prayer is an egg salad finger sandwich. huh??? well, think about it a moment. an egg salad finger sandwich is a delicious morsel that satisfies and yet leaves one wanting more. that’s the whole point of a good canapé. it’s exactly the same with real prayer, something delicious that satisfies the need to connect with the One who calls us into being, yet leaves us wanting more – more conversation, where we listen more then we speak; more nourishment, where we enter more deeply into the mystery of communion.
now i’m talking about real prayer. not the laundry list of petitions for things wanted or dreams to be realized, with an occasional addendum of thanksgivings for things received or dreams manifested. nor am i speaking of prayer as a recitation of pretty words printed in a prayer book.
real prayer is about presence. real prayer is about surrendering to the Spirit and thereby developing a consciousness of God’s presence in the here and now, and in the always and everywhere . the more conscious we become of God’s presence in our lives at every moment, the more prayer facilitates personal growth and spiritual maturity. the more we come to realize God’s active and personal presence in our lives, the more we desire to live our lives in accordance with God’s will.
think about what Jesus taught on prayer in the gospels of matthew and luke. when his disciples inquired about how they should pray, Jesus responded “pray in this way” and gave us the guide to prayer that has become enshrined as “the Lord’s prayer”. the prayer differs somewhat between matthew and luke, which i think is testament to Jesus offering the prayer as a model for how to pray rather then a dictate as to what to say. nevertheless, in both cases Jesus begins the prayer with the word “Abba”.
Abba is an aramaic expression which is typically translated as “Father”, but as any bible scholar will tell you, Abba is an informal term of endearment more akin to “daddy” or “papa” or “baba”. the whole essence of prayer is summed up in that one word “Abba”, because prayer is the practice of being conscious of the One who is always present and loves you wholly, without reservation.
the experience of real prayer is like when you were a young child and climbed up onto your parent’s lap, embraced in caring arms, and you just rested securely in the knowledge that you were loved. that’s exactly what real prayer is, it’s about growing in the knowledge that you have a deep intimate relationship with God; climbing up onto God’s lap, resting in God’s hug, and knowing you are loved, to which you might respond with adoring eyes “I love you Abba”, and God lovingly replies “another canapé my little one”.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
on Divine gifts & human rights
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” – from the Preamble of the U.S. Declaration of Independence
the authors of our declaration of independence understood that human beings have inherent rights in regards to their interaction with other people and society as a whole. their specific listing of life, freedom, and the pursuit of well being, suggest that these three inherent rights are of primary importance. this seems reasonable enough given that all other rights extend from these three. the authors recognize these inalienable rights as rooted in the fact that they are first, and foremost, gifts from God to all of humanity, and therefore universal human rights.
indeed, in the very beginning of the bible we are told that the origin of human life is in God (gen. 1:27, 2:7). the whole book of exodus is a freedom-song, the story of God’s gifting people with freedom from oppressive social structures. this freedom-song is repeated throughout the writings of the prophets and in the words of Jesus. likewise, the right to pursue the desires of one’s heart and enjoy life is expressed throughout the book of ecclesiastes (2:24-26, 3:10-15, 5:18-20, 9:7, 11:9). we are given the gift of choice, and also responsibility for our choices. All actions have consequences, whether positive or negative, thus God gives us directives that point us in the way of wisdom (deut. 30:19).
yet sadly, there are places in the world today where the universal human rights to life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness are gravely denied. there are even those in our nation who would meter out these rights selectively. denial of these Divine gifts and universal human rights are often justified on the basis of culture and tradition. while we need to be culturally sensitive and respectful of tradition, we also need to remember that culture and tradition are social constructions that by human necessity are subject to change.
this is demonstrated in the bible; for example, it was the tradition of the patriarchs to practice polygamy, even the great and wise solomon had countless wives and concubines, yet that tradition changed as marriage evolved in context of shifting social norms. history as well demonstrates the necessity for cultural adaptation. it was not too long ago that slavery was a legally recognized part of american culture. today most americans abhor the very idea of human trafficking.
therefore, the denial of life and liberty based on the evolving human inventions of culture and tradition is a fundamental threat to individual dignity and societal health, as well as an affront to God. we must, as a people, find the moral courage to stand up for universal human rights wherever they are being sacrificed on the altars of the false gods of culture and tradition. otherwise, we deny the very tenets upon which our democracy was founded, and further deny God’s graciousness towards all people. The words of Dr. King ring as true today as ever, “No one is free, until everyone is free”.
© 2012 Halley Low
the authors of our declaration of independence understood that human beings have inherent rights in regards to their interaction with other people and society as a whole. their specific listing of life, freedom, and the pursuit of well being, suggest that these three inherent rights are of primary importance. this seems reasonable enough given that all other rights extend from these three. the authors recognize these inalienable rights as rooted in the fact that they are first, and foremost, gifts from God to all of humanity, and therefore universal human rights.
indeed, in the very beginning of the bible we are told that the origin of human life is in God (gen. 1:27, 2:7). the whole book of exodus is a freedom-song, the story of God’s gifting people with freedom from oppressive social structures. this freedom-song is repeated throughout the writings of the prophets and in the words of Jesus. likewise, the right to pursue the desires of one’s heart and enjoy life is expressed throughout the book of ecclesiastes (2:24-26, 3:10-15, 5:18-20, 9:7, 11:9). we are given the gift of choice, and also responsibility for our choices. All actions have consequences, whether positive or negative, thus God gives us directives that point us in the way of wisdom (deut. 30:19).
yet sadly, there are places in the world today where the universal human rights to life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness are gravely denied. there are even those in our nation who would meter out these rights selectively. denial of these Divine gifts and universal human rights are often justified on the basis of culture and tradition. while we need to be culturally sensitive and respectful of tradition, we also need to remember that culture and tradition are social constructions that by human necessity are subject to change.
this is demonstrated in the bible; for example, it was the tradition of the patriarchs to practice polygamy, even the great and wise solomon had countless wives and concubines, yet that tradition changed as marriage evolved in context of shifting social norms. history as well demonstrates the necessity for cultural adaptation. it was not too long ago that slavery was a legally recognized part of american culture. today most americans abhor the very idea of human trafficking.
therefore, the denial of life and liberty based on the evolving human inventions of culture and tradition is a fundamental threat to individual dignity and societal health, as well as an affront to God. we must, as a people, find the moral courage to stand up for universal human rights wherever they are being sacrificed on the altars of the false gods of culture and tradition. otherwise, we deny the very tenets upon which our democracy was founded, and further deny God’s graciousness towards all people. The words of Dr. King ring as true today as ever, “No one is free, until everyone is free”.
© 2012 Halley Low
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)