Sunday, July 27, 2008

Dearest God,

A day in your house is like none other. Seeing your children filled with joy, watching their eyes sparkle, friendships born and hospitality shared must bring great joy to you, Creator and Sustainer of Your Church.

Sometimes I wonder, dear Lord, if your church has a future. I see a turning away from God in our culture, an insidious desire to fill one's own desires at the cost of others. I see a needless wandering, just filling up with whatever suits us at the moment. And I see the effects of such activity. Selfishness, self centeredness, a world according to me. At the same time I see a praying out, wanting you to answer the heart's prayer without giving anything back to you.

How can one pray, truly cry out to you if we turn away from your church which is your beloved? It seems we want it all ways. We want you without who you love. We want you without responsibility. We want you without investment. And we only want you on our own terms.

Our greatest and highest values seem to be sliding down the tubes. The more we walk away, the more we stuff ourselves with ourselves. We opt for substitutes rather than the real you. We'd really just like a little Jesus for our shelves that we can take down on occasion to fulfill our needs, then return you to the bric brac we have accompanying him.

Yet, I look out at the joy on Sunday mornings and what I see gives me hope for a better world.

You called
the people together
and you called them
"church."
You said,
"these are
my people."
Not people
who live
for themselves,
but people
who to some degree
live for others.
Imperfect people
who are trying
to perfect themselves
with your grace.
People who give,
who love,
who share,
who reach out,
who smile,
and sometimes hug,
people who offer
you to others.
Your church,
your beloved.

Love, Andrea