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This year's summer production at Broughton Primary Academy is Mary Poppins, the story of a magical nanny who comes to look after two unruly children who are trying to gain the attention and love of their strict father and pre-oocupied mother. The story starts with Mr and Mr Banks advertising for a new nanny, with help from Jane and Michael, their children. However there is a big difference between what Mr Banks is looking for and what the children are wanting.
Mr Banks thinks that a British home should be run with precision: “Tradition, discipline and rules must be the tools / Without them, disorder, catastrophe, anarchy / In short you have a ghastly mess.” Jane and Michael, however want someone who will play games, is kind and witty, and who will “Take us on outings / Give us treats / Sing songs, bring sweets. / Never be cross or cruel / Never give us castor oil or gruel / Love us as a son and daughter.” Mary Poppins arrives and responds to the children's advert, to the bemusement of Mr Banks, although she doesn't fulfil their wishes in quite the way they expect. Her first game for them is to tidy their nursery, though she finds the fun in it by animating the toys and clothes so they tidy themselves. Later on one of their outings is with their father to his workplace.
These unexpected fulfilments of wishes make me think about the topic of prayer. Often people think of prayer as being like a divine vending machine: you request something and you get it. Therefore they get disillusioned when their prayers are not answered that way and consequently doubt that God exists. Prayer, however, is much more relational than that: God hears and answers our prayers, though the answer can be 'Yes', 'No' or 'Wait' and even when the answer is 'Yes', it's not always in the way we imagined.
We see this in the prayer attributed to the late fourth century Bishop of Constantinople and famed preacher, John Chrysostom, that includes the phrase “Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of your servants, as may be most expedient for them.” This asks God to answer our prayers but in the way that is best for us, which is not necessarily by giving us what we ask for nor by giving us what we want in the the way we want. And the prayer then focuses us on what is most important for us; asking God to grant us “in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the world to come, everlasting life.” Our deepest need is to know God, both intellectually and personally, which in turn is the way to everlasting life.
So if you've been put off prayer because God hasn't seemed to answer them, I encourage you to try praying again. (For help go to www.trypraying.org). But this time be open to God granting your requests in the way he knows is best for you.
(P.S. As ever, their production was fantastic - well done to the staff and children!!)
