Some met for a time of prayer last night at the church. There is a sense that we need God and His Will more than ever in our lives, and in turn, the ministry here in Shelbyville. It is a small beginning, but we aren't hindered by that fact.
As I began to pray, I sensed in a very real way that God was with us. I even almost spoke to those there about being "aware" of God's presence, but I simply remained in a state of awareness myself. I welcomed Him there, and continued to simply invite Him more and more. After a few moments, and I don't know when the switch happened, but I realized that I was no longer aware of God, but had begun to focus on some Christmas decorations that were in a box on the floor. I thought of the layout of the room and how it would be decorated, and my mind wandered.
I know that this simply sounds like an attention-span problem, but there was something different happening. I sensed that this was a picture of a large portion of the body of believers. We become aware of the presence of God for a moment, and are even awed by it. Then, we become distracted. This leads to a basic "forgetfulness" of God. You see, we don't hate Him; we just ignore Him. This is not done in a vicious way, either; but it happens at a sub-conscience level that manifests itself into the conscience. At the risk of creating a maddening cliche, Christmas is remembered more than Christ.
So, I wonder...
How do we capture the presence of Christ, thereby keeping that presences real and in the forefront of our mind?
We must find ourselves in the presence of God, then we must be changed by that presence.
I'm going to Israel in March, and I learned something yesterday afternoon about the Wailing Wall. The protocol is that you pray with your hands against the wall. When you are finished, you back away 5 paces or so, with you head still bowed and while still facing the wall. Then, you turn with your head bowed and walk away.
In Jewish tradition, you do not turn your back on the presence of God.
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3 comments:
Wow! Awesome opportunity--are you just going yourself or taking a group?
Or...are you being deported?
I had heard that before about the Wailing Wall, but thanks for a welcome reminder.
More and more I fall in love with Jewish tradition and its powerful yet simple way of engaging the divine.
Actually, I am going with a former pastor/boss of mine (pre-Lovell Heights). There is a group that I will be a part of, and someone is paying the way for 5 pastors to go. I am one who is going for free.
Until a few years ago, every site deemed holy had a church built on top of it. Now, the national regulations keep the excavations as they are found. The difference is between: "Under this church/monument is the traditional site of..." OR "This is the very tomb/wall/etc."
It will be a fantastic trip.
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