Take off your hat, for this place is holy

Of course, we all remember Charlton Heston playing Moses in the movie, The Ten Commandments, and we remember the voice of God, also played by Charlton Heston, telling Moses, er... or himself (sorry it gets confusing) to take off his shoes for the place that he is standing is a holy place.That small spot on the side of the mountain was a holy place, and Moses' shoes were a sign that he was common and ordinary.It was holy because God was present. Moses response to the divine was to show respect.

We have lost the idea that there are places and situations where respect can and should be shown. In western society, taking off your hat is an appropriate gesture to show respect. And yet, the ever present ball cap seems to be exempt from this custom. Maybe we just want to be comfortable, or perhaps the hat is a fashion statement.

Are there places where respect should be shown, or have we outgrown this middle-aged custom and can relax and be ourselves? Yes, there are many times and situations where the ball cap should be taken off, even if the regrettable hat-hair is visible to all in attendance. Church, funerals, weddings, formal events, places where public prayers are offered, and of course, the singing of the national anthem. While I am not certain that many of my gentle readers are ball cap wearers, we still should be an example for our children and those who might not care to remember the good manners they were taught.

Let us pray,

Lord, keep us humble and willing to lift up one another in praise and respect. Let us show a heart of love and peace to the stranger we meet on the street, the old friend we have not met for a long time, or the elder whose wisdom and patience has been taught at great price. Teach us ways to show respect and attend to the dignity of all persons, even in places where there might be confrontation or disagreement. Even as you showed love and hope to poorest and smallest, let us constantly not be impressed because of wealth, fame or fashion. Remind us that every son or daughter of Eve is your child and no better or no worse. Amen.

A prayer for my Church

To be a Christian means to be a member of a church. Belief in Christ doesn't just come by confessing sins, or praying to God on the golf course. It means saying I will be a part of the body of Christ. Even hermits who practice their faith in solitude realize that they must have a supporting group of brothers and sisters around them. Perhaps a mistake of American Christianity is that all we need to get through the tough places in life is just God.
I think not. While it is true that Moses did encounter God alone on the mountaintop, he came down from the mountain to meet, to talk and to live with all the other children of God assembled there.
As we follow Christ, we must do it together as Christ's body, or as Paul tells us, the Bride of Christ. Together, we are God's Kingdom.
Let us pray...
Lord Jesus, you are the head of the church, and we give thanks for the blessings you have brought into our lives through brothers and sisters in the church. I ask a blessing on our own church, (name of church) and pray for my brothers and sisters I have come to love there. I pray for the children that I see every Sunday, who laugh, joke and run under my legs. I pray for the elders who complain about their pain or tell me about stories from their youth. I pray for the leaders who bless me every day with care, their prayers and their words of goodness and hope. I pray for my pastor. Give her (him) the wisdom to preach the word and lead the church through its time of crisis and guide us into joy and the garden of peace.
Bless all of us as we worship and do the mission together of your Kingdom. In the name of Jesus, the Christ who is our Lord and Savior, I pray, Amen.