Our church is doing a two week series on prayer (devotions during the week, sermon on Sunday). Today, Pastor Mike opened his sermon by showing a clip from one of my favorite musicals, Fiddler on the Roof, where Tevye the milkman is walking home with his lame horse and is talking to God. Oh, Lord, did you have to make my horse lame just before the Sabbath? … You made many poor people…. I know it is no sin to be poor but it’s no great honor either… The clip ended just before Tevye bursts into song, "If I were a rich man…"
This scene is, indeed, a wonderful reminder of how God wants us to talk to Him. The intimacy. The openness. The honesty. No Sunday-go-to-meeting face put on to look clean and righteous before our Father. Just us with all of our warts and flaws.
For instance, Jesus gave us what we call the Lord’s prayer. It’s amazing in its simplicity. Why do we try to make it more, harder, than it is?
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best —
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
(Matt 6:9-13, Msg)
Awesome! I love it when I leave church feeling warmed and excited by what I’ve heard/learned.
However, since the movie clip stopped short of "If I were a rich man…" I had to come home, put in the DVD, and watch Fiddler on the Roof in its entirety so I could sing along with all the great songs. The movie is just about to end as I write this. What a great way to spend an afternoon! I’ll be humming these songs for days.
-rlh-
