James Stabile Informational Newsletter

 January 2005

Religion and Spiritualism...

Where do we pray? Does it make a difference where we pray? I recently read an article that explored these questions. Jesus told us to go to our closets and pray. I think He was saying that prayer is a private matter. Prayer is between you and God. Or more succinctly, prayer should be done without notoriety. We should pray for one reason, to communicate with God. Prayer should never be done for selfish, boastful type reasons. 

The place of prayer is unimportant. I usually pray as I'm getting ready for my day. I pray in the bathroom, going down the steps out to my car and on the road while I am driving. I don't think God cares much about the place we pray. He cares more about what we are saying. 

I believe that pray is part of our ordinary life. Our humdrum lives can be made more meaningful if we offer them up to God in prayer. If everything we do is devoted to God, then our lives are a prayer. Prayer should be part of our lives, the inner-part of our lives, not something extraneous to our lives. 

The simplest prayer that I say many times a day is, "Lord I believe, help my unbelief". I discovered this short prayer a long time ago. I don't remember the circumstance, but it never left me. Those six words sum up my faith. They can be explained by the following: I believe, I have faith, but I am a human being and sometimes I sin and sometimes I may appear not to believe. When I fall short, God help me to believe again.

I think we must live our lives as humans. We are human people, we sin and we live imperfect lives. God expects as much from us. It's like a child growing and maturing. He or she is a work in progress. I tell the parents of my students that their children are kids, they are works in progress. They are not "done", yet. We have to be patient with them. Above all, we must accept them as they are. This must be similar to the way God sees us and we see each other. A work in progress, attempting to develop and mature in God's grace and salvation. This work will only be completed when we enter into His kingdom.  

What about our churches, what does God expect them to be. I think that God expects them to be an expression of our love for Him and each other. Didn't Jesus say, where two or more of you gather, there will be love - or something like that. Yes, the reading that contains those words is read at weddings, but I think that it can also be applied to the concept of the church. God's church is not always a physical structure. The true meaning is a feeling, a feeling of oneness with those present and united in offering praise to the Father. Remember Jesus said to Peter, something like, you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church. Jesus didn't mean a physical structure rather he meant the feeling or attitude of His church. His church is a spiritual feeling.

Why are some churches so elaborate? Why must the clergy beg for money to construct an expensive, ornate structure for their church? Well, we are human. We express our love or admiration for people by giving them gifts. Sometimes we feel that we must build the biggest, most ornate and expensive structure for the glory and honor of God. Good thought, but not necessary. God is the essence of being. He was, is and will ever be. He needs nothing from us to show his greatness. Humility, simplicity and sincerity are the qualities that we should possess when worshiping our God. And that will please God.

January 2005 Newsletter 
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