Seeking God Together

Recently I was going on about how important it is to seek God together. This links in well with another topic I mentioned last month on creating confessional community. If we are going to see God there has to be a love among us that goes beyond superficial greetings and barbecues and gets to the heart of who we are together. (Nothing against barbecues, by the way, I defend the right of Christians to continue pointless barbecues.)

I think sometimes it is only too easy to hide behind social events and occasions to allow that be our card that says we’ve done fellowship, we’ve done community, when in actuality there’s nothing about the nature of the called-out ones that would withstand a storm of personal indiscretions. How is that proven, well just slip an indiscretion and see the power of gossip and judgemental attitude that closes ranks against the sinner and offers no room for vulnerability, transparency and genuine repentance.

Seeking God together is surely about taking the time to build those relationships with fellow-travellers filled with the grace to accept that we’re not in this community of grace on merit. As we practice that ability not just to bear with the burdens of others, but allow our burdens likewise to be carried by others there is no room for judgement. There’s every room for cries of mercy and pleas for God to shower His compassion on us all for the ways in which we fail Him.

The difference between me before I met Jesus and now I’m getting to know Him is that the excuse ‘we’re only human’ was a get out clause previously, but now it is the base on which to fall on the mercies of God and the encouragement of brothers and sisters in Christ to let the Holy Spirit empower me to live right and whether instantaneously or over time overcome that area of failing. Even like some if we’re never able to overcome that thorn in the flesh we can still rejoice in the strength of Christ being made perfect in our weakness and so learn to live through our vulnerabilities as a lifelong reminder of our complete dependence on Jesus.

This is not just rhetoric from me. In parts of 2008 my life was wracked with problem after problem and there were areas of the church that just were not equipped to support me through the process. God always finds people to come alongside though and it was the case that there were brothers who were tremendous aids to me just in their availability, transparency and vulnerability. Together we’d have those brief glimpses of what true confessional community would look like where we were only too aware of weaknesses but grateful to God for His grace and goodness in wiping them away once they were exposed to the light of His love. The battles are not over, but such experiences prove again to me that this love that sent Jesus to the cross is able to work through us as we seek God together and let us reflect that same love to each other, no matter what the issue.

The journey continues both for seeking God and seeing what it is to create that confessional community that acknowledges Jesus as Lord and our sins are ever in need to be washed by Him. The hope I have in knowing that this which He asks for is possible and a glimpse into what that heavenly kingdom is all about.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

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Prayer: Nothing To Hide

Now I’ve said I’m not going to use Daily Thoughts as my kop out for blog entries and in a sense I’m not. What I am doing is offering a place to put down some extended thoughts on the initial daily thought that I release. Not a regular thing, but just a place for people who may have read the Daily Thought and are interested in exploring things a bit more.

However in the case of not having actually read the Daily Thought here it is.

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8)

What’s the point in telling someone something they already know? A response to this could be that as they already know there’s no point in saying anything. Yet there is something valuable in a relationship in still being open and vulnerable in sharing what’s going on. It is encouraging to the recipient that you still want to open the issue and share it with them – inviting them to be a part of the conversation and in the case of the Father a part of the resolution of the situation. That’s why transparency and honesty in prayer is beneficial.

And here is the extended thought.

I mean what would it say about a conversation if we’re holding something back? We either don’t think it’s important or we’re too ashamed to talk about it or we feel capable of dealing with it ourselves. In the context of a conversation with the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe that, in essence, could be reduced to negligence, fear/shame and pride – all things that are obstacles to healthy and effective relationship with God. Whereas in opening ourselves to involving God in our every day lives we’re in effect saying that even if we can do whatever ‘in our own strength’ we still acknowledge that even that comes from Him. Even if we can figure it out – that brain comes from Him. In living a life with transparent and open forms of communication we’re dedicating all of life to God, not just the bits that we struggle with.

Now does that mean we close our eyes solemnly and utter benedictions and doxologies to our most divine, heavenly, almighty source of all providence before opening the tin of beans, reading the newspaper, having a bath or other regular ‘mundane’ activities of life? Of course not – that would be absurd. (Although in the case of the beans there could be an argument to solicit divine protection for those who will suffer some of the gaseous aftermath of the consumption.) Prayer, however, as I’m suggesting, is an open channel of communication between God and ourselves – thus whether it’s a thought, a word uttered, a passing contemplation, all these can be our method of communicating with God on any and every given situation – hence the possibility of praying without ceasing.

So that’s why it makes sense that knowing our heavenly Father knows what we’re praying for, we might as well be open, transparent, vulnerable and considered in our prayer lives. Otherwise we’re like Adam and Eve in the garden, we want to cover up stuff out of shame, fear and pride, when we would be better off placing ourselves in His hand with everything – after all as a loving God that’s the kind of relationship He desires with us.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
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