Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Sunday, 5 October 2014 "Prayer TiP"

Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Sunday, 5 October 2014 "Prayer TiP"
Prayer Tip:
I have had the privilege of being the confirmation pastor to the students at COR this fall. A few weeks ago, I had the chance to share with them my response to the question: Who is God? I explained to them that growing up, most of the time I thought of God as a strict rule-keeper. I remember crying after my confirmation classes because we would spend time learning about the Ten Commandments and I would get in the car and make a mistake—fall back into old patterns. To the parents out there, this won't be surprising, but there was just one commandment as a pre-teen that got to me: "Honor thy father and mother." Although I was trying to follow the rules, I couldn't maintain perfection and I would give up trying to follow God altogether.
As we think about many of the debates that were occurring between Jews and Gentiles in Paul's days, it seems that viewing God as a rule-keeper is an age old problem. While I do believe God gives us guidelines in scripture that are meant to lead us to life abundant, I think when we get stuck debating the implications and technicalities of these rules, we forget an important characteristic of God revealed in and through the Spirit: God is with us now, leading us and showing us the way in our time and place.
So when was the last time you shared your faith? Did you spend the whole conversation debating about theological topics or arguing about biblical interpretation? What might happen if you were to take a step back and just share some of the ways you have experienced God lately?
This week, I challenge you to find or take a picture that captures a time when you experienced God. Say a prayer of thanksgiving that God is with us here-and-now. If you are into social media, post your picture on Facebook or Instagram with a prayer of thanksgiving for whatever way you have experienced God lately—what a cool witness to your faith. I believe that sharing our most meaningful experiences of God can help people change their image of Christianity. Following Jesus isn't about rules. It is about wondering about and celebrating what the God of love is up to in the world and finding ways to join in this good work.(Katherine Ebling-Frazier, Pastor of Prayer)
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