Don't need to shine your halo

 

Yesterday, we explored the power of micro habits as ways to occupy the space between what we believe about God and our experience of God.  In The Expectation Gap, Cuss says these micro habits help us stand in the messy middle between what we say about God and how we encounter God.  This is the space between the head and heart where too often we think we must choose one or the other, rather than find ways to bring both together, along with our soul.  Cuss writes, “I say I believe God loves me, but my deeper belief operates as if I am not worth loving”.  Our inner color commentary loves to criticize us, pointing out all our bumbles and stumbles.  Plus, Cuss says, our answer to this is, “more of the same and try harder”.  Too often, this is the church’s preaching and teaching.  Just pray, the pastor says in response to the problem.  Or just have faith, so we tend to think that faith a superhero like status where all our doubts vanish into thin air.  Never mind most of the people in scripture rarely measure up to such definitions or descriptions.   Abraham passes his wife, Sarah, off as his sister to save his own neck in Egypt.  Jonah runs away from God’s call.  Amos says, “I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me” (Amos 5:21), I am sure Amos was a great guy to invite to your backyard barbeque!  And don’t forget Peter denying Jesus three times, Judas betrays him, and the other disciples run away ~ with friends like that who needs enemies.  I don’t know where this notion of faithfulness being something we measure or can even observe, but not scripture!  Given this, perhaps we can take a deep breath and let go of the expectation that our halo must be shiny, and we always need to have just the right prayer and word to say.  Today, I encourage you to find ways to be open to God’s movement through the practice of micro habits.  One suggestion, turn off electronics, put away your smart phone, and try to taste your food as you eat one meal today.  Taste the goodness of the vegetable that grew in the soil and now that dirt is nurturing your soul.  Or find another way today you can remember that God’s love isn’t dependent on you levitating or meditating or even being fascinating.  You are loved for who you are ~ a beloved child of God.  Let that truth guide you this day and the rest of this week.  Amen.