Persistence, Justice and Grace

Kids Talk

Slide ‘n Spalsh water park in Lagoa, Portugal

Opened in 1986

Considered the best waterpark in Europe

Disco River, the Big Wave, The Corkscrew, Tropical Paradise, Aquafeeling Fish Spa

Main attraction - The Black Hole

Would you like to go?

Do you think your family would take you?

How could you get your family to take you?

Simpson’s video - Mt Splashmore

Why did Homer agree?

Would you do what Bart & Lisa did?

Story could be right out of the Bible

When we pray, keep on praying, because God isn’t like Homer, who only gives you good things because you annoy him.

He loves you and has good plans for you.

You can trust him to come through for you, even when it feels like you’re stuck down a black hole, and you don’t know the way out.

God loves you.

He won’t ever stop, no matter what.

Trust him. Tell him how you feel.

Justice & Freedom

Grew up in the late 80's/early 90s seemed like a new spring of justice and freedom Berlin Wall, Perestroika, Glasnost, end of Apartheid, freedom and democracy breaking out across the world.

Oppression & unrest

These days it almost seems like the bad old times are being rolled back in. The new dawn we hoped for seems to be going dark. Around the world,

Mothers of the Disappeared

1977 a group of 14 mothers defied the government’s decree banning public demonstrations and started marching in the plaza in front of the presidential palace.

Every Thursday at 3:30pm they marched. For 30 years.

Over 30,000 people disappeared and were most likely murdered by the military regime between 1976 and 1983.

They had to march 2 by 2 as the law forbade more than 4 people gathering in public places.

They persisted in their vigil. Their prayer for justice. Their prayer for truth.

Chile

Our friend

”the population is pretty upset by the extreme reaction of police and military in some incidents... and some of it reminds people of the last time... So there have been many arrests ... like over a couple of thousand including a number of youth and about 400 women. And all arrests are violent - including sexual violence of the authorities against largely the women but some men too. And then there are some people missing... this happened the last time.. About 20 people have disappeared And on the other hand the more aggressive protesters continue to burn and destroy stuff which doesn’t help the cause... the massive majority are peacefully protesting but it only takes a small handful to wreck havoc.”

All the progress we seem to have made is collapsing around us.

It’s like we’ve snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

All of this begs the question:

Where is God in all of this? Does God answer prayer, or is he just another corrupt judge?

theodicy

Is God Just? Is God good?

Why does a God of love allow evil to flourish?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

There are no easy answers to these questions.

They are so profound, that they cause many people to turn away from faith altogether.

Problem is, when we turn away from God, all we are left with are the unjust judges of this world.

Not a new problem. It’s there in Chile. It’s there in Hong Kong. It’s there in teh everyday brokenness we experience in our families and in our lives/

U2 song - Wake up, dead man.

It’s a problem that people have wrestled with since time immemorial, and it is what Jesus was addressing in today’s parable.

Does God answer Prayer?

In Luke’s Gospel, we see God’s answer to prayer in action in chapter 19 - and it’s not what we’d think, but it’s something even more amazing. Next week we’ll be talking about the Zaccheus, where injustice is not just overthrown, but transformed into something wonderful and new.

Not every prayer is answered like the prayer of Zacheus

Book I had once - never been able to find it again:

God's five answers to prayer

Yes

No

Wait

Do it yourself

Mind your own business

What does answered prayer look like?

Simple to the profound. Almost never quite what we would expect.

Leads us into something new.

Unlikely examples - last week Brent talked about the woman who touched Jesus, and about the woman who changed Jesus’ mind. Both a form of prayer. Both led to things that could never have been imagined in advance.

Lost ring

Lost watch

God incidences - in church the other day. A series of seemingly coincidental things that lead to a divine appointment.

Doesn't always look the way that we expect, always leads to transformation.

Mum.

Pro-testifying

Will things turn out OK? We don't know What can we say?

Good purposes

Revelation 21:3–4 NIV

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Luke 18:7–8 NIV

7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Will he find faith on earth?

Invited to join in, in our living, and in our communion with God through prayer

Not just Persistence, but Participation

Answers to prayer do not emerge from a vacuum. They are the coming together of possibilities in the light and warmth of God’s love & grace.

Sometimes something or someone will be the answer to our prayers.

Sometimes we are the answer to somebody else's prayer Willingness to participate in God'ministry of reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 NIV

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

That’s the hope we must live into.

3 things we can do

Lament

- scripture is full of it. Sometimes, life sucks. Shit happens.

We spend way too much time looking for meaning in meaningless things.

Let’s offer these thigns to God instead, and seek his grace in our lives.

Prayers into actions

Thoughts and prayers are not an alternative to action they are the foundation of action in the hope of fulfillment

We can be faithful

Opening our hearts and minds to what God is doing amongst us

Open our hearts to God's purposes Open our hearts to Love Life in its fullness Redemption Reconciliation Restoration Hope