First week at JRA.

To play a little catch-up, I did attend Wednesday night's prayer service, and today's services (there are two on Sundays) at JRA.

As for the prayer service, there are a few things that come immediately to mind. The first is that there's far too much vending machine style prayer going on. The service started off with lead pastor John Lindell getting up there, and pointing out that, among other things, God had answered prayer for good weather for an upcoming sporting event, and had found another woman a job. Then he encouraged crowd participation in prayer for everything from nice customs officers for an impending missions trip, to help with parents getting kids back to school. All of this was infused with a very "God can do, just ask" attitude. Which begs the question, what about all of the times that He doesn't do what we ask? Also, let's be realistic--God didn't change the weather patterns so that James River could have a good 5K to raise money for water in Africa. Weather patterns are weather patterns. Why not just make it rain more in Africa?

I'm not sure if he's just trying to rally the base, or if he really believes this stuff. Either way, let me be clear on a few things. I have no problem in praising God for what we are, and who He is, and all that we have. But He is not a vending machine. I don't put in my obedience, and prayer requests, and get out an answer or a blessing. Frankly, I very seldom see the value in asking for specific things at all. I talk to God about things, and am certainly honest with Him about how I feel (and not because He doesn't know, but because I believe that He enjoys my coming to Him with those thoughts and feelings), but then I try to say..."Your will be done." To do otherwise would be frustrating, and circular, and would ultimately lead away from a fuller understanding of our relationship. "Lord, give me a new job, please....Oh, ok, well, I don't have a new job, but I know that's because you didn't want to give me a new job, so please give me better hours this time...Oh, ok, well..." vs. "Lord, I am tired, you know that...Guide me, Love me...Your will, not mine."

To pray not for an object, or an outcome, but for His will is an implicit statement of Faith, and of submission. It's saying, "God, I don't know, I don't know what Your plan is. I don't know why I'm here, or even if I should be, but I'm going to trust in the mind and the heart that You gave me, and in You, that with these things, I can find my way to the path You have set me on."

So, the vending machine prayer--not so great. What is great is the corporate prayer. Whether as a group of over a thousand, or in breakaways as 3 or 4, it is great to pray with other people, and I like that JRA emphasizes that. I prayed with a couple named Tom and Lydia for their daughter, Sam, who has a kidney disorder. I haven't prayed with people like that for a very long time, and it was intimate and wonderful.

Today's sermon was an extention of the ban on racism, except now also encompassing classicism. Which is funny, right, because this church is RICH. So, today's entertainment was really comprised of watching the pastor try to walk the line between not wanting to condemn having money (no doubt for fear of insulting his constituents), but pointing out that God seems to really care for and see the value of the poor. This was personally interesting to me, because key on my list of "5 questions I'd ask John Lindell if I got 20 minutes with him" is "Hey, Jesus speaks pretty strongly about the problems with being rich, what do you think He thinks about rich churches?" Of course, he quoted the parable of the rich man, though not in its totality, which leads to my twitter claim that he completely pandered to his middleclass Christians. I wonder if he realizes that that's a sacrifice he makes for the fancy building and ministries. I have to admit, though, the dude can preach. Even if I disagree on a few points (major or minor), there's still plenty I agree with. My being in his pew does me more good than harm.

There are still things that are very jarring about the service. We all bow our heads to pray, and instead of silence, the auditorium fills with murmuring--praying, presumably. The altar calls. Following five minutes of impassioned pleas to get saved, Lindell invites people up to be prayed for by the elders, and then they all get herded into a side room to get free bibles. And I wonder--what then? What will happen to them in their fledgling faiths then? I'm sure there's a very pretty answer. The guilt-tripping, done like so: one of the pastors or worship leaders will shout out, generally at the end of a song or prayer, "If God has been good to you, lift your arms up to him right now, everybody." So then you're stuck like a asshat, because if you don't lift your arms up, it seems that you think God hasn't been good to you. I have maintained an arms-down position, with a silent shout out to Him, usually something like "Hey, G, you know how I feel about you..."

More later. This place is endlessly fascinating.