Musing on a Query

Musings

Sometimes, as I am preaching, in the back of my brain a question or query arises. Most recently this occurred while I was preaching from the book of Jeremiah. I was making a point that the people of God incorrectly assumed they were safe because the lived in Jerusalem with the temple of God. I attempted to articulate the foolishness of assuming that because of our being “children of God” or our saying the right prayer at the right time, or our having the right prayer button to push we could make God protect us. God is out of our control. Our prayer beads, preferred biblical translations, politically correct (or incorrect) sayings, even our right thinking, right behaving ways are helpless to control God in any fashion. How often did the disciples and others attempt to advise Jesus only to watch Jesus do what Jesus chose to do?

Before I share the query of the back of my brain, I want to raise an advantage of accepting that God is out of our control. When our prayers go seemingly unanswered, we are not disappointed. When God shows up unexpectedly, even unwanted, we are less frustrated. When God remains silent, we are tempted to speak less and listen more. And ultimately and possibly, we might allow ourselves the humility more befitting of our created status.

The query that rose in the back of my brain was the power of the right prayer button, preferred biblical translation, correct spiritual practice? If not to control God, what value is there to these practices passed down over the ages? In truth, the query rose with the words, why am I preaching so negatively when so much possibility and hope exists?

If God is out of our control and so much of creation is out of our control, what is in our control? Before you suggest the possible use of prophetic judgement to control the other people in your pew, let us jump to the obvious. We have more control over ourselves than anyone or anything else. Honestly, we are not in control of ourselves as much as we think. However, we can be more positively in control. Even more, I suggest that we can be even more free and powerful.

Spiritual practices prepare us to relate to that which we do not control. Spiritual disciplines help us to face the seeming chaos about us. Saying the right prayer at the right time does not control God but it does focus our soul upon the One we seek. There is so much freedom and power to such living. A simple example is the practice of bowing our heads and folding our hands in prayer. This simple practice avoids distraction, positions us for humility, and focuses our thoughts. Imagine the joy as you engage more complex and rich spiritual disciplines.

So many children love ketchup and mac-n-cheese. I’ve seen them mixed to the delight of the youthful grazer. We raise our children to enjoy a balanced diet, a more complex and rich diet. So should we grow to enjoy and to embrace a more complex and rich spiritual practice. How happy a life that tastes the full menu of spiritual experience!