Blue Collar Devotional

While staying with Hilltop Rescue and Relief in Chalmette, LA I attended a series of devotionals that consisted of sermons given by a youth minister from Florida. These talks turned out to be troubling to myself and to the group of workers I was traveling with at the time. For me personally, the talks were a bit of an attack on my Roman Catholic and general educational backgrounds. During the week, I found myself more cynical about faith in general and making light of religion as I would typically not do. Anger and frustration with what I feel is a distorted message and inappropriate context drove away any understanding that I think I would normally have.

Over the next couple of days, I would like to reflect on different issues brought up in these talks in order to put myself back on track. If anyone chooses to read these reflections, hopefully it can get others thinking as well. One might not agree with what I'm saying, but I hope my message is at least a little gentler and for goodness' sake more relevent.

The world we live in is very much in attack mode. In many situations, those that believe in this resurrection of Jesus can be perceived as fringe fanatical people with a weak sense of reality. Many want to disregard or belittle the beliefs that many hold, and have held for years. In secular society, we don't see very much people denying the existance of God or the occurance of Jesus' resurrection. Rather the real "attack" is in the trivialization of the faith. Basically we're being told that it doesn't really matter. But obviously it does matter. We're going to be spending the rest of eternity wherever we go. So, there's quite a lot at stake. The Lord doesn't deny us any opportunity to gain eternal life with him--even after we slip so many times. He will provide us with everything we need to get to heaven.

We have so many gifts to receive if we are open to receive them. We are given charismatic gifts--not to become cheerleaders for Christ, but that will enable us to fully develop as human persons and to give us the strength to reach fulfillment in eternity in heaven. It's tough to get through this life. One thing that athiests, and "religious" can certainly agree on is that life can be quite difficult at times. Again the Holy Spirit wants to strengthen us and lift us up. It is the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we are enable us to bear lasting fruit--to become holy. Like a gift that we receive on a holiday though, we might have to do some work to open up the gift and to see it work in our lives.

Your faith shouldn't become like a contract with a different organization like the IRS or something. You hear a lot of people mentioning around Easter a type of compulsary obligation to attend church. They have not opened up the gift of "Fear" that allows us to view faith and the church as a covenant. It's not legal but an agreement made because of love of another. We live by "laws" not to appease some deity, but in respect for a loving Father to whom we entrust ourselves. If you read the Psalms much of it is about the Lord persuing us to get us to recognize and love Him.

Piety is what allows one to say, "Where there is love, there is no labor." When you walk into a church you have a sense of something sacred. It takes on a whole new meaning different than walking into any other building or room. This is meant to lift our minds and hearts to God.