I’m pleased that you stopped by here. Thank you for the very candid and observant comments. Few really understand that it’s all about a relationship with a Person (The Person, in fact) and not about religious ceremony or performance. This is in fact what separates religion from true faith. I am not at all a fan of religion. Belief and an actual relationship with the God of the universe is a different thing altogether.

Your friend,
Larry

A brief and excellent point that delineates without mentioning an attitude that I fear is destroying all sorts of religious and spiritual practices today: the notion or belief that a person’s attitude towards what is holy exalts them, and leaves the true subject of religious or spiritual contemplation a secondary or even inessential role.

I’ve had the displeasure of encountering more than a few self-proclaimed Christians who act as though their faith was the ultimate act of ass-kissing, as if prayer, church attendance, bearing witness were on the same level as playing yes-man to a capricious boss. I mention them only because I encounter it most frequently (and find it most deplorable) among them. The smug adherent to Eastern thought or spiritual practice is the equivalent in another tradition and, while bearing the air of an old stereotype, still exists, proud of their lack of pride and full of ego at their ego-less-ness…

When you write that “The minute we “try to do better” we shift the focus from Him to ourselves,” you pinpoint the problem. The object of sacred devotion is in fact the subject in the relationship between a human individual and holy presence, and to really acknowledge this practically, the person who wishes to admit the sacred presence must, in some way and to some extent, dampen or attenuate their will or intentions. But some stilling of one’s will is a necessary condition for the sacred presence to be felt in one’s life.

Thank you again for these succinct reflections on such a core and difficult topic.

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me … my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Scripture also says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Again, Jesus said, “…you shall know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” and “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…”

The more we come to know who we are IN HIM and come to know Him better, the more free we become and the lighter our burden.

I am so pleased that you were blessed with His peace through this message, Sister.

I am beginning to have an inkling that the Lord may move me toward more writing here. I kind of hope so because of late there is much on my heart. I ache for our Brothers and Sisters who still live as though they were slaves to sin instead of realizing their freedom in our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you so much for dropping by and commenting.

I finally got a Bloglines account, so I just added your blog!

As you know, the answer to the question of how all these things were pulled together is that the Holy Spirit quickens the Word as His servants prepare messages.

He is AWESOME!