Sunday, January 15, 2006

Time to Morph

I just read the first chapter of Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted. I heard Ortberg speak back in the fall while at the American Association for Christian Couselers' world conference in Nashville and I can say that his guy is the real deal, not just a bunch of fluf and things put well. I've had this feeling the last few weeks, that one you get when you are more aware than usual that the world is not as it should be. The news, the consumerism all around me. I made two phone calls to the Arkansas child abuse hotline just this week. Things are not right. I'm not right. I listened to Rob Bell's Praying With An Ache sermon (see link to right) recently and it sticks with me. He talks of God being able to handle our doubts, our fears, our asking him if he's planning to show up here and help us when we are waiting. I wonder if my feeling sad about the way that things are bothers God. Or if it's pleasing to God, or if he feels some other way. Or if this aching is in itself a form of worship or prayer. The Spirit groans within us when we don't even know how to pray says Paul. I've not done well in practicing all of the spiritual disciplines recently and ask "Am I spiritual?" Then I find myself in the "pains of childbirth" as I work with distressed families, wondering if they are going to "get it." I feel a lot of things deeply yet am not always in conversation with God about them, or am I? Anyone? I like this idea of morphing--of being just a dude and yet no mere mortal, of accessing a power that is not my own for the benefit of others. Anyone want to morph? We should use that word a lot this year. If any of my co-workers read this they are going to think I'm nuts.

2 comments:

Jaime said...

we shall morph indeed. i'm looking forward to our study & God's already preparing me for big changes.

reminds me of mork & mindy. morph.

i just figured out that bs stands for blogspot. so creative.

Patrick said...

I've got mork and mindy in my head too but I don't even know what that is.