Okay
Okay, my apologies for yesterday's post. Like I said, I was in a bad mood....not the best time to be saying things!
Anyways, we went to church this morning, minus my dad because he's down in Colorado Springs on vacation.......just kidding, it's for work. Well, for the first half I really didn't see the point in being there. Singing the same old songs in the ridiculously high key ranges, listening to yet another message. So I just sat there during worship, barely singing, and going off into my own little world. I was tired of doing the same old motions and not really connecting with God, so I figured why am I going to just "pretend" I was into the worship and "feeling" God when I'm not? My thinking is it's not about the motions, it's not about looking spiritual or just putting on an act. It's about relationship and if I'm not at a great place, I'm not going to pretend I am because I'm in church. Church is supposed to help you grow in your faith, not sugar coat it.
But my attitude changed during the sermon. Pastor Greg is still doing his series on faith. The first couple weeks I don't feel helped me a whole lot because I'm passed the basic belief in whether God is real or not. But this week he talked about actually applying it to your life and beginning an actual relationship with God. This is more what I was looking for. He referred to the two Greek words for the English word "word" which are logos and rhema (I think that's what it is.....going by memory here). Logos means the actual word....so the Bible is the Word of God....it's what God said, whereas rhema is the application of the word, so taking the logos of God, and applying it as the rhema. Does this make sense? I'm hoping I'm explaining it right!
So yeah, that really stood out to me because right now I'm searching to find out how to not just go through the "motions" but to actually mean them and get to that place where it's no longer in my head, but in my heart. It's really hard I must say! I had a conversation with my b/f the other day about how it's easy to look spiritual by raising your hands, closing your eyes, waving flags, etc. and thinking that by doing this, you're connecting with God. Being able to list the things you do that are spiritual and thinking that, because of them, you have some deep relationship with God. But I think that it's not about looking like anything. It's about the heart, and I don't want to get caught up in the outward appearance in church, or anywhere for that matter, of being spiritual. Look at Jesus, he didn't care what anyone said about the things he did because he knew that they were all done in obedience to God, not because he wanted people to think he was holy.
Anyways, those are my thoughts for the day. I'm off to the train station to get an ISIC card....sweet discounts for my travels! hehe have a good day everyone! :)
Anyways, we went to church this morning, minus my dad because he's down in Colorado Springs on vacation.......just kidding, it's for work. Well, for the first half I really didn't see the point in being there. Singing the same old songs in the ridiculously high key ranges, listening to yet another message. So I just sat there during worship, barely singing, and going off into my own little world. I was tired of doing the same old motions and not really connecting with God, so I figured why am I going to just "pretend" I was into the worship and "feeling" God when I'm not? My thinking is it's not about the motions, it's not about looking spiritual or just putting on an act. It's about relationship and if I'm not at a great place, I'm not going to pretend I am because I'm in church. Church is supposed to help you grow in your faith, not sugar coat it.
But my attitude changed during the sermon. Pastor Greg is still doing his series on faith. The first couple weeks I don't feel helped me a whole lot because I'm passed the basic belief in whether God is real or not. But this week he talked about actually applying it to your life and beginning an actual relationship with God. This is more what I was looking for. He referred to the two Greek words for the English word "word" which are logos and rhema (I think that's what it is.....going by memory here). Logos means the actual word....so the Bible is the Word of God....it's what God said, whereas rhema is the application of the word, so taking the logos of God, and applying it as the rhema. Does this make sense? I'm hoping I'm explaining it right!
So yeah, that really stood out to me because right now I'm searching to find out how to not just go through the "motions" but to actually mean them and get to that place where it's no longer in my head, but in my heart. It's really hard I must say! I had a conversation with my b/f the other day about how it's easy to look spiritual by raising your hands, closing your eyes, waving flags, etc. and thinking that by doing this, you're connecting with God. Being able to list the things you do that are spiritual and thinking that, because of them, you have some deep relationship with God. But I think that it's not about looking like anything. It's about the heart, and I don't want to get caught up in the outward appearance in church, or anywhere for that matter, of being spiritual. Look at Jesus, he didn't care what anyone said about the things he did because he knew that they were all done in obedience to God, not because he wanted people to think he was holy.
Anyways, those are my thoughts for the day. I'm off to the train station to get an ISIC card....sweet discounts for my travels! hehe have a good day everyone! :)
9 Comments:
At 12:07 p.m.,
Anonymous said…
Amen, Aleah. I am glad that God has put within your heart a great desire to know him more than ever. You are correct when you say that the word(logos) is to be placed into your heart as well as your mind. The more you apply the Word-of-God into your life the closer you will be drawn into a far more deeper relationship with Him. Praise God.
At 7:13 a.m.,
Mike said…
My suggestion: drop all your usual religious activities. Completely. Don't bother singing, don't bother raising your hands. Sit during worship; don't stand.
Even if you feel like doing any of those things, don't. Go cold turkey.
That's the only way you'll distance yourself from "going through the motions." If you just stop it all, you'll know you aren't doing that stuff for the sake of appearances or for the sake of ritual.
I think you're trying to figure out how to do two things. Primarily, I think you're trying to figure out how to worship God in the context of community - the Church on Sunday.
Hopefully, somewhere down the line, you'll find a way to worship along with the church community that also suits you as an individual. When you stop worrying about your motives - "am I just doing this for the sake of appearances / am I sugar coating my problems" - then you'll have found your way.
You might also be looking for a way to worship through actions - what I assume you mean by rhema. The only help you'll find with that is here.
At 7:34 a.m.,
Jamie A. Grant said…
These last two posts are quite the tour de force. Honest and revelatory.
At 11:30 a.m.,
Aleah said…
haha yeah Jamie, I'm not so sure what's come over me these days!
But Mike, I don't want to give up the actions and say that by doing them, it's just some facade that people use to mask their problems; I'm saying I want to do them for the sole purpose of getting closer with God, NOT just so that I can look spiritual. Giving them up won't solve my problem. I think only a change of heart/attitude will, and my problem is that I don't know what the heck to do to do that!
At 8:10 a.m.,
Mike said…
Raising your hands while you sing makes you closer to God?
At 10:03 a.m.,
Jamie A. Grant said…
That depends, Mike. Does a parent clapping for their child bring them closer together? Physical demonstration is important for relationships.
At 1:15 p.m.,
Aleah said…
Does yelling at the TV football game make your team win?
At 8:19 p.m.,
Mike said…
How many parents clap for their child out of obligation?
There's a difference between a parent clapping with true spontaneity and joy, and somebody raising their hands on Sunday morning 'cause that's the magical gesture you're supposed to make.
Of course, I am not saying that it is always that way. Obviously a certain number of people raise their hands because they really want to. I just don't think Aleah is alone in feeling obligated to make these gestures.
Insofar as obligation is involved, the analogy of a parent/child thing is totally inappropriate.
At 8:52 a.m.,
Jamie A. Grant said…
I think the parent/child analogy is quite apt. That being said, I presume that Mike is not making a purely logical suggestion to drop everything but is also speaking from experience. That may add some weight to his recommendation.
From my own experience, I've done the "cold turkey" thing before and I realized afterwards that it was foolish of me. Not to say that Mike's comments are foolish, I just realized that dropping something entirely does not help me deal with it but rather distances me from the problem without resolving anything.
In any case, I'm sure that Aleah will come through this well by her own means.
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