Why has my grandfather returned to FDW? Prayer.
Specifically, a prayer for those who are now enlisted or have been a part of our country's military, a prayer I joined in tonight at a "National Day Of Prayer" meeting. He was a peacetime veteran, just as I and my father were. I'll tell you about my other grandfather another time.
This was my first "NDOP" in a few years, for reasons about to appear on this page.
I love God, I respect God, and I love to see God honored with the reverence He deserves.
It has bothered me for years to see God namechecked as someone bloviates, using 1500 words when five or six would do.
It comes with the territory of an event such as the National Day Of Prayer-whatever is said must be so covered with verbiage as to render it presentable to the public.
But...is it presentable to God?
Are those prayers for God's ears or ours? Am I to consider a person so greatly spiritual because he sings loudly or speaks muchly?
I have a hard time listening to such things done in God's name which I feel glorify the singer/speaker
instead of God. Pharisees come in many shapes.
I do appreciate that God's people get together, stand together. I just wish that such gatherings would honor God more and Man not at all.
So, why did I brave the "NDOP" tonight after avoiding it for the past few?
Curiosity. In my town the event was being held in the renovated movie theater which had been closed for decades. My first dates were at that theater, and we saw some great films, had good times.
I wanted to see how it has been refurbished, and I am pleased-it looks great in there, and in June they begin showing films again. Two blocks from my house, an actual movie theater. Finestkind.
So this will probably be my last NDOP event for awhile. Let me be clear-there were some actual prayers spoken from the heart; not everyone was a Pharisee. God knows who is which.
I did not raise my voice in the meeting, and I stopped singing along when the braying got to be too much. But I will add my prayer here now:
"Lord, humble those of us who need it...and we all need it."
1 comment:
Years ago my girlfriend and I found ourselves in a church for a service where ritual and custom had replaced
anything to do with God.
Rather than say, "Please rise" the minister would silently make flowing upraised movements with his hands; later, accompanying descanting movements would express to us that we should sit down.
Here's the thing-I grew up in a dead church where ritual was everything. God was not honored in that church, and I don't believe God is honored when someone uses a prayer which is supposed to be addressed to Him to make a public speech.
If you want to make a speech, hire a hall or drag your soapbox to the city square.
If you are going to pray, whether out loud or in private, speak it from your heart to God or shut up.
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