The Gospel Interpreted for Our Troubled Times

[tablesaw]

I went to the Cathedral after work this morning for Ash Wednesday. The Gospel reading included this:

When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.

"Hmm," I thought, "Maybe I shouldn't blog about going to church when I get home."

The reading continued:

But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"Or maybe," I added, "I should post, but set it to private."

Comments

[jbmcdragon.livejournal.com]

As someone who blogs about spiritual stuff and church things semi-regularly, I appreciate hearing what other people learned and their thoughts on it. It helps me to look at things in a new light and learn things I wouldn't have otherwise learned.

Blogging on it also makes me think about things a little more, a little bit deeper than I otherwise would.

Maybe it just depends on the attitude you blog with. Are you writing so that you can think about it? Or writing to show people how cool you are? Because those of us who appreciate hearing sane people discuss religion would be sad if you made it private. ;) But if you need to check your own ego, well, making it private would certainly help! *grins*

J

[mswyrr]

I like it when ethical people I respect mention their faiths, because the non-ethical asshats in faiths often talk so much louder, and they shouldn't get to speak for everyone. :)

[seekingferret.livejournal.com]

As a Jew who sometimes feels the need to defend Judaism from all the criticisms heaped at us in the Gospels, here's how I see it. Religion is a communal experience and the idea of praying in public isn't to be seen, but to be part of something bigger than yourself. The purpose of sharing your religion with others isn't to be ostentatious but to, well, share your religious thoughts with others.

[chocolatemamba.livejournal.com]

This.
Except I'm not Jewish.

go to your inner room

[dedalus_1947]

Dids:

I went to another service that day and heard the same words, but they didn't resonate until I saw them spelled out on your blog. We all need to find the inner room, whereever it may be.

Love,

Dad