Oprah fasted... not for Jesus but for weight control..
I used to think that fasting was an activity that was intended to gets God's attention. A way to shout with ones actions: "Hey! Look at me! I'm not eating, & its for you!" I may have even believed that it was transactional... not that I'd have ever spoken the words out loud, but there was a thought, however small, that would say, "Ok God. Since I am fasting, You HAVE to do what I am praying for. Have to. I am doing my part. Now its Your turn."
Something about the 'spiritual-ness' of fasting used to make me want to make sure that I slipped it into conversation, something that would kind of get mentioned in passing... its not that I was going all "woe is me hypocrite" on anyone... its just that I found ways & means to happen to be places where my lack of eating would be observed.
I tried to fast once a week, Tuesdays. Which meant Monday nights at 11:50 p.m., I was loading up a plate or 3, just to make sure that I wouldn't be passing out from hunger on my 'fast day.' During what would normally have been meal-times on 'fast-days,' I tried to pray - which often meant I tried not to think about eating. Kept having to corral my runaway mind, & to try not to pay attention to my stomach which seemed to be flipping over in a complaint at not having been paid attention to.
A guy that I knew got really into fasting... at meal time he'd just read his Bible & pray... he got a bit carried away with it, so much so that over a period of 3 months, he dropped about 50 pounds... pounds that he couldn't afford to give up. In talking with him later, he told me that somehow he had reasoned to himself that if God likes it when we fast, then he was going to make God really happy with him.
That put me over the edge. Got tired of acting like I understood this - so I tried to study up on it; read through every passage that mentions fasting in the Bible. Talked to people, asking questions. Read books.
What I found out is that people are all over the map in their understanding about fasting... that a lot of people see it the way I used to...its a way to twist God's arm, to play the trump card that He can't ignore.
And what I think I came to understand about fasting is that its not that at all - instead, as a 'personal practice,' its about humility - humbling myself - a reminder that my stomach is not the boss of me. That I don't live by bread alone. And that the reality of the situation was, i was keeping God at arms length & trying to impress Him (& others) with superficial 'stuff' - behaviors & conversations that never went beyond the surface, focusing mostly on my own needs & my own will.
I wanted it to be different.
Isaiah 58 was insightful. And helpful. So was Daniel..
This morning, I came across these Survey results... I'm a sucker for surveys - even more for stuff having to do with God & church & stuff...
For "Unchurched" People - top reasons for choosing a church are:
Pastor/the preaching
Doctrine
Friendliness of others
For "Church Attenders" - top reasons are:
Doctrine/theology
People caring for each other
Preaching
What keeps previously "Unchurched" people in a church?
Involvement
Sunday School (Kids program)
Obedience to God
The survey wrangler sums it the findings by saying that the doctrine, pastor, friendliness of people, & the fellowship are the most important things, across the board...
What do you think? What has made you choose/unchoose your church?
The things that most surprised me from the survey was that the bottom two responses under the "Why do unchurched people choose a church?" were "Worship Style/Music" & "Location." I guess I'm surprised because most of the prevailing ideas I've been exposed to within the church (see the little 'c') & in the stream of church would have emphasized both of these... with the Worship Style/Music being at or near the top.
Makes me wonder - are these 'prevailing ideas' (& I'm using those words from now on with 'quotes' around them,) just figments in the imaginations of people who are responsible for worship in these churches over-estimating the importance & significance of that part of the church service? Like somehow the music part is a 'make or break' item... & because I have my own issues, preferences & involvement, somehow, someway I drank the Kool-aid (or at least was exposed to the Purple Drank) to think that the worship style/music would be more important to others.
Maybe its that people are more concerned with relationships - being accepted & connecting... along with being able to understand & identify with the teaching... & that its not heretical. Or maybe its just these respondents...
For me, I've never chosen a church to go to really - I've always wanted to, but church has usually been something that has chosen me... if that makes any sense.
Over the years, theBean & I have visited a couple of churches in town - not so much to 'check them out' but just to go "BE" somewhere anonymously. I'd like to pretend that I didn't care that people didn't talk to me (& I even had my "Hi, I'm really trying" face on.) Or that we seemed to (felt like?) we/I? stood out like sore thumbs... thumbs that seemed to have very interesting people all around & behind them... it must have been, because everyone I/we walked by seemed to be on their way to talk with those around us.
I haven't really thought about those "visiting other places" experiences for a long time, probably because we haven't been 'out & about' for a while... but reading the survey & thinking about looking for a church stirred up all kinds of thoughts & feelings... emotions even. Maybe I'll write a bit about that later...
For "Unchurched" People - top reasons for choosing a church are:
For "Church Attenders" - top reasons are:
What keeps previously "Unchurched" people in a church?
The survey wrangler sums it the findings by saying that the doctrine, pastor, friendliness of people, & the fellowship are the most important things, across the board...
What do you think? What has made you choose/unchoose your church?
The things that most surprised me from the survey was that the bottom two responses under the "Why do unchurched people choose a church?" were "Worship Style/Music" & "Location." I guess I'm surprised because most of the prevailing ideas I've been exposed to within the church (see the little 'c') & in the stream of church would have emphasized both of these... with the Worship Style/Music being at or near the top.
Makes me wonder - are these 'prevailing ideas' (& I'm using those words from now on with 'quotes' around them,) just figments in the imaginations of people who are responsible for worship in these churches over-estimating the importance & significance of that part of the church service? Like somehow the music part is a 'make or break' item... & because I have my own issues, preferences & involvement, somehow, someway I drank the Kool-aid (or at least was exposed to the Purple Drank) to think that the worship style/music would be more important to others.
Maybe its that people are more concerned with relationships - being accepted & connecting... along with being able to understand & identify with the teaching... & that its not heretical. Or maybe its just these respondents...
For me, I've never chosen a church to go to really - I've always wanted to, but church has usually been something that has chosen me... if that makes any sense.
Over the years, theBean & I have visited a couple of churches in town - not so much to 'check them out' but just to go "BE" somewhere anonymously. I'd like to pretend that I didn't care that people didn't talk to me (& I even had my "Hi, I'm really trying" face on.) Or that we seemed to (felt like?) we/I? stood out like sore thumbs... thumbs that seemed to have very interesting people all around & behind them... it must have been, because everyone I/we walked by seemed to be on their way to talk with those around us.
I haven't really thought about those "visiting other places" experiences for a long time, probably because we haven't been 'out & about' for a while... but reading the survey & thinking about looking for a church stirred up all kinds of thoughts & feelings... emotions even. Maybe I'll write a bit about that later...
07 July 2009
I'm not pregnant, but I'm nesting. Went through the pantry with theBean. Swept it. Through away stuff with shelf life that ended in 2007. Truly.
Went through the refrigerator. Ditto. Found a milk carton, (MILK!) that expired in December 2008. Ouch. Never even saw it. Found some food that Julia made. (Yes the Julia that went back to Deutschland in February...) Nice. (NOTE: This doesn't reflect on anyone's personal cleaning habits... it's just a blog, man.)
Today, I decided to tackle the freezer, since theBean was headed for Shift #2 on the day. Went through the freeze-dried foods, the unwrapped icy-treats, & other stuff that one finds in the freezer. Then, I came across some Drumsticks. You know, that incredible tasty ice-cream treat that sits on a sugar cone, covered with quik-dry chocolate & peanuts?
Well, what I found were the 'heads' of the drumsticks. Turns out, the cones had all be eaten, & some kind soul had placed the drumstick heads back into the freezer for anyone that might want the leftovers.
So I did what anyone would do. I ate the chocolate off the ice-cream & put them back in the freezer. Silly us. :)
Went to the Hand Dr. for I-Doey. Got the stitches out. Looks good - like he'll be able to start in with his summer weights & football stuff tomorrow - just no contact drills for the next 3 weeks, at which time more X-Rays will be taken to check on the progress of young I-Doey's finger. We're hoping, praying & believing for a complete recovery, without any of the finger-hypersensitivity that the Dr. said might be a possibility. Here's to healing. Woohoo!
According to my 2 oldest children, I may be showing signs of getting smarter. Or at least being smarter than they thought I was. I will update you on any more progress I make.
I'm ecstatic - the book re-release that I've been waiting for is finally here... Jerry Cook's classic, Love, Acceptance, & Forgiveness: Being Christian in a Non-Christian World came out last week. This has been one of the books that has most formed my outlook on life, the Church, & my view of God. If you have never read it, by all means, get a copy & do so. If you have, get the re-release today. It is the classic you remember that has been brought up to date & made even better... its even got a 'study guide' included in the back.
On my second reading of the re-release today. :)
Thinking about how thankful I am that the Bible doesn't need to be updated.
I believe that we're on the brink of something large. A fundamental shift in the way we live, work together, & carry out life. Not trying to come up with the Next Big Thing, but rather trying to cooperate with what I believe are the doors that are opening in front of us.
New ways of doing my job - new roles, with other things not happening any more. Trusting that God has provided & will provide for what comes next. Thankful I don't have to have all the answers, but just do my part. And encourage others to do the same. Wherever they are. Cryptic enough?
I think I'll go eat some more chocolate off the Drumstick heads.
06 July 2009
Yesterday I found out that today, Friday, was being treated as a 'holiday'... the 4th of July holiday. Mostly because the 4th falls on a Saturday this year. I guess people felt gipped by having a holiday on a day that many already have off. So, Friday becomes the holiday.
Normally this wouldn't be a surprise to me - on account of the fact that I usually pay attention a little better to the world going on around me... I'm not going to say it was the busy news week. Or a particularly busy time for me. I just missed it.
I'm off on Fridays anyway, so I celebrated my day off with more people than usual.
Hmmm. Makes me wonder. Do I feel gipped for having my day off co-opted by the "No Holiday On The Weekend" crew? Would an appropriate response for me have been to take Thursday off, so my regular day off, Friday, could have been spent as a Holiday day-off instead of as a regular day off? Or, since its too late for that, what about Monday?
Silly me...
Normally this wouldn't be a surprise to me - on account of the fact that I usually pay attention a little better to the world going on around me... I'm not going to say it was the busy news week. Or a particularly busy time for me. I just missed it.
I'm off on Fridays anyway, so I celebrated my day off with more people than usual.
Hmmm. Makes me wonder. Do I feel gipped for having my day off co-opted by the "No Holiday On The Weekend" crew? Would an appropriate response for me have been to take Thursday off, so my regular day off, Friday, could have been spent as a Holiday day-off instead of as a regular day off? Or, since its too late for that, what about Monday?
Silly me...
03 July 2009
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