Comments on: An Open Letter To My Community

By: Richard Harty

Richard Harty — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 06:17:09 +0000

Maybe no one had a prayer to say because you didn’t need one. The greatest prayer was the moving story. Most times just saying what it is is enough. For me, words really sound like minimizing and that’s why they are awkward.

Its the moments that communicate the best and most times just letting the moment speak for itself is all that is needed. There are so many more effective ways to communicate than words.

By: Kristi

Kristi — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:55:56 +0000

Trey, I personally don’t see the term as a negative. I guess I interpret it to be that place we come to when it’s just dark, and we question, and we hurt, and we’re just really honest about it. Whenever I’ve heard it said of someone, I think, “Oh, good. They got to that place that we all get to at one time or another.” It’s a hard place, but I think it’s where you have to continue walking by faith, and not by sight….even if you don’t realize that’s what you’re doing. Not sure if that makes sense or not.

By: Trey

Trey — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:22:44 +0000

I guess my using the phrase “crisis of faith” in my comment stirred up some things. I hope no one thinks that I was implying that’s a bad thing or that I think Julia is in some way falling away. I don’t know her, and even if I did I wouldn’t make that judgement on her. I guess that was a poor choice of words. I have little minor crises of faith often…where I struggle with a previous, preconceived idea or belief about God. They’re usually good things that lead to a better relationship. You know, like walking through a valley. And when NP said Julia said “that she didn’t know what to pray, that she doesn’t pray that much anymore, and that she really had nothing to pray at that time” I identified with her. It reminds me of how I feel when I’m going through one of those valleys. I also admired her for not praying just because someone asked her to and admitting she was at a place where she didn’t know what to say to God. Knowing me, at least the me when I was a leader, I would have prayed anyway…using some empty words that just contributed to the facade and fakeness that existed at my old church. Sorry for saying crisis…I don’t know what the right word would be to describe where we are when we just don’t pray that much anymore.

By: J

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:17:42 +0000

Yep, I agree NP – it’s not necessarily a sign of a crisis of faith. I admire someone who is willing to be honest. Given that it was an emotional thing to talk about, perhaps being asked to pray was too much after such sharing.
It’s good if your community can, with your encouragement, be open and honest, in a Godly way.
Many times, my prayers are just the wee arrow ones. God knows what I”m thinking, what I”m going to ask for, anyway.

He loves us. Bottom line.