Today’s Readings: Psalm 51; Leviticus 16:1-19; Luke 20:9-18; Philippians 2:19-30; Psalm 79
Lots of folks who don’t attend church look at the lives of those who do attend and think to themselves, “Well, of course those people are spiritual. Their lives are perfect and they have a lot to be thankful for. I would be a spiritual person too if I lived such a charmed life!” I can understand how folks outside the church might get that impression since things often look pretty serene from the outside. What they forget to factor in when they jump to such a conclusion, however, are the life-stories of the folks inside the church. What I’ve discovered over the years is that some of the most faithful folks in a faith community are individuals who have had VERY, VERY difficult lives. I think of the mothers and fathers inside those churches who have lost children; I think of the church people who were disowned or discriminated against when they were honest about the fact that they fell in love with someone of the same gender; I think of the people of faith who are battling life-threatening diseases; I think of those Christians who struggle to bring health and wholeness to the broken relationships in which they live each day. Some might hear this and wonder, “If that’s the case, then why would anyone in their right mind take time to worship God if their lives have been so difficult!?” The psalmist in today’s first Psalm provides an answer of sorts to that question when he wrote: “I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice” (Psalm 51:17 from The Message). Those words reminded me of how the hard times in life can pave the way for a deeper and more meaningful relationship with one’s Creator. Prior to the hard times, we human beings have a tendency to want to claim credit for – or maintain control over – our lives. In other words, we engage in self-worship. The hard times in life, however, shatter any illusions we might have about our independence. They prevent us from doing what we would normally do – take things for granted. They can even spur on feelings of gratitude for those things that we do have. In other words, it’s often those hard times that help make God-worship possible. I would invite you to find some time today to reflect on a difficult period in your life and consider the ways in which that tough time help deepen and enrich your spiritual life. Til next time…
Lots of folks who don’t attend church look at the lives of those who do attend and think to themselves, “Well, of course those people are spiritual. Their lives are perfect and they have a lot to be thankful for. I would be a spiritual person too if I lived such a charmed life!” I can understand how folks outside the church might get that impression since things often look pretty serene from the outside. What they forget to factor in when they jump to such a conclusion, however, are the life-stories of the folks inside the church. What I’ve discovered over the years is that some of the most faithful folks in a faith community are individuals who have had VERY, VERY difficult lives. I think of the mothers and fathers inside those churches who have lost children; I think of the church people who were disowned or discriminated against when they were honest about the fact that they fell in love with someone of the same gender; I think of the people of faith who are battling life-threatening diseases; I think of those Christians who struggle to bring health and wholeness to the broken relationships in which they live each day. Some might hear this and wonder, “If that’s the case, then why would anyone in their right mind take time to worship God if their lives have been so difficult!?” The psalmist in today’s first Psalm provides an answer of sorts to that question when he wrote: “I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice” (Psalm 51:17 from The Message). Those words reminded me of how the hard times in life can pave the way for a deeper and more meaningful relationship with one’s Creator. Prior to the hard times, we human beings have a tendency to want to claim credit for – or maintain control over – our lives. In other words, we engage in self-worship. The hard times in life, however, shatter any illusions we might have about our independence. They prevent us from doing what we would normally do – take things for granted. They can even spur on feelings of gratitude for those things that we do have. In other words, it’s often those hard times that help make God-worship possible. I would invite you to find some time today to reflect on a difficult period in your life and consider the ways in which that tough time help deepen and enrich your spiritual life. Til next time…
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