engaged

Engaged.  Connected.  On it.  I like to talk about prayer as something that helps us to be "spiritually engaged."  Praying for your church means more than just lifting up the pastors and staff.  True prayer helps us to be spiritually engaged.  That means that when something happens that we don't like or don't understand, instead of complaining to a friend in the foyer, instead of calling someone to gossip about it, we pray.

"God, help me to understand why the service went that way.   God help me to understand why that staff person seems to be fighting what I want to do.  God help me trust in you.  God help me to get past my feelings of frustration.  God help me to be engaged with my church in a positive way."

Spiritual engagement does not put an end to disagreements, but it radically changes the way that we go about disagreeing.  Prayer drives us to keep a matter as private as possible and allows the people in the mix to resolve it without others being drawn in unnecessarily.

When something happens in your life that you don't like, is your first inclination to complain, to be angry, or to pray?  Prayer grabs hold of our humanness and helps us to be a part of a constructive dialogue and resolution.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.  And if you can't see it, don't complain, pray about it until you find a better place because it really is a beautiful day.