I Don't Dance

I don't dance. Not a bit. Not only do I not attempt to dance, but when I have attempted to, I still didn't dance ... because I can't dance. No rhythm, no coordination, no desire, no ability. I don't have a religious objection to dancing, but people of all religions would object if they saw me try.

I don't like it, I'm not good at it, so I don't do it.

That's fine for dancing or hockey or scrapbooking. But what about something like prayer? There have been times in my life, and I hear others express the same, that we don't pray because we feel awkward at it, don't have "rhythm," or don't feel like we know how. So, we don't. Sometimes, we just don't pray out loud in front of others. Sometimes, we just don't pray. We avoid the things that we don't feel that we do well, because we don't like feeling inept.

Rather than combat this with a "how to" article on prayer, which would probably only make us feel even more inept, let's look at it differently. We feel inept because we don't feel we do something well. And we don't feel we do it well because we don't feel we meet the standard. Rather than a "how to" to set a more intimidating standard, I question the standard.

What makes dancing good is based on style, skill, flare, and coordination. But that's not what makes for good praying.

If you look at Jesus' prayers and His teaching on prayer, He never sets a standard of flair. He never clicks a clicker every time you say "um" (like I saw a speech making club do). The most basic lesson on how to pray well is to just PRAY! I don't dance because I don't dance. We don't pray because we don't pray. Jesus says pray honestly, frequently, persistently, and trustingly. Just pray.

Babies are really horrible at talking, aren't they? But if they never talk terribly, they will never learn to talk well. If you never pray terribly, you will never pray well. And "well" has nothing to do with style.

The Clown Days have Changed

Please remember to pray for our kids who are at Camp Quaker Haven. Pray for them to learn, to grow, and to be safe.

This week, I had an opportunity to drive by the house in Independence where I grew up. It's amazing to me how much smaller the house looks, and how that great hill we used to sled down looks rather flat and short - somehow I don't think the hill is what has changed over time. Perspectives have changed.

I also went through the drive-through of the McDonald's that we used to go to when I was a kid. There was only one in town at the time, and it was a bit of a drive, but what a great treat it was for us kids. This week, however, while waiting in line I watched a drug deal go down - as brazen as could be. Like I said, perspectives have changed.

Seeing how the innocence of my own childhood has been erased by age and crime, let me urge you again to pray for our children at Camp Quaker Haven. This world conspires against their innocence. The constant forces of gravity never pull them up. They are pulled up only by God, by His Truth, by the example of disciples, and by our prayers. Everything else is a constant pull downward. Just as my childhood home decays over time, so do our souls, without an intentional effort on our part to foster God's work within us.

Pray for our kids. Pray for our children's Sunday School. Pray for AWANA. Pray for Children's Church and Junior Church. Pray for our Youth Group. And pray for all those who volunteer their time and talents to invest their lives into our young people.

Pray for our kids constantly as if the rest of their lives depended on it.