“Above all, add to the rest (for it is not labour lost) that old unfashionable medicine, prayer.” -John Wesley
The prayer that Wesley would have heard this past week in church is called the “Collect for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity.” It’s a powerful prayer that is still in use today. For those not familiar with the term, a “collect” is a corporate prayer, one meant to be used in worship that brings together the intentions of the faithful. Each Sunday of the church year has a collect unique to it.
The collect for this past week, which can be found in the original 1549 prayer book compiled by Archbishop Cranmer, reads:
Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire, or deserve: Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
It’s easy to see both the richness and the depth of this prayer. We are reminded that God is eager to hear us and more gracious than we can imagine.
The author of the prayer was also aware that we, as sinners, desperately need Christ. God is abundant, forgiving, and good. Our sin, however, is rebellion against God. But our sin does not change the nature of God, who not only acts with forgiveness and goodness, but who’s actions reveal who he is.
Goodness, mercy, and forgiveness spring from the very heart of God, the same heart that longs to be in relationship with us, to renew us, and to heal us, even in our rebellion.
At times, the Christian life can seem like a great effort. Being “perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” is no small task. In fact, on our own it is impossible. But that’s a confused understanding of the Christian life that forgets something central to our faith; the holy life is a gift, not an accomplishment.
And the one who gives that abundant life as gift offers it to those who do not deserve it, who may forget to pray, and who left on their own will not seek it. Until, that is, we encounter the one who is holy, who is love, who is forgiveness, goodness, and mercy itself. And in that encounter, we’re changed. Thanks be to God.
Ryan N. Danker is director of the John Wesley Institute, Washington, DC. This is adapted from a weekly JWI newsletter that can be subscribed to here.
P.S. Many of you know that the JWI continues to publish Good News magazine. Over the last few weeks, Good News has published a number of articles on holiness. Read the latest installment and the rest of this series here.
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