Here’s a quotation about worship from writer Annie Dillard that always strikes me as true. I had hoped to weave it into my message this past weekend but did not find the appropriate spot for it.
On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. – Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk, 58.
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This is some great stuff to chew on!
Lately, I’ve felt the need for a crash helmet during the rest of the week.
I’m assuming that wearing a crash helmet might be different than the bike helmet you wear for a potential daily bike commute!
Yes, it will require a lot more protection too. I’ve been witnessing to a coworker as he goes through a broken relationship, but I’m being attacked from several directions now. Please pray for Alan, as he needs to find peace and strength and salvation in Jesus.
All I can say is that our God is super awesome, crazy, scary, unbelievably, excessively, powerfully, mind blowingly amazing!
Nicely phrased, Cynthia!
I can’t find anything to add to that!
Annie Dillard’s description of needing to wear crash helmets to church is a riveting one. She is absolutely right. I ask God to transform my heart which I realize is not a quiet or simple request so why do I expect God to necessarily make this transformation quiet and free of trials. The process God has been putting me through is often like being caught in one of the hurricanes of my native Texas; destructive/being broken {so that God can heal and rebuild me by his terms}, storm surges-many tears that wash through and over me and gale force winds – God’s mighty presence and finally at last the silence as the storm falls apart; again this is God’s presence only this time quiet as He gathers me to Himself.
Well said, Debra.