Two or Three
Matthew 18:20 (KJV)
"Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
Theology can be a funny thing, odd, surprising, as our theology professor at seminary often showed us.
Instead of requiring me to go to one of the Episcopal seminaries, for the convenience of my family so that we would not have to move, my bishop in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania arranged for me to study at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania about forty miles from our Harrisburg home. It was a pleasant daily commute for me, into a country that was not Anglican home yet not entirely foreign, Thomas Cranmer himself was influenced by Luther's Reformation in Europe.
Sitting atop Seminary Ridge, the main building had served as hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg, and as headquarters both to General Meade and to General Robert E. Lee.
Several professors were German Lutheran, the seminary dean had served in the German army during World War II, the others were mostly Scandinavian ancestry. All the professors, courses and classes were good; but especially enjoyable to me were theology, homiletics, and Old Testament. The theology professor was internationally known and had written dozens of books, to his integrity and credit, none of them required as texts in his courses.
In class one day, theology of prayer came up. Questions from the budding theologians included whether God hears prayer (some televangelist from the nut fringe had recently insisted that God did not hear the prayer of a Jew or a Catholic), whether liturgical or spontaneous prayer was to be preferred, and among other questions, whether one can pray alone or must be in a group.
Invariably loving to stir controversy, which after all is the very nature of theological discourse and had been the career source of his living, the professor quoted Jesus at Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” He insisted that for prayer to be efficacious, to be heard and a response assured, two or three must be there. It’s the purpose of the assembled church, he said, Jesus makes no promise to be present with only one person praying alone. He promises to be present where two or three gather in his name.
What about my private morning prayers, one seminarian asked. Nope, said the professor, there must be two or three, you’d better start coming to chapel. And certainly not on the golf course on Sunday morning, or in a boat with a fishing line in the water. Why were you out fishing on Sunday morning, it wasn’t for worship, was it! Not only must there be at least two or three, the group must be gathered in Jesus‘ name. Best get yourself to church, and as often as possible, he said.
Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one
accord to make our common supplication unto thee; and
hast promised through thy well-beloved Son that when two
or three are gathered together in his Name thou wilt be in the
midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions
of thy servants as may be best for us; granting us in this
world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life
everlasting. Amen.
accord to make our common supplication unto thee; and
hast promised through thy well-beloved Son that when two
or three are gathered together in his Name thou wilt be in the
midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions
of thy servants as may be best for us; granting us in this
world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life
everlasting. Amen.
Theology is something we do together, not all that printing in my old textbooks in my study upstairs. Any thoughts?
TW+