooms in local churches.   

As he noted back then, a lot of churches have space dedicated for worship, fellowship meals, Bible teaching, youth and children's activities, but not many have space that is set aside for prayer.  Not only do most churches not have Prayer Rooms, but very little money is spent on prayer ministries.  When we look at the energy and resources committed to this particular ministry, it causes one to believe that church leadership talks a lot about prayer, but talk does not translate into an intentional ministry.  

When Terry Teykl left the Perry Church a small group of people created a Prayer Room and designed it so that it could be used safely twenty four hours a day.  Volunteers even signed up to be in the Prayer Room on a schedule to answer the phone which was a tool for the ministry.  I do not know if the ministry is still serving the church and community, but it is an example of what can happen when a few folks heed God's call to make prayer important in the life of the church.  We could use more Prayer Rooms in our churches and certainly we could use more people who do not just talk and read about prayer, but pray.

Written Prayers

Most of us pray.  Even the people who make a claim to not praying are often heard in a moment of impending disaster crying out in a spontaneous manner, "Lord, help me!"  Prayers come in all sizes and shapes, but the One who upon whom we call is the same.  Those of who are intentional about our faith journey understand the life enriching and life giving power of that ongoing relationship with our Creator through the discipline of prayer.  As one who has prayed all my life, I have no doubt about its value in my spiritual life, but it has not always been something that I have done with the discipline it requires.   

When we get in a rut, or run into a dry season, it might be a good time to look at some ways of expanding our prayer life.  One way of expanding our prayer life is to reach back into the past and pull up some of the prayers that have sustained the saints and been offered to God by them or the church in centuries past.  Some turn away from such prayers because they are "written" and, therefore, less effective than some prayer which breathes the air of spontaneity.  It is an unfortunate conclusion because some of these ancient prayers open our spirits in ways that we might not experience otherwise.  Of course, even the diehards who refuse to pray a written prayer still pray the one we know as "The Lord's Prayer!"  

There are many resources available which can open the door to us to the rich prayers that have passed through the centuries.  There are prayers in the Bible, many of our hymns can be prayed, and worship resources provided by different denominations can be an invaluable tool as we avail ourselves of them.  Prayers come from the heart.  A prayer from the past can infuse our heart with new power and life.  The important thing is not to read the written prayers, but to allow ourselves to slowly pray them.