Prayer

I used to have great difficulty praying especially aloud. What if I don't say the right words? What if it doesn't "sound" right? What if I "er" and "um"? Guess what I found out. It doesn't matter. Prayer is conversation with God. It is talking with a loved one. It is not a big theological, theatrical production it is just simply talking. It does not require eloquent language, just sincere heartfelt words.

Acting Christian

1 "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding. 2-4"When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out. (MSG Matthew 6)
Acting Christian. We all do it at times but we also know of many people who hide behind the mask of being the perfect Christian. Some are like politicians that glad hand everyone and make a big show of what they do and how they have helped. Once again we are looking at talking the talk and walking the walk. Thank God we also know those acting Christians who quietly go about doing, being, and loving. No fuss, no muss and no mask. I am reminded of the song, "They will know we are Christians by our love." If we could only keep singing that song in our heads until it becomes ingrained in our hearts and we truly become acting Christian and not Christians who are acting like Christians.

Love Your Enemies

Don't you just hate that phrase - Love Your Enemies. What about an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth? That sound more justified to me. But, unfortunately that isn't God's way. But it is sooo unfair!! The problem is that we either don't understand how to love our enemies or it seems too hard to do. And it gets all tangled up in that forgiveness business. Again, the problem may be understanding "that forgiveness business." Take the bully for instance, the bully imparts fear, strength, and fierceness. That is the surface of the bully. But what is the internal, the heart and soul, of the bully? Often it is a scared, abused, weak and overgrown child. If someone is hurting you in anyway, look for how they themselves are hurting. The abuser has often been abused themselves. This does not excuse their actions. But it sheds a whole new light on why they are the way that they are. And it can lead to our forgiveness and our love. We don't have to forget what they have done but we can let go of it's control over us. I can forgive you and not forget that you hurt me by not allowing the hurt to fester and control me in any way. This is far from easy, but it is the righteous way. It is the Godly way. So, love your enemies. It will change your life and perhaps even theirs.

Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk

33-37"And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong. (Matthew 5 MSG)
Talkin the Talk is easy. Too easy. We can all sound religious, pious, and truthful. BUT, Walking the Walk is a whole other matter. Being religous, pious, and truthful is alot of work. It takes conscious effort. It takes a change of heart. It takes giving our life over to God. Giving over our control. Ohhhh NOOO! Isn't life hard enough? The status quo is so much easier. Yet, think how much easier life would be if we all Talked the Talk and Walked the Walk. Manipulation would be a dead word. Truth would prevail. We know that we can't reach that until eternal life but life here on earth sure would be alot better. So, let us practice Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk until it becomes embedded deep within us. Until it becomes us!

Not Acceptable in God's House

My former pastor and I have had an ongoing discussion about how the mainline church is getting more and more watered down by relativism. This point came to life for me today concerning word usage in the church. In commenting about something I used the word intimate. I was told that there are people in the congregation who have stated that the word intimate is not acceptable in God's house. Now, I don't know about you, but the term intimate is most acceptable in God's house and is important in God's kingdom. I don't know what is more intimate than God's love for me. What is more intimate than the Spirit's breath that gives me life. What is more intimate than Christ's intimate guidance in my life's journey. Unfortunately, we can't separate lust and immorality from sexuality and love. Sexuality and love are gifts from God. Lust and immorality are evils temptations that turn us away from God's gifts of sexuality and love and twist intimacy into something "ungodly". Our world is full of images and temptations of lust and of immorality. So do we in the church need to water down God's gifts of sexuality and love because some can not separate the terms. Somehow we think that by not offending anyone that this is what God wants. Smooth everything over and all will be well and relative. So I will have to watch what words I use in God's House, that is I may have to make sure that I don't say intimacy/intimate every other word! I shall sin boldly because I have an intimate relationship with my God. ALLELUIA!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!