I have been pondering yesterday’s Daily Quote by Tim Stafford, particularly the last line.
"We do not pray to tell God what he does not know, nor to remind him of things he has forgotten. He already cares for the things we pray about….He has simply been waiting for us to care about them with him."
I notice that I am quite practiced in creating prayers that imply that God doesn’t know what’s going on, or that God needs reminders. What am I thinking? That God is just a smarter, more put together version of me? Even the phrase that God has simply been waiting for us to care about them with him suggests some anthropomorphic God in the sky. Time and time again I have to sort through this model of God that is embedded in the Judeo-Christian tradition, this model that we humans seem to need to keep on the launching pad as we try once again to deepen our faith.
If God is waiting for me to care with God, it seems that how I care about the people is crucial to my prayer. I have to care for them like God does—with love. Not easy. I have to release all my judgments, judgments about what people need, how they should act, what they should do, etc., etc., etc.. Not easy-- a continuous challenge.
Caring with God doesn’t solve all the mysteries of prayer. But I know that when I am able to care with God, for even a fleeting second, the world feels like a better place. God’s kingdom comes and God’s will is done on earth, and, even for a moment, it feels like heaven. In some miraculous way, my prayer of love is heard.
See, here I am, back to those anthropomorphic explanations. Well, that’s part of the human way of caring with God.
"We do not pray to tell God what he does not know, nor to remind him of things he has forgotten. He already cares for the things we pray about….He has simply been waiting for us to care about them with him."
I notice that I am quite practiced in creating prayers that imply that God doesn’t know what’s going on, or that God needs reminders. What am I thinking? That God is just a smarter, more put together version of me? Even the phrase that God has simply been waiting for us to care about them with him suggests some anthropomorphic God in the sky. Time and time again I have to sort through this model of God that is embedded in the Judeo-Christian tradition, this model that we humans seem to need to keep on the launching pad as we try once again to deepen our faith.
If God is waiting for me to care with God, it seems that how I care about the people is crucial to my prayer. I have to care for them like God does—with love. Not easy. I have to release all my judgments, judgments about what people need, how they should act, what they should do, etc., etc., etc.. Not easy-- a continuous challenge.
Caring with God doesn’t solve all the mysteries of prayer. But I know that when I am able to care with God, for even a fleeting second, the world feels like a better place. God’s kingdom comes and God’s will is done on earth, and, even for a moment, it feels like heaven. In some miraculous way, my prayer of love is heard.
See, here I am, back to those anthropomorphic explanations. Well, that’s part of the human way of caring with God.
RSS Feed