Sunday, November 27, 2005
"Still, small voice"
The Prayer of Confession today at my church, um, the church I go to but I'm not ready to commit to quite yet:
"We confess that too often we have looked for You in the earthquake, wind and fire -- and not in the still, small voice. But your prophets have told us to expect something else, a revolution of the heart, a quiet inner transformation made possible by a God who won't give up on us. As the season of Advent dawns, come to us, abide with is, and grant us Your peace. Amen."
A God "who won't tive up on us." Thank God for AOL's "unsend" e-mail function! Thank God for Bird! Thank God for God!
Scripture: Psalms 80: 1-7.
I confess that the Scripture doesn't seem to match the prayer. So what? It's a lectionary reading for the advent of, um, Advent. (Hey, cut me some slack: Southern-fried Baptists don't follow the church calendar, and I, as a recovering Southern-fried Baptist, can't keep the terms straight.)
Even more mind-twisting: Take a set of fundamentalist Christians, and a set of liberal Christians, and have 'em read it and they'd come up with two totally different interpretations.
Whatever! Thank God for God!
--ER
"We confess that too often we have looked for You in the earthquake, wind and fire -- and not in the still, small voice. But your prophets have told us to expect something else, a revolution of the heart, a quiet inner transformation made possible by a God who won't give up on us. As the season of Advent dawns, come to us, abide with is, and grant us Your peace. Amen."
A God "who won't tive up on us." Thank God for AOL's "unsend" e-mail function! Thank God for Bird! Thank God for God!
Scripture: Psalms 80: 1-7.
I confess that the Scripture doesn't seem to match the prayer. So what? It's a lectionary reading for the advent of, um, Advent. (Hey, cut me some slack: Southern-fried Baptists don't follow the church calendar, and I, as a recovering Southern-fried Baptist, can't keep the terms straight.)
Even more mind-twisting: Take a set of fundamentalist Christians, and a set of liberal Christians, and have 'em read it and they'd come up with two totally different interpretations.
Whatever! Thank God for God!
--ER
Comments:
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That still small voice has guided me from time to time, and its made all the difference in my life. I can already see the effects of the calm, open, listening attitude I'm trying to pass to my kids. They are only 7 and 8 years old, but have told me some awesome things they couldn't have come up with themselves.
ER said:
"Even more mind-twisting: Take a set of fundamentalist Christians, and a set of liberal Christians, and have 'em read it and they'd come up with two totally different interpretations."
After a certain age I began to question using the Bible as a book of Magic. By that I mean, opening the book and finding a specific scripture that literally spoke directly to me and to the situation that I was in in the 20th century. That act is significantly different than studying the scriptures in context to their time and purpose in that time, and drawing a lesson from them that can be used today.
I have found that most Christians do not see the difference between the two. If the conservatives and liberals of today see entirely different "messages" in this particular Psalm (or any scripture in the Bible) then they are not reading the Psalm but they are reading into the Psalm their desire for a "Magic" meaning rather than finding out what is actually there.
"Test the spirits....."
"Even more mind-twisting: Take a set of fundamentalist Christians, and a set of liberal Christians, and have 'em read it and they'd come up with two totally different interpretations."
After a certain age I began to question using the Bible as a book of Magic. By that I mean, opening the book and finding a specific scripture that literally spoke directly to me and to the situation that I was in in the 20th century. That act is significantly different than studying the scriptures in context to their time and purpose in that time, and drawing a lesson from them that can be used today.
I have found that most Christians do not see the difference between the two. If the conservatives and liberals of today see entirely different "messages" in this particular Psalm (or any scripture in the Bible) then they are not reading the Psalm but they are reading into the Psalm their desire for a "Magic" meaning rather than finding out what is actually there.
"Test the spirits....."
# posted by 
: 7:55 AM
: 7:55 AM
Amen, Drlobojo.
There are "serious" Christians today who toss open the Bible, and with eyes closed point blindly to a verse that, they believe, is "meant" for them that day.
I confess I do have a lingering sense of the mystic about me -- in all areas of life, not just Christianity and Scripture.
But that's different from magic, I think.
There are "serious" Christians today who toss open the Bible, and with eyes closed point blindly to a verse that, they believe, is "meant" for them that day.
I confess I do have a lingering sense of the mystic about me -- in all areas of life, not just Christianity and Scripture.
But that's different from magic, I think.
Absolutely Magic and Mystic are two different things. I also think of myself in terms of believing in the mystical, that is realizing that there is something beyond my understanding and it will be forever mysterious. Magic, of course, seeks to control the natural and supernatural. In a way, this is the yin and the yang of popular christianity. Mystery versus magic, or submission and acceptance versus control and power.
# posted by : 2:52 PM
: 2:52 PM
"Mystery versus magic, or submission and acceptance versus control and power."
Well said and fascinating to think about, drlobojo.
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Well said and fascinating to think about, drlobojo.
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