November 9, 2007

It has been a while since I sent a thought for the week.  I am going to try to get back into weekly thoughts – but decided to rename them – “Pastoral Ponderings”  (That way when I miss a week or two people won’t think I’ve stopped having thoughts). 

I am currently reading a book entitled “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert.  It is a book of self-discovery after she went through a difficult divorce.  In this book she travels to Italy, India and Indonesia.  In her section on her travels to India she talks of being at an Ashram, a place prayer.  I would like to share a paragraph from the book.
“We are all given work here, and it turns out that my work assignment is to scrub the temple floors.  So that’s where you can find me for several hours a day now – down on my knees on the cold marble with a  brush and a bucket, working away like a fairy-tale stepsister.  (By the way, I’m aware of the metaphor – the scrubbing clean of the temple that is my heart, the polishing of my soul, the everyday mundane effort that must be applied to spiritual practice in order to purify the self, etc., etc.)
I like the metaphor, although would qualify it a bit.  Our “everyday mundane effort(s)” do not purify ourselves.  God does the purifying.  What our efforts do is put us in a place where God can purify us.  I have heard the analogy of a sailboat.  The sailor puts the sails in certain positions to best utilize the wind – but it is the wind that moves the boat.  Likewise we do things to put ourselves in the right place to allow God to purify us and use us. 
What are those efforts we make.  Prayer, Bible Study, Worship, Christian Fellowship, being quiet and listening to God.
When we have a holiday gatherings or company come to our house we usually have to spend some extra time cleaning house.  If you do any holiday cleaning as you approach Thanksgiving and then Christmas – take a little time to scrub your heart and soul. 

Blessings and Peace,