Devotions Archive Archive: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Search Archive Print This Article Read a prayer, sit down in silence, let the candle burn Tuesday, March 10, 2015 Daniel 3:38-39 We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader, no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense, no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you. But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received. Daniel's friends in Nebuchadnezzar's court were floating free. They had lost their place of worship, way of worship, leaders of worship. As Abraham Heschel points out, what they and the rest of the Jews had and always have is the "time" of worship. The Sabbath. No wonder those who observe the Sabbath take it seriously. Although Jesus pointed out that the Sabbath "was made for man," it is also true that creation was not complete with the creation of man. It was complete with the observance of the Sabbath. Sabbath is a time to rest, of course, time to remember our createdness. We create and control, and it's hard and scary to stop. Genesis calls it "subduing the earth." But just as importantly, Sabbath gives us a framework of worship and sacrifice. In the sacrifice we are forgiven by God. Otherwise our offenses would mount up like terrible walls of death between us. The sacrifice God wants most from me is a contrite and humble spirit. On the other hand, what I often need in order to get there is a ritual. Over time rituals are easily ignored, often corrupted, and almost always given value that was intended to be symbolic, not literal. But when I am undone, I crave a ritual. It's what I need. The boys in Babylon were in a very dangerous fire. Flames were licking at their feet. They needed something they knew for sure, something they all knew, something they remembered, something they could recite. This ritual changed the spirit of the furnace. The fire, it seems, did not burn them to crisps. Instead they were visited by an angel. But this is not about cause and effect. Our rituals don't bring down the house, or call up the angels. What they do is get us going. As Kansas City prophet Bob Jones told me once in his wonderful Arkansas accent, "All you have to do is show up, be on time, and God'll work." Just do it. Lord, thank you for teaching us to pray, and how to pray, and what to say. And especially for insisting that we take time that you've given us to stop Doing and remember how fine it is just To Be. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name ... "; Add      Edit    Delete