Clapping Daddy's Hands

Davey Will and I were playing the other day, and at one point he grabbed my right hand by the thumb.  At first, I thought he was just pushing my hand out of the way of his toys (which he does sometimes), but then he reached out for my other hand.  I eventually realized he wanted to play an activity we do sometimes:  clapping Daddy’s hands.  He grabbed my hands by the thumbs and slammed them together repeatedly:  clap, clap, clap!  Now, Davey Will enjoys clapping his own hands.  But his hands are small and baby-soft, while Daddy’s hands are bigger and more solid – so they make a bigger noise.  Sometimes it’s fun to clap Daddy’s hands!

 

Now, I could have refused to let Davey Will clap my hands, since – again – my hands are bigger and stronger.  Plus, I already know how to clap my own hands.  I didn’t Davey Will’s help.  But it really is a lot of fun to see the delight that Davey Will experiences when he takes the initiative to grab hold of my hands as we work together to clap, clap, clap!

 

As Davey Will clapped my hands that morning, it dawned on me.  That’s what prayer is!  We may enjoy serving other people, doing God’s work in the world.  But we must realize that our hands are weak, and small, and soft.  We really can’t have the impact we’d like to have.  In prayer, we eagerly reach out for our Daddy’s hands, which are bigger and stronger and so much more effective.  Now, He could do the work on His own, and He certainly has the authority to refuse our direction in “hand-clapping.”  But our Father seems to take great pleasure in the delight we experience when we take the initiative to grab hold of His hands as we work together to clap, clap, clap!

 

Prayer is clapping Daddy’s hands.

 

 

Sacramental Church Attendance

I have to confess.  I just realized it, really.  And it was a strange realization for someone who grew up Baptist (and remains in the Anabaptist tradition).

 

You see, as a Baptist, we never had “sacraments.”  We had two practices – baptism and the Lord’s Supper – that we called “ordinances.”  We stayed as far as we could from sacramental theology.  I remember learning how some parts of the church have historically believed that practices like the Lord’s Supper have grace-giving power in the act of performing the practice itself.  Even if someone didn’t have a great deal of faith, simply partaking of the Lord’s Supper was a means of grace, because the sacrament conveyed grace ex opere operato.  Now, that’s about as far removed as you can get from what I learned in my Baptist upbringing, and it didn’t seem to align with what I read in Scripture, either.

 

So – you can imagine my surprise when I realized that I am a closet sacramentalist.  Almost subconsciously, I believe that there is a “means of grace” I should participate in regularly:  going to a church service on Sunday mornings.  And here’s the big deal:  I subconsciously think that I will receive some spiritual benefit simply by showing up.  I have this underlying notion that simply getting up on time, making the effort to get me and my family ready, and making the journey to the church service will somehow convey some spiritual blessing.  I don’t have to have a heart ready to worship or fellowship with God’s people.  I don’t have to pay attention to the sermon or agree with the prayers.  I’m being a good Christian simply by showing up, and the spiritual blessing comes ex opere operato.

 

Whoops.  I don’t really believe that, do I?

 

Of course this whole idea is mistaken, misguided, wrong.  I do believe that it’s important to fellowship regularly with God’s people, and to set aside time for corporate learning and worship.  But that’s just it:  all those things – fellowship, worship, learning – are active, participatory practices.  I cannot expect to receive any spiritual blessing simply by getting my rear end in the pew.  I’m a member of Christ’s Body, not a passive consumer.  Simply saying “get me to the church on time” is not near enough.  When we gather with God’s people, it is an active, participatory commitment.

 

Church attendance isn’t a sacrament.

 

 

Power of Attorney

As a missionary who’s based in Cambodia for long stretches of time, there are occasionally times when important, official business needs to be taken care of on my behalf back home in the United States.  Thankfully, I was able to give my mother “power of attorney” so she can take care of that business for me.  When my attorney drew up the POA papers for us, he made extremely certain that the person I was giving POA to was entirely trustworthy.  Power of attorney, he said, is a “license to steal.”  The person holding POA can do anything in my name, and it’s as legally effective as if I had done it myself.   You don’t give that power to just anybody.  You give it to someone whom you know will act for your benefit, performing actions that accurately reflect your own intentions and wishes.

 

It’s interesting that Jesus tells us that we are supposed to petition the Father in Jesus’ name.  Oh, how often we simply use that as our “farewell phrase” in prayer, as we consistently close with the words, “In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

 

But to pray in Jesus’ name means that we are given the authority to act on His behalf.  We are praying as the authorized representatives of Jesus Himself.  We are given, essentially, “power of attorney” from Jesus in our prayers.  That’s significant power, and with it comes the responsibility to pray and act for His benefit, performing actions that accurately reflect His own intentions and wishes.

 

Maybe, next time we pray, we should end by saying, “And we ask these things as the authorized representatives of Jesus, Amen.”  Or even, “And we ask these things with power of attorney from Jesus Christ, Amen.”

Davey Will's Prayer

Father in Heaven –

 

Give me a mind to know the truth of Your way,

Ears to listen to Your word and obey,

Eyes to see Your glory in all things,

A heart to love and delight in my King,

Hands to serve You through those who are in need,

And feet to follow wherever You lead.

 

Amen.