Manipulating God?

Just how involved is God in your life? Isn't that one of the most vital questions one could ask, especially those who call themselves,  "religious", or more specifically "Christian"? Or, are we really afraid to go that deep into the rabbit hole of what is it that God can or will do for us: if we pray, meditate, or are just still? 

What can one expect (from their God) when a child falls seriously sick?

Church platitudes and religious catch-phrases simply don't work in difficult times. Richard Rohr wrote in one of his commentaries last week that grieving is one of the lost arts of the church and a ministry that will take us places we won't voluntarily go, but need to to truly understand life. We just go about "mouthing stuff" we no longer believe, but not knowing or having experienced truth, we know not what to do.

So, more often than not, we attempt to manipulate (make a deal) with God!

John Shelby Spong writes, "There is little remaining trust in yesterday's religious proclamations. We continue to talk about God, but there is no conviction in the way we live that there is an external supernatural deity who stands ready to intervene, to provide purpose or to guarantee eternity."

We're too busy trying to make a living to really embrace the lifestyle of Jesus!

It's so much easier just to make the Sunday trek to the "house of worship", put in our one hour of praise, lengthen the smile to a few minutes and before the meeting, and then go back to the trenches of life...hoping!

>I believe in an eternal life.
> I and all things are energy and indestructible.
>Love is the greatest and highest vibrational energy.
>I am a part of the whole and the whole is me.
>The, I AM that we ALL ARE is where help is found.

Depending upon where you are in the journey, from nothing, through religious experiences, and on to the spiritual realities, you will acknowledge the above five bullet points. That is neither condescending, nor naivete- just more reality.  :-)