Lord, I've continually been wrestling with these thoughts about "preparing the way." I'm sure I've written some of them here before but at times I forget what I've written and what I've just thought. That happens I guess as thoughts swirl around about a hundred million different things all at the same time.
I've been really influenced by what I've been reading lately, one of which is "Sacred Rhythms" by Ruth Haley Barton. It's a book on spiritual disciplines that are often left undone: solitude, silence, lectio divina, praying without words, etc. One of the interesting things that she mentions though is how we as humans and church leaders are always trying to "programitize" transformation, as if human effort, if directed specifically in the right direction or saying the right things, can make people change. But the truth is it can't. Only God and the person needing transformation can make it happen.
"Well, okay..." I think, "then what are we supposed to do? Wait around for the Lord to act? Only pray? Is there anything that we can do?" As I was going through these thoughts about God making the transformation not human effort, I preached on the golden calf and how Israel tried to take God's power and put it into something that wasn't God's will. They couldn't wait and see how God would reveal himself, they chose the way in which God should reveal himself. And God doesn't honor that type of treatment. God chooses, we wait.
But it doesn't seem to be an inactive waiting. That seems ridiculous, by my experience anyways. I think, what am I just going to sit around? Really? That's all I'm supposed to do? Just wait? Same thoughts I've been having before? In my experience it seems silly to only sit around and wait for God when there are things you could be doing. For example, praying that you will find a job when you are not actively looking, putting in resumes, etc. It seems like we have to do our part as well, right? For whatever it is?
So what's the word for doing our part while still looking, waiting, and recognizing when God is doing His part, the important stuff? Well, Bryan found the perfect word when starting to get Advent worship ready for Exodus Community - prepare. Yes, it is God that makes those big steps, that accomplishes the transformation in people. But what do we do to help God? We prepare or make others prepared. That sounds right.
Wow. Okay, so that's the background to coming thoughts. And that's already long. Maybe I should have been blogging in little bits so it didn't take me forever to get the thoughts out there. And I'm running out of time this morning Lord, so I'm sorry. I guess these thoughts will stay with me through the day and we'll post tomorrow. How do we help people prepare for what God is doing?
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