"Commune with God"

Luke: Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." 13 Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose. Be made clean." 15 But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. 16 But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.

Mark: ³² That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. ³³ And the whole city was gathered around the door.

      ³⁵ In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

      Matthew: ²² Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray.

      Jesus was an extremely hard working preacher, teacher, and healer. It wouldn't be a huge stretch to say he was a workaholic. He thought nothing of putting in 70, 80 hour work weeks, travelling on foot to wherever people needed him. And was he ever needed! People were starving for the good news and the good things Jesus brought. They were hungry for hope.

      Not surprisingly, word got around. People talked. They marveled at Jesus' presence, his power, and his peace. They wanted what he had, and they were not shy about saying so. They were also not shy about going after him. Crowds began to seek him out---crowds numbering into the thousands. There was a hundred times the work one person could possibly do in a lifetime, and Jesus only had three years.

      This was the challenging context of Jesus' ministry and work.

      It wasn't just that Jesus' schedule was extremely busy; it was filled with life and death situations. Understanding this, it is all the more important that we notice what Jesus did. In the middle of all this activity, Jesus routinely went away to pray. He just went. He didn't cover his bases (he didn't take a cellphone or a pager). He didn't get someone to take emergency call for him. He didn't even tell his closest advisors where he was going. He knew he had to stop, rest, and put himself in the presence of his Father. He simply had to commune with God.

      Not only did Jesus practice this time of solitary prayer, sometimes he would take his disciples with him. He didn't wait until they were done with their business, either. Scripture says, “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:30-31)

      One translation of the biblical phrase "to pray" is "to come and rest." We have talked these few weeks about Sabbath rest: why it is so hard for us to do, why it is so important that God commands we do it, why it is holy, how it connects us with our sacred past and our promised future. Today we focus on communing with God in a quiet place, which is a very important part of weekly Sabbath and also a wonderful possibility for daily Sabbath.

      Solitude is key. Some type of solitude and silence are necessary if we are to commune with God. We cannot commune with God (or anyone else) in the middle of too much noise, too many distractions. The Bible uses the following words to describe the places where Jesus went to pray: wilderness, desolate, lonely, solitary, secluded.

      Solitude sets the stage for communing with God. Today on World Communion Sunday, I use the word "commune" intentionally. The word commune comes from the Latin word communicare, which is the basis of the word communicate. But the word commune suggests more than simply talking. When we commune with God or with one another, there is a depth and intensity, an intimacy which goes far beyond a mere exchange of words. The people you commune with----they are few and far between. If you are blessed to have such people in your life, you share everything with them, you have a deep rapport. You can be silent with them, and still be completely and utterly at ease.

      One of my pastor friends recently took a road trip with his wife out West. Just the two of them, in their modest van camper, for three weeks out into the beautiful desolate and remote places of Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Washington State. That's a lot of road time. I asked him if they listened to a lot of books on tape. He said, "Yes, some. But not many. There was a lot of time we talked. We talked about the future. We talked about retirement. But most of the time we were just quiet. Silent. We spent a lot of time just looking out the windows at the beautiful, uninhabited places."

      There is peace and tranquility when we commune. This word is also related to the word communion, which suggests deep sharing and intimacy. When we share the Lord's Supper, we literally take Christ into our bodies and we spiritually connect with God and others. World Communion Sunday, which we take part in today, underlines our spiritual connection with believers of every time and place.

      Where is your wilderness? Where is your place of quiet and solitude? It is important we each find a place that works for us, a place that is easily accessible, that doesn't require a long road trip to get there. It is great to find such a place in nature---down at White Rock Lake, on the Katy Trail, at the Arboretum, or a favorite local park. These are places we can return to again and again, especially when we have carved out enough weekly Sabbath time to appreciate them (and especially when you buy a season pass to the Arboretum!)

      It is also good to have a place at home that is your place of solitude. It may be the kitchen table, very early in the morning before anyone else is awake. It could be your back patio, or your front porch, a comfortable chair in your living room or your bedroom. When we mark a special place with a candle or a flower or a beautiful lamp, these small things help us focus and stop. A routine return to our special spot helps us be still and know God more intimately.

      How are we to pray once we have found solitude? We need far fewer words. We are noisy, busy pray-ers, filling our prayers up with so many words we scarcely let God get a word in edgewise. We must stop talking and practice listening. Listen to the inner voice inside yourself; listen for God's still, small voice. Let the Spirit prompt you, or disturb you. There is a need for quiet, to focus on God's beauty and bounty. In the Hebrew tradition, Sabbath prayers asking God for things or for help are discouraged. Instead, we focus our heart on what we love, not on what we need. We practice quiet prayers of gratitude, for even the smallest grace. We may simply repeat a word, a phrase, that puts us into God's presence.

      Our minds resist this kind of Sabbath practice. They are ever full, ever busy, often easily distracted during the times we attempt prayer. That is why it helps to repeat a phrase, something like, "Come into my heart, O God" or simply "Jesus." Sometimes it helps to picture God in your mind, to imagine Jesus standing before you. These kinds of meditative practices are ancient and span many religious traditions.

      ‘In the Hindu tradition, the mind is often compared to the trunk of an elephant---restless, inquisitive, and always straying. If you watch an elephant sometime, you will see how apt the comparison is. In India, elephants are often taken in religious processions through the streets to the temple. The streets are crooked and narrow, lined on either side with fruit and vegetable stalls. Along comes the elephant with his restless trunk, and in one sinuous motion he grabs a whole bunch of bananas. He takes the whole bunch, opens his cavernous mouth, and tosses the bananas in, stalk and all. Then from the next stall he picks up a coconut and tosses it in after the bananas. No threats or promises can make this restless trunk settle down.

      But the wise mahout (trainer), if he knows his elephant well, will just give that trunk a small bamboo stick to hold on to before the procession starts. Then the elephant will walk along proudly with his head up high, holding the bamboo stick in front of him like a drum major with a baton. He is not interested in bananas or coconuts anymore; his trunk has something to hold on to.

      The mind is very much like this. Most of the time it has nothing to hold on to, but we can keep it from straying into all kinds of absurd situations if we just give it a mantra” (pp. 148-149 in How, Then, Shall We Live? by Wayne Muller).

      Grab your own bamboo stick. Quiet your restless mind.

      Stop. Rest. Go away to a quiet place, commune with God, listen to the beating of your own heart. Savor the slower rhythm of this moment. Breathe slowly and deeply. Allow yourself to slow down, allow God to speak to your heart, deep unto deep. Come unto Him all you who are weary, and He will give you Sabbath rest.