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Going a bit deeper from the sermon on the Lord's prayer I came across this quote from British theologian Herbert McCabe:
People often complain of "distractions" during prayer. Their mind goes wandering off on to other things. This is nearly always due to praying for something you do not really much want; you just think it would be proper and respectable and "religious" to want it. So you pray high mindedly for big but distant things like peace in Northern Ireland or you pray that your aunt will get better from the flu- when in fact you do not much care about these things; perhaps you ought to , but you don't. And so your prayer is rapidly invaded by distractions arising from what you really do want- promotion at work, let us say. Distractions are nearly always your real wants breaking in on your prayer for edifying but bogus wants. If you are distracted, trace your distraction back to the real desires it comes from and pray about these. When you are praying for what you really want you wil not be distracted. People on sinking ships do not compain of distractions during their prayer."
He certainly not afraid to tell it like it is but I am challenged by it. Do I really care about what I'm praying about? Your thoughts
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We are living in times when the difference between those who follow Christ and those who don't is being blurred. We can look at the usual barometers like divorce, law suits, bankruptcies, etc but there are more subtle even dangerous ways. Take a look at the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and see how they contrast to what the world calls happiness. A friend of mine recently sent what she called the Beatitudes of our culture.
Happy are the "pushers" for they get on in the world. Happy are the hard-boiled for they never let life hurt them, Happy are they who complain for they get their own way in the end. Happy are the blase, for they never worry over their sins, Happy are the slave-drivers, for they get results, Happy are the knowledgeable men of the world for they know their way around. happy are the trouble-makers; for they make people take notice of them.
What the world needs is people who are different, admitting their own weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I saw this in a very interesting way in the sports world this week. An umpire for a Detroit tigers baseball game blew a call at first base. The result was the pitcher didn't get a perfect game ( a huge deal). Yet he admitted he blew it and apologized for the miss call. That in itself would be great but what was even more astonishing was to see the reaction of the fans, who you would expect would be calling for his job. They applauded him and extended grace, which brought him to tears. Lord help us as a church be like that for it is so attractive.
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Do you have the kind of faith that saves? |
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So we live in a southern culture where being a Christian, as it is commonly understood, is a culturally acceptable thing, but what does it mean to be a Christian? Are you a Christian because you go to church, or have a Bible or even know a few more verses then your neighbor. We see many signs around town such as " Where will you spend eternity?" " How do you know you're going to heaven?" These aren't bad questions, although I think they come off much better if asked within the context of a relationship, but none the less I wonder if we should be asking a different question. How about, " Do you have the kind of faith that saves?" It seems we've come up with a kind of faith that gets you to heaven but makes no difference in your life on this side of heaven. The people who radically change and are being changed are kind of seen as getting extra credit, but it's not necessary. Is this saving faith? We need to talk about this especially since part of our vision is building believers. We'll talk on Sunday, see you there!
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Took the journey through the stations of the cross last night. What a greaet experience and by the comments we have gotten from people it has truly impacted peoples lives. In our fast paced culture it is hard to slow down but if we are to experience Christ in all his fullness then we need to take moments like this to " Be still and know that I am God" Ps. 46:10. If you haven't had the chance journey on through in preparing your heart for Easter, and speaking of Easter I'm very excited about our Easter service. Hope to see you Sunday! He has Risen
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What does it take to make you mad? We all have that button that if someone pushes it hard and long enough they will be on the receiving end of our anger. This week we look into the 5th deadly thought by Evagrius of Pontus, which is Anger! Our focus will be on Ephesians 4:26-27 and I encourage you to read and meditate on it. I find it interesting that it doesn't say we are not to be angry, just don't sin. What does that look like? Why the warning not to let the sun go down on our anger? How does anger give the devil a foothold? These are the questions that will get answered on Sunday as we dive into the text. No doubt we live in a ticked off world. I found this out early in life when in my high school summers, I umpired little league baseball. Parents were brutal and had no problem getting in my face telling me that there was no way little Johnny was out. I wish I could say this all changed when I got in the church, but I have had some past experiences that made little league baseball look like a walk in the park. Solomon tells us in proverbs that anger is infectious, " Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared." 22:24 I think we need this one, hope to see you Sunday. |
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