"After all, it is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the irritating details of outer life." Evelyn Underhill
In Alma 32, in the Book of Mormon, we read about a people who called themselves the Zoramites. Among the Zoramites were a part of the people who were poor. We read in verses 2-3 that they were cast out of the synagogues because of the coarseness of their apparel--Therefore they were not permitted to enter into their synagogues to worship God, being esteemed as filthiness; therefore they were poor...
Alma, a high priest who had come among the Zoramites to help restore their faith in the church of God, was preaching to the poor when he was asked, Behold, what shall these my brethren do, for they are despised of all men because of their poverty, yea and more especially by our priests; for they have cast us out of our synagogues...because of our exceeding poverty and we have no place to worship our God; and behold, what shall we do?
Alma responded beautifully "...do ye suppose that ye cannot worship God save it be in your synagogues only?
~~
When church was first canceled, I was initially sad and surprised but soon adapted and thrived without the constraints of a church time, church dress, church protocol. I could wear pajamas, have church at 12:00, 3:00, or 5:00, and all within the convenience of my own home. Soon we invited my mom to give the Sunday school lesson and we connected in different places through phones.
Best of all, church never lasted over an hour.
~~
Alma gave the cast-out people a beautiful treatise on faith and prayer: Behold, ye have said that ye could not worship your God because ye are cast out of your synagogues, But behold, I say unto you, if ye suppose that ye cannot worship God, ye do greatly err, and ye ought to search the scriptures.
Alma quoted a past prophet and his words concerning prayer or worship: Thou art merciful, O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness; yea though was merciful when I prayed concerning those who were mine enemies, and thou didst turn them to me... thou was merciful unto me when I did cry unto thee in my field; when I did cry unto thee in my prayer, and thou didst hear me... Yea, thou art merciful unto they children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou wilt hear them...and thou hast also heard me when I have been cast out...
~~
We too have been cast out of our churches.
Not because of our poverty, but because of a virus.
It is now the time and quest for deep faith. Habits and practices are gone. New ones will take their place either in devotion or abandonment. No one is taking roll or missing us if we don't show up. Like the poor Zoramites yet for different reasons, the synagogue is no longer an option.
In devotion, we learn that church and prayer are so much more than a Sunday practice. We now have to make a choice-- for the Sabbath is no longer a designated day of worship but the choice of a designated way of life.
Alma, a high priest who had come among the Zoramites to help restore their faith in the church of God, was preaching to the poor when he was asked, Behold, what shall these my brethren do, for they are despised of all men because of their poverty, yea and more especially by our priests; for they have cast us out of our synagogues...because of our exceeding poverty and we have no place to worship our God; and behold, what shall we do?
Alma responded beautifully "...do ye suppose that ye cannot worship God save it be in your synagogues only?
~~
When church was first canceled, I was initially sad and surprised but soon adapted and thrived without the constraints of a church time, church dress, church protocol. I could wear pajamas, have church at 12:00, 3:00, or 5:00, and all within the convenience of my own home. Soon we invited my mom to give the Sunday school lesson and we connected in different places through phones.
Best of all, church never lasted over an hour.
~~
Alma gave the cast-out people a beautiful treatise on faith and prayer: Behold, ye have said that ye could not worship your God because ye are cast out of your synagogues, But behold, I say unto you, if ye suppose that ye cannot worship God, ye do greatly err, and ye ought to search the scriptures.
Alma quoted a past prophet and his words concerning prayer or worship: Thou art merciful, O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness; yea though was merciful when I prayed concerning those who were mine enemies, and thou didst turn them to me... thou was merciful unto me when I did cry unto thee in my field; when I did cry unto thee in my prayer, and thou didst hear me... Yea, thou art merciful unto they children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou wilt hear them...and thou hast also heard me when I have been cast out...
~~
We too have been cast out of our churches.
Not because of our poverty, but because of a virus.
It is now the time and quest for deep faith. Habits and practices are gone. New ones will take their place either in devotion or abandonment. No one is taking roll or missing us if we don't show up. Like the poor Zoramites yet for different reasons, the synagogue is no longer an option.
In devotion, we learn that church and prayer are so much more than a Sunday practice. We now have to make a choice-- for the Sabbath is no longer a designated day of worship but the choice of a designated way of life.
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