:: in a mirror dimly :: A theology and culture blog with the Bible in one tab and a news feed in the other.

While praying at the local Taize service last night I had a little nudge from God, a small voice saying, “Receive my love.”

My first response?

“But God I’m still such a sinful selfish mess.”

After all these years of reading the Bible and following Jesus, the simple act of receiving God’s love, grace, and forgiveness is still rather hard at times. While God doesn’t just sweep our sins under the carpet, he doesn’t want us wallowing in them, beating ourselves up, alienating ourselves from his love and grace.

I tried to let go. I tried to step away from who I thought I was and tried to hear what God thought of me. It was a relief, a refreshing relief.

In an instant I realized that so much of my life is spent in a futile effort to be good, loving, and kind. And then John 4 came to mind, the part where Jesus tells the woman that those who believe in him will have living water bubbling up within them and overflowing.

I’ve been cranking away at the well of my soul, pumping up drops of water–hardly enough for myself let alone for those around me. But God wants to drill deep in where his Spirit resides and sent his life and love gushing up into and out of me.

If only we could believe how much God loves us.

Technorati Tags: theology - prayer

“Your kingdom come, your will be done…”

“Give us this day our daily bread…”

“And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us…”

“And Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

I’ve been a little selective here, but these lines from the prayer known as the Our Father have been rather significant in my life lately. I find myself praying them at work, driving through town, walking into the book store, and hanging out at home.

Sometimes a set prayer becomes something to parrot and simply get out of the way, having performed a holy obligation. Lately though the Our Father has been a helpful way to redirect my focus, to get myself on the same page with God, and to spark additional prayers.

The Our Father covers quite a bit of ground, including the importance of seeking first the Kingdom of God, combating consumerism by asking God to provide what we need for today, initiating a cycle of repentance and forgiveness, and asking God for protection in our struggle against evil. What a great prayer. It covers so much of what we face every day.

Sometimes the best things are right under our nose, the well-worn, over-used routines that are truly precious, but overlooked in favor of perhaps a cleaner, glittering prayer or method of meditation. Oddly enough, when Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, he delivered.