This just caught my attention because I have to fight to stay engaged for 20 minutes during a sermon. I don't want this to happen but my mind will wonder often triggered by a word the pastor says taking me into thoughts of work. Here we see people listening attentively for may 6 hours!
This chapter seemed like an instruction of how worship should work--
How its done:
1 all the people came together...
2 ...the priest brought the Law before the assembly...
3 He read it aloud...as he faced the square...in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively...
How it looked:
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.
6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
I continue to pray that God gives you strength and helps you connect with Rich and be support for him and ultimately a tool for God to help Rich and his girls during this struggle that will go on for years.
I pray for healing of broken hearts.
Knut
There lots that caught my attention here.
ReplyDeleteFirst, like you said, they stood in the square and listened to Ezra read the law for 6 hours. Now I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound very exciting to me. I can almost hear my kids groaning...."do we have to go and listen to the law.....AGAIN!"
Second, at the reciting of the law, the people were crying and grieving. What was Ezra reading?.......were they upset about not being able to kill their neighbor, or what?.....
I like your breakdown on how we should worship. That makes a lot of sense.
Here's another crazy idea that I've been thinking about.....everytime Jesus preached to the people, or one of the disciples spoke to the early church, they would go back to someone's house and talk about it, and be together for several hours after. Why don't we do that today? Today, we just sit there and listen to the pastor, and then we go home. Kim and I usually have some discussion about the sermon on the way home. But, wouldn't it be SO much more powerful to have a thoughtful discussion about the message? I'm not trying to reconfigure the church. It just seems like we are missing a vital step in the process doesn't it?
Probably just more ramblings of a mad-man!
I texted back and forth with Rich yesterday. He's having a tough time. He will be back here next week Tuesday, to prepare for the memorial service here in the US. I'm not sure what the future looks like for him. (whether it will be here or back in Brazil)
Keep praying for him. He needs it.
I'm also putting Jeff on my permanent list of things that I pray for. I really respect it when I hear that someone has been praying for the same thing for 5 or 6 years.........If that's what it takes with Jeff.......I'm in.
tp
We have sunday school after church and one of the classes is discuss what you just heard, of course I always hang out and talk with friends so that never happens...buts its an option! continued prayers for Rich. thanks for hanging in there with Jeff, pray for me to connect with him too. i have done the opposite lately, i don;t think we have spoken since new years. maybe 1 or 2 text.
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