Sermpn for February 24

Matthew 14:13-33

13 Now when Jesus heard about (the death of John the Baptist), he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16 Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." 17 They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." 18 And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 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. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 

25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." 28 Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

 

The message

There is a chinese restaurant on Broadway called 5 loaves and 2 fish, I knew it was owned by Christians and suspected someone from the Fujianese church that meets here, (which it is).  What a great way to be known and recognized.    

Today’s reading starts with a very important event. Jesus has to withdraw from the crowd and go to a quiet, prayerful place after he hears the news about what happened to John the Baptist.   Jesus receives a report that John was dead, killed by King Herod after the king is tricked by his wife and stepdaughter.  John had been arrested because of the growing crowds and his preaching. In particular John was publically condemning King Herod and his family for a morally questionable marriage (Herod ends up breaking up his step brother’s marriage and marrying his step brother’s wife) .  Herod does not particularly want to hurt John, just shut him up. John is seen as a prophet and holy man by a great number of people.  Harming him would be extremely unpopular. Plus, it seems like Herod is at least intrigued by John’s teachings (expect the part condemning Herod’s marriage, he don’t like that).  

Herod hosts a great banquet where his step daughter does a dance.  Herod is so excited by her performance her promises her anything she wishes, up to half his kingdom. Instead of asking for a city, no school, or jewelry, her step mother puts the girl up to asking for the head of the John the Baptist.   Now, you would think a king could just say, that’s unexpected, I’m going to give you this shinny necklace and a luxury trip to Rome instead. 

We are told because of his guests, Herod must comply. Herod is forced to kill John the Baptist, a man he views as a prophet and a holy man with a very significant following.  Failing to keep his promise would be a sign of weakness and call his power into question.. Herod, the host and king is not that important.  He rules by the consent of Rome and because those with power in the region don’t make a fuss.  It was a tenuous position, if people complained, Rome was likely to just say “fine, get a different king, who cares anyway “, if other aspiring kings sensed weakness, they would try to take his throne. This banquet is a drama of power struggle, important people, political decisions, fighting and a carefully selected guest list.  Each guest asking “What can I get from being here”. Is it a way to sure up my power, get rid of john the baptist, a promotion, insight into an enemy, a gift, new connections and perceived status .These things are on everyone’s mind

Today’s reading is really a story of 2 meals.  It is Herod’s Banquet and Jesus feeding the crowds.  They are 2 very different meals. One is exclusive, a show and it leads to death, one is a meal for everyone that leads to life and proclaims the power and love of God. I can remember days when I ate two very different meals, having lunch with bishops, CEOs and professors, followed by dinner with homeless of Bristol, CT, having breakfast alone at Taco Bell and then dinner with a group of delegates from the UN, eating lunch with a group of familiar volunteers and then dinner with a group of unknown, wealthy donors, having breakfast at a bible study for the street homeless of NY and lunch with elected officials.  It should be all the same, id like to say its all the same, Like that’s the right answer, but it is not.  

I can remember having lunch at a soup kitchen where I volunteered regularly and then going to that same organization’s major fundraising event that evening.  Everyone was dressed differently, the staff, cooks and security guards that I would hang out with during a shift, talk to about what was going in their lives, how the program runs or just the news, were now in tuxedos and speaking another, way more formal and uncomfortable language, the station that used to serve cups of bulk coffee or juice in the cheapest way possible was now serving wine and champagne in crystal glasses.  I was now “sir ”  (with the occasional, oh it’s just pastor joe). The normal kitchen language of “get out of the way” or  “hurry up and get another tray of rice” was now “can I offer you a cocktail shrimp or this little pastry thing” (that looks way better than it tastes).   

A few years ago I was invited to the Mayor’s clergy breakfast. I didn’t know what to expect but didn’t really think I belonged there either.  As soon as I got the email, I wondered who put me on that list, as those of you here know, I am not the pastor of a large church. Then I started the ‘who am I going to sit with”,  I was hoping there would be assigned seats (I knew there wouldn’t  be, its too easy to piss too many people off, better to let us fend for ourselves), I spent the week before emailing and calling people, asking “did you get invited, are you going” no one was (I did get quite a few requests to tag along).  I got there and start the desperate search for someone I knew, a familiar face, a remotely familiar face, someone I might have meet once or is from the neighborhood. I got there early, to sit at a less full table and let everyone else look at me and decide if I was too important to sit with. I sat out of the way, in the back, near the door. I wanted to avoid anyone too important (which I assumed would be sitting up front in the important seats). As it turns out, most of the very important people often get important or emergency calls so they all sit in the back near the door where they can go and do important things without interfering with an event or being noticed.  

Herod’s banquet is filled with those questions and anxieties, what will my guests think, do I fit in here, who should I sit with, I better watch my table manners, I better use my big words, talk in sentences, use silverware,  it is uncomfortable. Jesus feeding of the crowds is different. It is one of the only miracles in all 4 of the Gospels (along with calming the storm and the resurrection). Come, as you are, and be loved, be fed, God is in charge of this meal and everyone eats.  There is no this seat is reserved there is no question of where will I say there is no rich or poor because there was no where to buy anything no restaurant to go to no Marketplace no special booth 4 VIPs no now this is a story that is in all four the gospels twice in one of them this is the kingdom of God all who are hungry come and eat

Sermon for February 17

The reading 

Matthew 13:24-43

24 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, "Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 28 He answered, "An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, "Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he replied, "No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.' " 31 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." 33 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." 34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world." 36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

The message

When I was in school, we always a teacher or two who would start the year with a simple statement, “there is no such thing as a stupid question” or “the only stupid question is the one you do not ask”.  He or she wanted to encourage participation and knew that if someone in the class had a question, there were probably 4 or 5 others with the same issue, confusion or struggle. Missing something could be very bad for a student, not fully understanding a foundational concept could lead to struggles throughout the year. There was one course in seminary where “there are no dumb questions” was pushed to its limits. It was Lutheran confessions, a course on the founding documents and beliefs of our community. Our teacher, would, like all good teachers, welcome questions. He would have one of his own though, always responding with “why do you ask that question?”.  That usually led to a little embarrassment and some laughter (it was not a big deal since every student went through it).  Why do you ask led to new depth and allowed him to give a real answer, one that spoke to the doubt or confusion or issue and helped you learn a little about yourself.   Questions were not dumb but they were revealing, they said a lot about the person who asked it.  

The questions we ask can be very revealing.  A few years ago, I was part of the committee what wrote a series of questions to be asked at meetings across Metro NY for church members to meet and hear from 6 or 7 candidates to be bishop.  As we worked on the questions you could tell what we thought were the priorities for our church.  We did not really care what the candidates had done before (they could obviously include experiences and stories in their answers) but we were more concerned with what they would do. We asked about diversity, outreach, care for the earth and others, a good articulation of what we believe, plans to address significant issues like church closings and a personal statement on faith (something missing in a lot of what we do).   As we put the questions together, we wanted to express who we were as a church, we felt the responsibility to try our best to speak for the 200 or so very different churches in our synod.  .   

Today’s reading involves 2 questions.  Both reveal a lot about what it means to be in the kingdom of God.  We start with someone common. Jesus shares 3 parables or teaching stories about the kingdom of God.  In the Bible, Jesus talks more about the kingdom of God than any other topic (the second most talked about is money, economics).  Jesus tries to explain what the kingdom of God is with stories. First, the man who sowed good seeds only to be sabotaged and attacked with weeds. Then the mustard tree, a well known, not well loved, invasive plant, which is a small seed, but grows into a large shrub, Finally, the story of the woman who mixes the yeast with 3 measures (about 40 pounds) of dough,  changing it all to leavened bread and causing it all to rise. (unleavened bread, like the matza at Passover, cooks quick and does not rise) 3 measures is a significant amount in the Old Testament as well, it’s the amount Abraham makes for his visitors in Genesis 18. 

Jesus goes on to answer a question no one asks but most people wondered, why are you only teaching in stories, why don’t you explain in plain English (well plain Aramaic back then).   Jesus explains that his approach to teaching was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isiash: "I will open my mouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world”. It is also practical, people remember stories, There is a universal aspect, an interaction with the hearer (more on that soon) and they can speak to all different people (we all know weeds are bad, a little seed or a little yeast can go a long way). 

After this, Jesus disciples ask him to explain the parable of the weeds in the field. In this case the disciples do not ask because they have no idea what Jesus means, the disciples ask because they have too many ideas about what Jesus means. Who is the person who sows good seeds.  It could be Jesus, could be one of the prophets, could be one or more of the disciples, could be the soon to exist church or someone to come. Where is the field. It could mean the world, the city they are in, a neighboring town, the temple or the kingdom of Israel.  Who sows the weeds? Was it the devil, religious leaders who reject Jesus,  false teachers, the Roman Empire, all of the above, none of the above.  Who is trusted to separate the weeds and wheat at the harvest time. The religious authorities, faithful people, the disciples, the church, the prophets, angels, other beings we don’t know about, Jesus?  The parable could be about the past, the present, here and now or (as it turns out to be) the parable could be about the cosmic future.  

Each person who heard this parable probably thought differently, putting themselves in the desired spots, perceiving themselves as the judge who sends people to be burned or the good seed that grows and rests well in the kingdom of God, perceiving their enemies in the weed pile or accusing people who disagree or live differently from them of sowing bad seeds. I wish Jesus would have asked the disciples “why do you ask that question”.  It would reveal how they viewed the world, Their answers would  reveal a lot about how one understands the powers and organization of the world. 

Jesus explanation of the wheat and weeds reveal his world view, Just like the name says, God rules the kingdom of God.  Jesus, the word of God, is the one who sows good seed. It is not the disciples, it is not the church, it is not the religious authorities or Roman authorities, it is Jesus who sows the good seed.  The field is the world, it is not Israel, it is not everyone except Israel, it is not the places Jesus has visited, it is not one particular community, time or place.   The people called good are not the people who do nice things, they are ones who hear the word of God and listen to it.  The judges are angels, outside, not human, not worldly powers. (that work of deciding saved and condemned is not for us to do ).  

With these parables, Jesus does offer guidance for living in faith, in the kingdom of God, but he also shows us a world, where God is the ultimate power.  We are invited to live and rejoice. 

Sermon for February 10

The reading 

Matthew 7:1-14, 24-29

1 "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. 2 For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your neighbor, "Let me take the speck out of your eye,' while the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye. 6 "Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you. 7 "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10 Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. 13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!" 28 Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

The message

Today, we hear the end of Jesus sermon on the mount.  In Matthew’s Gospel it is about 2000 words start to finish (on average that is about 15 minutes of speaking time).  There is an even shorter version in Luke s Gospel known as the sermon on the plain.  In this short time, Jesus makes 50 or so statements, focused on Christian living, what life is like in the kingdom of God and people’s relationship with God, people’s relationship with others and people’s relationship with authority, religious and secular powers. Jesus covers topics that include prayer, fasting and other religious observances,  divorce / remarriage and legal life together, loving your enemies, being light in a dark world and sharing the good news. Each individual statement, taught with authority has filled books with interpretation could take a lifetime of prayer, practice and dedication to live out. I have had 2 or 3 hour conversations to go over a verse or two, what Jesus words meant to the first audience, are they possible to live out and what they mean to us in a very different world.   

One of the challenges in going from Jesus world of shepherding, fishing, farming and limited science and communication to our world is that meanings in parables and instructions can be missed or lost.  The meaning of words change.  Today, our section starts with one of the more misunderstood statements in the sermon on the mount.  Jesus warns the crowd “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged”. Our world has always had judges, one of the first jobs Moses fills in ancient, wilderness wandering Israel was to set people aside to make decisions on guilt and innocence as well as the enforcement of contracts and promises. Even a lot of the actual sermon on the mount is about judging, about seeing who is righteous, who needs correction, who must change and who is on the right path.  We need to judge for us to function, interact, correct, maintain order, protect others and choose relationships.

A better way to understand Jesus warning on Judgment is “Do not go on and condemn people to hell, Do not condemn others and God will not condemn you”. We are not invited to tolerate sin openly, to close our eyes and confront abuse with “I don’t want to judge” (Jesus never did).  Live and let live is not a biblical value (Jesus never said that).  Instead, the instruction to not judge others, is a warning to not try and be God, to try and determine who is saved based on what we think of their actions, their beleifs or their level of repentance.  

 

Parts of Jesus sermon are very practical, keeping true for 2000 years and speaking to something fundamental about human life. The warning of do not be a hypocrite, no one will listen to a hypocrite, to someone who tells you one thing and does another. A rich person speaking about the spiritual greatness of poverty and charging $1000 to hear him should not win too many people over.   We are also invited to be real. Do not sing “Ive got joy, joy, joy in my heart” when you don’t; there are other songs to sing, laments, cries for help, calls for change. .   

The advice of do not cast pearls before Swine / pigs also remains true, Pigs do not want pearls, they would have nothing to do with them, and they have no value in the pig pen. Pigs.want food, other pigs to hang out with, a cool place to rest (from time to time, I mention I do not know much about sheep, well I know less about pigs so those statements are basically guesses) . Introducing pearls would not only be a waste, it could ruin the pig pen, they could choke on them (thinking they were shinny snacks), they could fight over them or be invaded by people looking for the treasure.

The sermon on the mount was not shared so it could be analyzed, critiqued, liked or disliked.  It was shared so it could be done.  Jesus ends with  Anyone who hears these words and acts on them is building their house on Rock.  Jesus does not say anyone who hears these words and agrees with them, talks about them, interprets them correctly, promises to do them, etc  is building a house on the rock.  Jesus says hears and acts on them.  Jesus does not call people who hear his words and ignore them, doubt them or reject them. people who build their houses on sand. They just wont get it, the joy of faith, of knowing you are loved by God, will not come to them . Jesus calls the people who hear his words, accept them and then do nothing people who build on sand.  

.

Sermon for February 3

The reading

Matthew 6:7-21

7 "When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 "Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16 "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

The message

 

Today’s reading is a part of a larger sermon that Jesus shares at the start of his public ministry.  For many centuries this collection of advice on prayer, fasting, faith, community, social and religious life has been known as the Sermon on the Mount.  I wanted to take some time to look at where and when Jesus shares this message. We call it the sermon on the mount simply because Jesus shares it with a great crowd on the side of a small mountain.    

During my recent trip to the Holy Land, I had the chance to see the place ancient pilgrims have visited, recorded and marked as the site where Jesus shares the sermon on the mount.  The field is near the sea of Galilee, in the center of commercial life.  It is  a place of work, fishing, transportation and trade, part of a triangular area that Jesus spent most of his ministry.  There was great diversity there.  There were also some natural acoustic theaters (places where the landscape and positioning of the speaker can amplify sound and make him or her heard over a great distance).  This was not an ideal place.  There was a lot going on in the area, a lot of distractions, Jewish and Roman authorities patrolling and questioning, world views and religions competing for people’s attention,  evangelists for Greek and other philosophies that taught there was no god, there were many gods and everything in between, people offering the secrets to good life, success or good government.  

Jesus draws the crowd, brings all different people together to listen through healings, cures and signs of power and authority.  People will listen to the person who heals the sick, who restores sight to the blind, who casts out demons and unclean spirits, who is not making a fortune from his religious work, who is preaching the truth fearlessly, who welcomes all people even when it is unpopular, even when it is dangerous, even when people walk away in frustration or disbelief.  Jesus sermon was advertised by miracles, hyped up by signs of God’s power and invitations by word of mouth, people telling others “come and see”.  Jesus uses all of the resources available to him to announce the good news.  

Today, in our local community, the sermon on the mount would probably be the sermon at the 74th street train station.  Like the mountainside, it is not an ideal location. There would be a lot of competition at 74th street.  There are often preachers speaking into portable microphones warning of death and hell, Jehovah’s witnesses giving out booklets with titles developed to grab you, US Military recruiters seeking conversations and emails, Islamic evangelists trying to get people’s attention. people selling snacks,  people begging, homeless people trying to keep warm or find something to eat in the garbage cans, MTA workers trying to keep things clean and moving, garbled announcements about service changes or delays (due to signal problems or train traffic ahead, phrases I get annoyed with just saying),  musicians performing and small stores offering products.  There are also  people with headphones on, made to block out the world around them, people glued to their cell phones trying to reach the next level on a game created to be addictive or sharing updates on social media (again, created to be addictive). 

The challenge is, how do we get people to listen, to pay attention, to put their phones down, to stop thinking about the things that make them anxious. We are called to do exactly what Jesus does, to put God first, to live out our faith, to show the power of God in our work and life.

We share the sermon on the mount with others. Even people who do not share the Christian faith, who do not believe in Jesus, who do not think miracles happen or that God cares about us or even exists find meaning, practical teachings, law, the outline of a good world, model behaviors or a roadmap to peace in this sermon. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth which moth eats and rust destroys is lived out as people prefer experiences over things, a trip instead of a ring, learning a musical instrument instead of a big tv.  The sermon on the mount is centered in faith, in the knowledge that with God all things are possible, it is only fully understandable to people who understand the love and care of God.  That does not mean Jesus words do not have any impact on others.       

Ghandi, was the leader of the movement for independence in India against British Rule and an advocate for non-violence, human rights, and fairness and equality in a very unfair and unequal world, Just like many of the civil rights leaders in our country in the 1950s and 60s , he found great inspiration and power in Jesus words on the mount.  I wanted to share some of his reflections in it.  "If then I had to face only the Sermon on the Mount and my own interpretation of it, I should not hesitate to say, 'Oh yes, I am a Christian.'" Ghandi’s issue with interpretation was not what you might think.  He saw that many Christians, who should have said “God has given me the faith and power to do this” choose instead to declare it impossible, as meant just for the 12 disciples while Jesus walked with them or long experienced monks away in monastaires, not part of regular peoples lives.  

To this Gandhi replied: "Well, I do not believe this. I think the Sermon on the Mount has no meaning if it is not of vital use in everyday life to everyone." "Nor do I accept the limitations that are sought to be put upon the teaching of The Sermon on the Mount." the Sermon on the Mount was delivered not merely to the peaceful disciples but to a groaning world." The teaching of the Sermon was meant for each and every one of us.”' Ghandi’s issue with interpretation was that Christians were saying it but not doing it.  People who saw it was the word of God, celebrated, read, beloved but not being used.  This great gift, this tremendous resource was being wasted.   

In today’s section of the sermon on the mount, we are not so much called to say things as we are to listen to God and to do things. We are invited to actually forgive, to actually store up treasures in heaven, joy that cannot be pulled or taken away from us, the peace of knowing God hears our prayers, to actually call God Abba or father, an informal, casual term used in family settings, the address for a parent you know will care, listen and help, to actually fast so that we can remember these most important things.