Hopeless

This particular blog is mostly so I can post up the most recent/first drama we did at church. This was performed at Sunset Presbyterian Church, written by me and another volunteer.

This was written for a sermon series titled "The Life Marathon" and this particular week focused on the spiritual discipline of prayer. Often when we pray we come to God with a list of requests, rattle them off, and then go on our way. Listening is a part of prayer.
"One recalls Lily Tomlin's line in the play The search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" : "Why is it that when we speak to God we are said to be praying, but when God speaks to us we are said to be schizphrenic?" Why should Gods end of the line be equipped with a reciever but no moutpiece? " (John Ortberg, The Life You've Allways Wanted)

How is God supposed to speak to us if we don't listen? How are we supposed to gain guidance if we try to solve the problems on our own and ignore what he has to say?

In Richard Foster's "Celebration of Discipline" he says of prayer, "We bring ourselves beofre God just as we are, warts and all. Like children before a loving father, we open our hearts and make our requests. We do not try to sort out the good from the bad...We tell God, for example, how frustrated we are with the co-worker at the office or the neighbor down the street. We ask for food, favorable wather, and good health"
Prayer is real, and it is honest. Again fro John Ortberg, " You wonder at offering God prayer that seems to trivial--even selfish. However, nothing kills prater faster than when I pretend in prater to be more than I really am. " Do not fake that you have something so grand on your heart, pray truthfully and pray what comes to your mind.
Ok, one more quote and then I will let you see the video. (Ortberg...again) "But prayer--like any other relationship--must begin in honesty if it is to grow. C.S. Lewis wrote that in prater we must, "Lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us"

and remember to listen, take your time. This is supposed to be the most important part of your day.