Opus 2025-264: What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday I was driven inside by the mosquitoes and humidity.  I went inside, knowing that God would be with me when I went, and He did not disappoint.  I had a good morning at worship.

Today is the other end of the spectrum.  It is absolutely glorious.  The temperature is perfect.  There’s a gentle breeze blowing.  There are constantly changing clouds contrasting the blues of the sky.  God has outdone himself.

As my mind goes down rabbit trails, I wonder if the reason today is so glorious is because God did not like going inside with me yesterday.  There must be an aspect in which God on one side can do the creating, and in another way He can step back and look at what He has created and enjoy.

Today he decided to enjoy and I decided to enjoy with him.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-224: Going Pentecostal

Do you have a spot where you can retreat from the world?  You might have a garden bench you seek out.  It could be in your car driving through rush-hour traffic.  You might have a mountain top available.  For me my front porch in the early morning fits the bill.  Possibly there’s a room in your house.  But it is such a joy to have a place to retreat and cut loose.

In public I am pretty much a Presbyterian.  I will sing.  I will worship.  I will fellowship.  But I won’t get carried away.

In private all bets are off.  I see that on the porch as I talk to God.  I might occasionally burst out a song.  I will wave my hands.  I will walk around.  In short, I worship with no inhibitions.  Part of that is just the fact that I am an introvert.  Another part is that I want to make sure that my worship is genuine and I’m not putting on a show for other people.  Another part is I don’t want to distract other people in their worship.

However you slice it, however you dice it, in private, I have my times of being a Pentecostal.

So sue me.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-161: Dark Thoughts: And God Said, “Squirrel!”

I wonder if my writing can be an expression of prayer.

I think it can be an expression of worship.  Praise and Thanksgiving come easily from the pen.

I ask this question because it seems like my mind comes up with the greatest questions when I am in the midst of worship.  Are they squirrels or are they inspirations?  At present I am pausing to write the skeleton down and then get back to focusing on the glory of God and His creation.

Part of this is the constant push to not fall into empty ritual.  It is easy to get used to doing things a certain way and they begin to lose their power to mold us and refine our being.  I think we need to be concerned about making God just a stopping point to be checked off.

Glory.

homo unius libri

Opus 2021-333: Worship Tangent: Between

I sat in the dark pondering the majesty of God and the cosmos He created.  My mind went “Tangent!” which is a spiritual version of “Squirrel!”

I was suddenly in one of my science fiction stories.  My starship had fallen out of warp drive and was suspended in the vast gulf between stars.  I was alone in the cosmos.  Don’t get hung up on warp drives and FTL travel.  Stick with me here.  If I were out between the stars in the “emptiness” of space, how would I respond?

Would I be overcome by the loneliness and emptiness?  I imagine it is quite an unsettling experience to be light years away from any fresh coffee or wi-fi.  Those thoughts would come later.  My first concern would be how long it would take AAA to get to me.  Talk about lonely.  It is worse than being without a date on prom night I imagine.  I would not know because I never went to a prom and, to be honest, I am not convinced I missed anything.

Anyway, loneliness and emptiness.  You get the picture and can understand the feeling.  It would be worse than trying to find your way through a strange airport with a change of planes.

Or, would I be able to sense the presence of God better?  If I can get excited about a sunrise or the glory of changing a diaper on a grandchild, would I see God everywhere I looked?  Would God be able to speak to me more clearly when I had fewer distractions.  That of course assumes that thinking I am going to die would not be a distraction.  On the other hand, I am ready to go so I am not sure that would be a big issue.

Would it be totally different for a believer than an atheist?  It had better be.

So if you get bored today and have nothing to do you can contemplate such impossible situations.  Of course you could meditate on angels dancing on a pin or where Cain found a wife.  Your call.

homo unius libri