Prayer is more that a tool for self-expression, a means to get God to give us what we want. It is a means he uses to give us what he wants, and to teach us to want what he wants. Holy Scripture in general, and the Psalms in particular, teach us who God is and what he wants to give.
When the members of his synagogue complained that the words of the liturgy did not express what they felt, Abraham Heschel, the great philosopher of religion, replied wisely and very biblically. He told them that the liturgy wasn’t supposed to express what they felt; they were supposed to feel what the liturgy expressed. To be taught by the Bible to pray is to learn to want and feel what the Bible expresses—to say what it means and mean what it says.
This is a web log maintained by Bruce McKanna, who serves as pastor of the Evangelical Free Church of Mt. Morris. This blog will consist of pastoral reflections and links to some of the better resources on the web, serving as an online instrument for shepherding our congregation.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Giving Us What He Wants
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