I'm a little teapot, short and stout

Today's readings:

Psalm 95, Gensis 40:1-23, 1 Corinthians 3:16-23, Mark 2:13-22

I am not an old sage.

I am old (er) than I was, and the wise(r). 

I have made mistakes and fought for my rights too often.
I have spoken to soon and listened to late.
I have missed the opportunity to dispense grace, and to receive it.

This puts me in good company.

I am finding out I am that little teapot I sing about with my kids. 

Too often I have had the heart of the servant in Scripture who, having been forgiven of a great debt, quickly forgot the magnitude of that grace and refused to extend the same. I get steamed up and scald.

We are to to pour our lives out for others, not on others.

God has done this for us and our repeating this act is but a drop compared to the ocean we have received. 

I have have had moments of clarity of God's grace to me and have honestly tried to live a life of grateful joy and giving in response. But as I press in deeper to my God, I am seeing all the more what has been given to me. In joyful response, not fearful compulsion, I am moved to offer all the more.

I wish to pour all my life out. Jesus poured all is life out for me. 

This poured out life will look like a  continual act of charismatic worship.  A charismatic, worshipful life is not  a particular expression or posture. The outsides will look different and take on different paths according to where we are and what we can do.

The insides will be the same.

We will  be a life freely given in gratitude to the dispenser of all things. They will be the spiritual act of worship to the one who life itself.  They will be the widows' penny that was given out of great poverty out of great thanks. 

The live we offer  is not great in and of itself. Yes, we are highly valued by God but he is not in need of us. He does not need our likes, our offerings, our anything.
 God was in perfect joy before anything that is, was.

The value comes from the posture of the give and that posture should be joyful thanks. 

How can we acquire this joyful, charismatic, worshipful life?

Seek God.

Ask for it.

I began yesterday to change the first thoughts that form in my mind as I wake up.
I have begun to pray:

"Almighty God, to you my heart is open, my desires are know, and none of my secrets are hid. Cleans the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your Holy Name, through Jesus Christ my Lord, to whom with you, and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen."

Some may recognize this as the "collect for purity". We pray this at the start of  worship in the Anglican Church with the  understanding that if we are to worship God as he desires and deserves to be worshiped we need the help of the Holy Spirit.

If our lives are to be worship, should we not ask the same?

Lord, tip me over and pour me out. Drop, by drop, by drop. In Christ we have become a well of life that can never run dry!
amen