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Monday, March 26, 2007
When Is Worship Wrong?
Psalm 126; John 12:1-8
When can worship be wrong? I mean, if you believe in God, what could be the problem? Maybe it's a matter of method... or timing... or ignoring some other worthy act of faith. Like taking care of the poor, or feeding the hungry. That's what one of Jesus' disciples said in this week's Gospel story. Sounds good. Sounds like Jesus. But check out how he responded.
Listen to the GODcast!
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As a "man of the cloth" I am expected to be also a man of prayer.
So I'm happy enough when the request comes my way, "Pastor, would you lead us in a prayer?" After all, it's a major part of what I was hired for. Even when the invitation comes by surprise, I'm pleased to speak with God out loud on behalf of my companions.
But I have a problem with the whole idea of invocations at secular events.
No, I'm not talking about "civil religion" as some kind of spiritual counterfeit. As far as I'm concerned, it's a wonderful thing whenever and however people behave as if God is real and really present in the midst of this material world.
And I'm not very upset when the crowd expects that Jesus' name will be politely avoided. Even so, I'd definitely prefer for a Jew to be allowed to pray her own way, and a Buddhist his, for any faith tradition to use its own vocabulary. That way we'd accept and affirm each other with integrity -- instead of apprehension that some soul's sensibilities might be accidentally bruised.
What bothers me most about public invocations is the tendency to address them to the assembled multitude, instead of to God on their behalf. Such disguised speeches can amount to spiritual abuse of a captive audience. Give me a good nonsectarian inspirational "thought for the day" any day.
Like...
+"There is only one real deprivation, I decided this morning, and that is not to be able to give one's gifts to those one loves most." May Sarton
+"While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart." St. Francis of Assisi
+"I think that people want peace so much that one of these days government had better get out of their way and let them have it." Dwight D. Eisenhower
+"I wake up in the morning asking myself what can I do today, how can I help the world today." Julia Butterfly Hill
+"Laughter is carbonated holiness." Anne Lamott
+"If the only prayer you say in your whole life is thank you, that would suffice." Meister Eckhart
By the way, that last one ties right in with the theme of this week's sermon. Okay, that was a little bit sneaky. But if you haven't already done so, check it out on the GODcast now.
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P.S. I found those selected "thoughts for the day" one day at a time, thanks to Brother David Steindl-Rast's Gratefulness.org Web site. Pay them a visit when you can. You'll come away blessed. Or your money back. I guarantee it!
posted by Jack Buckley at
11:30 AM
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