Finding God

Religious Practice

There was once a woman who was religious and devout and filled with love for God. Each morning she would go to church. And on her way children would call out to her, beggars would accost her, but so immersed was she in her devotions that she did not even see them. Now one day she walked down the street in her customary manner and arrived at the church just in time for service. She pushed the door, but it would not open. She pushed it again harder, and found the door was locked. Distressed at the thought that she would miss service for the first time in years and not knowing what to do, she looked up. And there, right before her face, she found a note pinned to the door. It said, “I’m out there!”

Anthony de Mello
Source: Taking Flight

The complications of prayer. . .

Prayer can be complicated. 

Denver Broncos quarterback, Tim Tebow sees the NFL as a platform for witness in the form of an "in your face" display of religious action at the end of most successful touchdown drives and games.  The popular young player even displays biblical passages etched on his no glare, black eye strips. 

Hey, to each his own, I suppose. 

Still, Jesus did say on one occasion, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (see Matthew 6:5-8 for statement and context).

Even thanking God for the blessings of life can get complicated.  Don't you think? 

It seems important to be very thoughtful about how we pray and about those things for which we pray.  Prayer should be a time of deep reflection, a private alignment of human life with the values of faith as we come to understand the agenda of God.  What do you think?

For Sunday: Psalm 82

Psalm 82


A Plea for Justice

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgement:

2 ‘How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked?

3 Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.

4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.’
________________________

8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth;
for all the nations belong to you!

(New Revised Standard Version)

Consumers in the pews (Part 2)

In follow up to last Sunday's post, here is a video clip of G. Jeffrey MacDonald speaking about the research he completed on American churches that led to his book, “Thieves in the Temple: The Christian Church and the Selling of the American Soul.”

The video is worth watching. 

Let me know your reactions. 


MacDonald Luncheon m4v mpeg4 online sd from MassBible on Vimeo.

Torture and Faith: Go Figure

So, now come the results of the new Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life poll about the relationship between faith/faith practice and one's attitude toward torture.

Facts about the research:

742 American adults surveyed on use of torture against suspected terrorists

54 percent of those who go to religious services at least weekly say it's often or sometimes acceptable

People unaffiliated with any religious group were least likely to back torture

The report:

The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey.

More than half of people who attend services at least once a week -- 54 percent -- said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is "often" or "sometimes" justified. Only 42 percent of people who "seldom or never" go to services agreed, according to the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified -- more than six in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only four in 10 of them did.

Reminds me of the attitudes and reactions I grew up hearing in my home church in regard to issues related to civil rights, racial prejudice, war and other opportunities for hate-speech and hatred.

Read full article »

Lots to think about here. Like to hear your reaction.

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