I think today my examiner article will be about friendship with Christ, God the Son. Maybe even friendship with God the Holy Spirit. Friendship with God the Father is another issue entirely.
Yes, yes, I know they are all three-in-one but still.....
As a kid, and even now, I loved Shakespeare. One of the main things I loved about His plays --especially Hamlet-- was how near royalty was. Sure Hamlet was a Prince, but Horatio was his pal and we were in on their relationship. Same thing with Prince Hal and his pals. They kidded around with him but they also called him "My Lord." A fine line to walk, that.
I often feel that way when pondering just how to address and befriend God, the Father. There is protocol, after all. "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise." Royalty is not to be met with a glum face. Was it Esther or Daniel or Nehemiah or all three who could not enter the king's throne room while grieving? And Esther, wife of the king, had to get permission.
True, the life we live we live because of Christ's righteousness, and Christ's faith, and when we stand before God it's not our prayer God sees but the holy spirit's praying through us and it's not us God sees but Christ in us....but still the idea that I'm coming to a king, even an adopted father king is daunting.
I'm sure it's daunting for everyone but I really do have issues. I have rejection issues up the wazoo. So even when I think "It's okay, God made you" I still feel as if I'm intruding. I remember how long it too me to realize and accept that although Yahweh was Israel's God, He didn't see me as some Gentile stranger. Thank you St Luke for healing me. (Yes, I said I had rejection issues.)
Anyway, so lying on my bed. Sometimes I want to just chatter. To a heavenly Father and all. But what do I do? I remember He is God and then the nervousness and the protocol pops up. Weirdly, I don't do this when I talk to Holy Spirit, cause Holy Spirit is pretty sweet, cool, and near. I don't do this with Jesus either, because Jesus is understanding. But the Godhead....yeah, it's a problem.
I realize that when I write fantasy, I often write about kings in a very "familiar" manner. My characters are either friends of kings or kings themselves. Am not sure why kings abound. Shakespeare? The Biblical books of Kings and Chronicles? Too much PBS and Masterpiece Theater? Or maybe it's just the basic inner human knowledge that really we humans are all royalty deep down.
But for whatever reason, my kings are accessible. As God is accessible. And yet... yeah, there's the old protocol thing. It's a weird dance for one with rejection worth issues. We begin prayers with Our Father, acknowledging that God is our daddy and that we come into His presence as representatives for all, and with concern for "all" then we immediately are thrust into realizing that we are speaking to a Creator, "Let your name be kept holy." Then we realize we are talking to a great king, "Let your kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven." Then we move to God being our provider which is basically Daddy again (but powerful daddy) "Give us this day our daily bread." Then we move to God as judge "And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us." Then it's God as restrainer from evil, strengthener, and deliverer, "And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." Then an acknowledgement of his kingship, his authority, his godliness, and his otherwordly eternal existence and uncreatedness. "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever."
Seriously, this kinda friendship --with a being who is God and king and father-- can be quite complicated.
Yes, yes, I know they are all three-in-one but still.....
As a kid, and even now, I loved Shakespeare. One of the main things I loved about His plays --especially Hamlet-- was how near royalty was. Sure Hamlet was a Prince, but Horatio was his pal and we were in on their relationship. Same thing with Prince Hal and his pals. They kidded around with him but they also called him "My Lord." A fine line to walk, that.
I often feel that way when pondering just how to address and befriend God, the Father. There is protocol, after all. "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise." Royalty is not to be met with a glum face. Was it Esther or Daniel or Nehemiah or all three who could not enter the king's throne room while grieving? And Esther, wife of the king, had to get permission.
True, the life we live we live because of Christ's righteousness, and Christ's faith, and when we stand before God it's not our prayer God sees but the holy spirit's praying through us and it's not us God sees but Christ in us....but still the idea that I'm coming to a king, even an adopted father king is daunting.
I'm sure it's daunting for everyone but I really do have issues. I have rejection issues up the wazoo. So even when I think "It's okay, God made you" I still feel as if I'm intruding. I remember how long it too me to realize and accept that although Yahweh was Israel's God, He didn't see me as some Gentile stranger. Thank you St Luke for healing me. (Yes, I said I had rejection issues.)
Anyway, so lying on my bed. Sometimes I want to just chatter. To a heavenly Father and all. But what do I do? I remember He is God and then the nervousness and the protocol pops up. Weirdly, I don't do this when I talk to Holy Spirit, cause Holy Spirit is pretty sweet, cool, and near. I don't do this with Jesus either, because Jesus is understanding. But the Godhead....yeah, it's a problem.
I realize that when I write fantasy, I often write about kings in a very "familiar" manner. My characters are either friends of kings or kings themselves. Am not sure why kings abound. Shakespeare? The Biblical books of Kings and Chronicles? Too much PBS and Masterpiece Theater? Or maybe it's just the basic inner human knowledge that really we humans are all royalty deep down.
But for whatever reason, my kings are accessible. As God is accessible. And yet... yeah, there's the old protocol thing. It's a weird dance for one with rejection worth issues. We begin prayers with Our Father, acknowledging that God is our daddy and that we come into His presence as representatives for all, and with concern for "all" then we immediately are thrust into realizing that we are speaking to a Creator, "Let your name be kept holy." Then we realize we are talking to a great king, "Let your kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven." Then we move to God being our provider which is basically Daddy again (but powerful daddy) "Give us this day our daily bread." Then we move to God as judge "And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us." Then it's God as restrainer from evil, strengthener, and deliverer, "And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." Then an acknowledgement of his kingship, his authority, his godliness, and his otherwordly eternal existence and uncreatedness. "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever."
Seriously, this kinda friendship --with a being who is God and king and father-- can be quite complicated.
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