the lesson today is...

I am discussing today with my little fellowship group an interview with Eugene Peterson, the author of "The Message" bible. In the interview, he is discussing what prayer is and our idea of how to pray correctly, and why this culture is so "enamored with knowledge" and is afraid of mystery.
The short version?: prayer isn't something you do, it is continual relationship with God. He recalls as a kid asking a missionary "how do you pray" and the missionary responded, "I haven't prayed in 40 years". This really impacted him years later, when he realized that the missionary was living a kind of spiritualness that kept him in continual relationship with God. A "pray without ceasing" concept like Paul talks about.
Peterson also contends that this current culture resists the mystery of it all, because it is much harder to live a spiritual life than not. Not really a discipline of sorts (though if a discipline helps you on your daily spiritual walk then that is good), but a continual relationship with God and the mystery of life that surrounds us every day.
And I was thinking about this and have come to some conclusions:
1. I have difficulty living the secular life.
2. I think others do as well.
3. Its not because we are any better than others, but there is something that will not allow us to be comfortable with what the world has to offer, what it is selling. That makes us restless.
Now, for those who are not this way, I would think life is easier. Less complicated. I would not say Life is Better for them, just cleaner. No messy spiritual stuff to clutter up a cookie cutter existence. Makes getting up and consuming whatever the world has set before you easier. Whether it is money or hobbies or vices or whatever your distraction of choice may be. Your distraction may even be the church.
So go ahead. The devil is counting on it. Tune in to the noise of the world. Get enveloped in its business. You will not have time for God.