Pastor Paul
(I had neglected to write something for this week and the deadline came crashing down. I am grateful for Joan Bel Geddes and together this is what we concocted.)
Surely it isn’t the most sensible tactic, when you want favors from a male, to keep telling him you doubt that he’s smart enough or nice enough to give you what you’re asking for! Instead of arguing with and acting suspicious of God, I should probably try to flatter God and get on God’s good side. . .on the other hand, that wouldn’t do any good, actually, because they say God can read our hearts and knows all of our hidden secrets. So, if I pretended to have more faith and love and hope than I actually do have, God would know perfectly well that I was faking.
That kind of phony prayer would be useless. That really would be self-delusion, as distinguished from real prayer. (Hmmm? Have I reached the conclusion that real prayer is not self-delusion? Maybe I’m beginning to understand something important!)
The nation that claims loyalty to God is chastised in Amos, Chapter 5 for the ways that they have ignored the needs of the poor, the marginalized, the vulnerable and how the powerful have abused their status for their own benefit. God will have none of it:
I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice roll down like water
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
If it’s true that God hates hypocrisy more than God hates almost anything, then it’s good that I am being honest with God and not giving “false worship.” You can’t honor Truth with lies.
Surely it isn’t the most sensible tactic, when you want favors from a male, to keep telling him you doubt that he’s smart enough or nice enough to give you what you’re asking for! Instead of arguing with and acting suspicious of God, I should probably try to flatter God and get on God’s good side. . .on the other hand, that wouldn’t do any good, actually, because they say God can read our hearts and knows all of our hidden secrets. So, if I pretended to have more faith and love and hope than I actually do have, God would know perfectly well that I was faking.
That kind of phony prayer would be useless. That really would be self-delusion, as distinguished from real prayer. (Hmmm? Have I reached the conclusion that real prayer is not self-delusion? Maybe I’m beginning to understand something important!)
The nation that claims loyalty to God is chastised in Amos, Chapter 5 for the ways that they have ignored the needs of the poor, the marginalized, the vulnerable and how the powerful have abused their status for their own benefit. God will have none of it:
I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice roll down like water
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
If it’s true that God hates hypocrisy more than God hates almost anything, then it’s good that I am being honest with God and not giving “false worship.” You can’t honor Truth with lies.