Chapel Musings
Well here I am back at Wheaton, back in classes and chapel and floor activities...I wanted to share some thoughts I had during Friday's chapel, you may disagree, but at least give it a thought:
Have you ever listened to someone praying in a group who said Lord or God or Father or Lord Father God every five words? And you just want to ask them to quit it because they've reduced God's name to an "um", a filler, a reflex and isn't that taking it in vain in a way? There are people who won't write/speak/depict the name or image of God, I've always liked that idea, or at least stopping and thinking before you just let it tumble off your lips like the rest of the meaningless words you spout off.
Then I wonder if it annoys God too, when He's having a conversation and someone keeps interrupting themselves to say His name. Like if a friend came up and said "Hey Katie, how are you Katie? I just came from class, Katie, do you want to go to lunch Katie? I'm hungry Katie, and Katie I wondered, Katie, if you, Katie, were too." And when I put it like that I see just how ridiculous it really is. Wouldn't God like it better if you saved His name and made it special? Made each utterance of it a pouring out of all your love for Him in those few syllables. Like when I let someone call me Katherine and they save it up and draw it out slowly to let me know they recognize how seldom I hear it and how much more significant "Dearest Katherine" is than "Hey Katie." And then they know how much I love them too, because I let them call me that. When God told Moses His name, wasn't that an indication of His love? That He smiled down on this silly little man in the desert and allowed him to use something closer to His true name than ever before: I am that I am.
That's all. Just kind of a pet peeve of mine.
Have you ever listened to someone praying in a group who said Lord or God or Father or Lord Father God every five words? And you just want to ask them to quit it because they've reduced God's name to an "um", a filler, a reflex and isn't that taking it in vain in a way? There are people who won't write/speak/depict the name or image of God, I've always liked that idea, or at least stopping and thinking before you just let it tumble off your lips like the rest of the meaningless words you spout off.
Then I wonder if it annoys God too, when He's having a conversation and someone keeps interrupting themselves to say His name. Like if a friend came up and said "Hey Katie, how are you Katie? I just came from class, Katie, do you want to go to lunch Katie? I'm hungry Katie, and Katie I wondered, Katie, if you, Katie, were too." And when I put it like that I see just how ridiculous it really is. Wouldn't God like it better if you saved His name and made it special? Made each utterance of it a pouring out of all your love for Him in those few syllables. Like when I let someone call me Katherine and they save it up and draw it out slowly to let me know they recognize how seldom I hear it and how much more significant "Dearest Katherine" is than "Hey Katie." And then they know how much I love them too, because I let them call me that. When God told Moses His name, wasn't that an indication of His love? That He smiled down on this silly little man in the desert and allowed him to use something closer to His true name than ever before: I am that I am.
That's all. Just kind of a pet peeve of mine.
posted by K Bayles @ 11:23 AM
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