O

Ever notice how often during the course of a conversation you say, "Oh".  It is one of those great verbal cues that when paired with punctuation can be used in lots of different ways.  

Someone tells you a sad story and "oh" becomes a sympathetic response.

Someone tells you something that confuses you and you say "oh" with a slight raise in your voice and a quizzical look on your face.

Someone tells you a fact and "oh" said in a monotone acknowledges that you heard them and perhaps that you prefer to not talk about it.

Yet, within faith "O" signals something else.  O is when we are lost for words in God's presence. The psalms often pair O and God together.  "O God how majestic is your name," sings out Psalm 8.  Or one of my favorite Christmas carols is "O come, O come Emmanuel".  There is a deep longing that is found in the use of that single letter "O".  There is something that wants to be expressed but words seem in adequate.  So, we settle of "O" hoping that some how in some way we convey what is in our hearts.

Within our lives, O and Oh fall from our lips interchangeably, countless occasions, and in a variety of situations.  

I also think "O" can be a prayer.  So often we think of prayer as being words upon words.  As a pastor I know that the part of the problem is that moment in worship called the "Pastoral Prayer" where I try to cast the net wide.  But what if, one Sunday, I stood up and simply said, "O God...." and then left silence for the people of God both to offer the depth of their hearts as well as listen in silence?  You see, "O God" is not only an invitation for us to fill in the blank...it is also an invitation for us to hear what God is saying and pay attention to how God is moving.

O opens the door for the presence of God to enter.  O opens the door for us to notice the presence of God.  

So, this week, what if you tried to compose your own prayer?  Start with "O God" and see what pours forth from your heart.  I encourage you to first to read a few psalms.  Get a sense of the honesty and the rhythm and then let loose!  There is no emotion too deep or raw for the psalmists.  There is no experience outside of God's presence.  There is nothing we cannot say to God.  And one way to start the conversation is "O".

May the traces of God's grace surround you as you offer what is in your heart to God.

Blessings!