More than a song

I'm a wannabe musician.  I play guitar to some degree.  I sing mostly on pitch, especially if I'm singing with somebody else.  I have been known to hold a bass or tap out one-note pads on the keyboard. 

Learning to play music takes lots of effort.  At least it does for most people.  There is the struggle with learning fingerings, chord structures, rhythms, scales and harmonies.  We work through the basics over a long period of time.  It takes hours, weeks, and years to become proficient.  Then at some point -- with determination, perseverance and effort -- the focus on technique and performance gives way to the flow of the music.  And that's the goal.  You want to reach that point that the melody flows from the soul.  It bypasses your effort and cascades through the air, apart from your will.

On many occasions I have experienced that thrill.  Strumming chords and singing (un-mic-ed) praise to Jesus connects my soul more and more deeply with my Lord.  It doesn't happen every time I play, but often enough to make me expect and desire it. 

Sadly, there are many musicians who reach a great degree of technical proficiency but never crest the hill of pure expression through music.  It sounds good, but it never truly flows.  This is true of worship musicians and nightclub musicians.  They are good, but not quite great.  They miss the feel of abandonment in the wave of acoustic beauty.  Real music is more than a song.

This same process applies to prayer.  When we first begin to pray, we recite prayers we have learned.  "Now I lay me down to sleep..." 
"God is great, God is good.  Let us thank him for our food..." 
"Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name..." 

We learn the grammar of prayer.  How to address God.  What kinds of things we say to him.  Prayer vocabulary, like grace, mercy and faith.  We learn helpful patterns like ACTS, for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.  These patterns are like practicing musical scales.  They help us learn the technique of prayer. 

Many of us labor at this level of prayer for years.  We systematize prayer with note cards (my favorite), notebooks, prayer apps.  We become thoroughly organized, and commit to following the program.  We set aside time every day for prayer.  All this is good and helpful, and maybe necessary.

But prayer is more than a song.  It is more than technique.  More than commitment and organization.  Much more. 

Sadly, many become stuck in this level of prayer.  The act of prayer feels mechanical, rote, or sterile.  It gets the job done, but without much joy or excitement.  We pray because we know it is good for us, like exercise or hummus.  Like plodding musicians hammering away note after note, we pray away request after request.  Some people will never be really good musicians because they don't have the raw talent.  But in Christ everyone has the "raw talent" to be a virtuoso pray-er.  We have the Holy Spirit himself living in us, flowing through us.  We need to set aside our self-effort, and let his Spirit take charge in us.

The form of prayer, like the mechanics of music, must give way to the abandonment of expression of the soul.  The forms have been like scaffolding, providing direction, shaping technique, until those forms become unnecessary.  We crest the hill of prayer after years of working with those guidelines.  Then we realize that the whole point of prayer is not to get stuff prayed for.  The point of prayer is to connect our souls with Jesus. 

The requests and the model prayers are merely ways for us to practice until we finally get it.  After cresting that hill, we still pray for requests, we still use model prayers.  But the prayer flows.  It becomes beautiful before the Lord.  It shapes us through the Spirit, as the Spirit flows through us.  He is in us, and we are in him.

I'm a wannabe pray-er.

Seven Reasons We Want Stuff

People want stuff.  They always have.  We always have.  We want stuff, even though we know that relationships are more important.  Admittedly some people have little desire for possessions, but they are the exceptions in American culture.

What drives our desire for stuff?  I’ve done some thinking about this, I’ve come up with seven primary reasons we desire things.

1.  Necessity

There are certain things we need for living, including food, clothing and shelter.  Of these, food is a consumable, so I don’t think of it as a possession.  But clothing and shelter can clearly be possessions; they are things we need, whether or not we own them.    

A second necessity is physical security.  We possess many items to keep us safe from accident or crime:  door locks, railings, firearms, alarm systems.

2.  Comfort and Convenience

Many of our possessions just make life easier.  We like to have them because they save time and effort.  We find comfort in furniture, air conditioning, and those heated seats in cars.  We find convenience with refrigerators, lawnmowers, computers and telephones.  

With some items, we find emotional comfort as well.  It may comfort us to see family Christmas ornaments, or familiar portraits.

3.  Vanity

Of course sometimes we like stuff because it makes us look good.  We wear jewels and drive cars so that others will notice.  People enjoy looking good, and stuff helps. 

We also may want to look good for others.  A wife wears a dress or a necklace because she knows her husband likes it.  We also buy stuff to fit in with a certain crowd, even if we don’t like the stuff.

4.  Greed

This one is fairly obvious.  We like to accumulate stuff, sometimes hoard stuff.  Jesus tells the story about a man who had so much grain that he tore down his storage barns to build bigger ones.  When we have stuff we like, sometimes we just want more.  I think this appeal is partly based in fear—fear that God will not provide for us in the future.  We have to look out for ourselves because we can’t trust God to take care of us. 

Another kind of greed is really mean:  we want stuff just to keep someone else from having it.  Even if we don’t want the thing, we can’t bear for that other person to have it.  This is a sign of damaged relationships.

5.  Excitement

Some possessions give us a thrill:  boats, skis, cars, bicycles, camping gear, electronics.  We want that stuff because of the experience that comes with it. 

We also have the thrill of beauty.  Some possessions are just beautiful and valuable because they bring pleasure through their beauty.

6.  Work

Some possessions aid us in our work; they are the tools of our trade:  wrenches, ovens, saws, mixers, sewing machines, etc.  We desire these items because our productivity and creativity soar when we use them.

7.  Responsibility

Some stuff needs to be cared for and kept, such as family heirlooms.  We want these possessions out of a sense of duty, believing that someone should care for them. 

Then there is also the responsibility of saving for the future.  Some possessions are also stores of wealth:  houses, collectible items, investment art.

When we understand our motives for wanting stuff, it helps us evaluate those desires.  More important than any possession is our soul.  Maybe we should ask ourselves how our possessions affect our souls.  Some possessions build us up.  Some tear us down.  Some are just neutral.

Think about why you want stuff.  You may surprise yourself.

In summary:  Why we want stuff:

1.      Necessity

            a.   Food, clothing, shelter

            b.   Physical protection

2.      Comfort and convenience

a.       Physical

b.      Emotional

3.      Vanity

a.       Please ourselves

b.      Please others

4.      Greed

a.       Accumulation

b.      Deny others

5.      Excitement

a.       Thrill of adventure

b.      Thrill of beauty

6.      Work – We need tools to do our work.

7.      Responsibility

a.       Heirloom items

b.      Investment items