Doing and Being

Thoughts On Prayer and Tithing

The Chinese have an ancient saying:

"The way to do is to be."

(Does that make you nervous?  Uncomfortable that a Church would quote something outside the Bible?  You know, if you stare at the color red long enough, sometimes even just a few minutes, your eyes become literally numb to red.  When you look away, to a blank white wall, you will see green because all the "let's do red" receptors in your eye are tired and sore.  In the same way, if we always think in the same way, our brains become numb.  By looking away, thinking about something different, seeing a new perspective, we can learn a lot more.  So you do not have to be afraid of ideas outside your little world.  God will not be mad at you.)

This might seem like a strange idea to you at first.  the idea is that the best way to do something is to be it.  Though this may be a foreign idea to you, I promise you it is really very Christian, and part of God's Perfect Plan for all of us.

I will, of course, explain.

The Bible expresses the same idea, just with different words.  St. Paul writes in Romans 12:1,

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Your whole body, your whole life, your being (oops, sorry, couldn't resist) can be, needs to be, a constant expression of dedication to Yhwh.  What Paul calls a "living sacrifice."

Here's another, from Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Well, just think about that.  If your every word is dedicated to God, that means every thought you have (expressed through the words) is also a living sacrifice.  Add to that every single thing you do, and your constant life of thanks is what you are. 

This idea of being is usually a bit foreign to us.  Cat is what my companion is.  We know she is a cat because of what she does, (like chase mice, lick her paws, meow, etc.)   If she did different things, she would not be a cat.  I'm not playing word games here.  The idea is that our being is defined by our doing.  These are the essential (of-the-essence) acts which define us.  My cat burps, but that does not define her, for other creatures do the same.

With our being, we perform acts.  Like use the bathroom, sleep, blink our eyes.  These actions are not our essential nature.

I could go on & on here, but I'm trying to be more concise as we move forward.  The point is this:

Our religious life starts as an act, and needs to become an essential aspect of our being.

We'll look at two important aspects of the religious life, to explain the point, and hopefully illumine a brighter pathway for our futures.

Prayer

For almost all of us, prayer is something we do, at least at the beginning of our spiritual life.

As we mature, it becomes something we are.  Again, the Living Sacrifice.

It's like this. 

Prayer as an act is something we do at night, maybe before a meal, on as a group on Sunday morning.  There's nothing at all "wrong" with this, but we can be more.

During the day, if you are at all in a spiritual community, people will regularly say, "Please pray for..."  At the end of the day, after a few weeks or months of this, you have a lot of things to remember to pray about.

I offer you this vision for yourself:

Be a living prayer.

As you stand there talking to the person, pray then.  Not just "Oh God, please help..."  I mean let your soul be open to the presence and reality of God.  As you hear about someone's issues, in that very moment your hearing can become a concerned prayer.

As you speak to a person, your very words are a Living Prayer.

An example might help.

DOING Prayer:

Them: "My spouse is leaving me, I do not know what will happen to the kids."

You: "I'll pray for you."  Later that night, you do a prayer, asking God to help them through the divorce.

BEING Prayer:

Them: "My spouse is leaving me, I do not know what will happen to the kids."

You: As you listen, you are aware of the Presence of God.  As you hear, you are not just waiting to get to lunch, but you are deeply involved, concerned.  Your hearing is, itself, a conduit of this person's concern to God.  Then, as you speak, you are offering the words of encouragement that you think, with the best of your ability, God would actually say to this person.  "I am sorry for your pain.  Maybe it's not hopeless.  Try not to cover your pain with anger..." 

In that way, your every act of listening is prayer.  Your every word spoken is an active prayer. 

You are, in actuality, a living, breathing, prayer.

Prayer is not just something to be done, it is something to be. 

Let's try it again.

DOING Prayer:

Good: At night, you get on your knees and pray, "God, please help ABC to find strength in their separation.  If divorce must happen, please send your Spirit of love to all the members of the family, so healing can start."

BEING Prayer:

Better: After you have opened your heart to this person while listening to them, you say, "I hope you can find the strength you need in this separation, and that God's love will start to heal you and your family, even right now."  (A Living Prayer, but a bit preachy.)

 

Best: "I know you are strong.  You can deal with this, and I will be here to help you however I can.  God's love is always here, I know you know that, and we will work and pray for God's healing for your whole family." 

Notice some key things about this last prayer:

That's what the Bible means about a living sacrifice.  To really, actually, be involved in people's lives. 

Prayer?  Yeah, sure.  But not if it's just an excuse.  Spending 15 seconds at the end of a day asking the sky to help somebody can, all too easily, be a cop-out and excuse.  While you listen, are you present?  As you are speaking with them, do you take that time, there and then, to offer words of encouragement if any are even needed?  Would be be willing to take 10 minutes out of your precious I-Me-My time, to materially do something to help a fellow person? 

You cannot materially help every soul.  God has a way to deal with that, too, called the Word of Wisdom.  (You'll find it in First Corinthians, chapter 12.)  You need wisdom to know how, where & when to be involved.

But this point has been made, or I cannot make it: Prayer, REAL Prayer, is a way of life.  It is what you ARE.  You ARE a communication vessel to and from God in this world.  And since you ARE prayer, every thought you have, every word you utter, and every deed you do can be an expression of your Living Prayer.

The best way to DO prayer is to BE prayer, a Living Sacrifice.

Tithing

Sample email:

Should we tithe?  Is it still 10%, even though we are not under law?  And is that 10% on gross or net?  Please help.

If you've read this far, I hope you already know what I am going to say.

It is good to tithe.  It is even better if giving is something you ARE.

Tithing as Doing

Tithe means, literally, "one tenth."  One out of every ten.

In the Hebrew Bible it was originally instituted as a way to support the priesthood and civil authorities, which were the same thing in those days.

How does this pertain to today's world?

Well, as something we do, tithing has great value. 

1. We support those places (even websites) that provide us with our spiritual food.  If we really benefit from someone's spiritual wisdom, why, why in the world would we not materially support that, as a means of thanks, and to assure that others can benefit from this inspiration? 

This is an odd trait of humanity.  I have a completely open-door policy about money.  I have, indeed, thousands of letters from people saying that this ministry has touched, even changed, their lives.  And those are the blessed ones.  Thousands more visit, even use my material, but do not stop to even say "thanks."

But to date, since GodsWebsite.com / Yhwh.com / The Church of Yahweh was started in 1996, there have been less than 20 people contribute to it materially.  I share freely.  But the newspapers and web engines and the like will NOT allow us advertising space for free.  If this has touched, even changed your life, how could you imagine that we would not all benefit from having more money for growth and development?  This is very odd to me.

2. It is, indeed, only the giving we do that defines us. 

3. When we tithe (not limited necessarily to "just" 10%) we are expressing holiness!  What we value, what we find beautiful, if there is anything lovely or worthy of praise, we support with our money.  Then, no matter what happens in our regular life, we know that we have helped make the world a better place, and have helped generate holiness and good.

4. In this way, tithing is planting seeds of goodness.  Our attitude changes, an attitude we take with us everywhere we go.

5. And then, with this heart that is seeding goodness, very much more often than not, the Universal Promise is fulfilled, and as we give we receive.  Almost always multiplied and expanded.  I know a woman who recently made and paid a pledge of $40 to a ministry.  Within a month, suddenly, beyond all fantasy or even hope, she gained a windfall of $12,000! 

6. But the universe cannot, will not be bribed.  As long as we are doing tithing in order to get more money in return, we are not really tithing.  We are investing, or playing the lottery. 

7. For, you see, that is the greatest part of giving, in any form: Reaching outside ourselves, and in so doing become more than we are.

Think about the lonely, self-contained seed.  Only through the risk of "dying," being buried in the earth, can the seed gain new life.  As it does, it reaches out to the soil, the water, the air, and light of the sun.  As the seed gives of itself, reaching out, it receives back.  The seed becomes a part of the entire earth!

That's exactly how it is with us.  As we open up, as we offer ourselves as that Living Sacrifice, we become a part of whatever we give ourselves to.

Tithing as Being

But just "doing" tithing, no matter how nobly, is only a part of the picture.

The "Three T's" are always the same: Our Time, Talent and Treasure.

You will benefit if you do tithing.

Your life will be forever changed as you ARE tithing.

Simply put, like prayer can be who we are, giving can be who we are.  Everything we have and are is an extension of The Divine.  We live in God, move in God, ARE (!) in God.

Every single moment needs to be, can be, an expression of our relationship with God.  We can be a living prayer.  Every dollar earned can be an expression of grace and abundance.  Every dollar spent and invested can be a ministry.  Even the silly / fun stuff; it is not "wrong" or "bad" to spend money on yourself & recreation.  Review, again, the Four Aims of Life. 

"Whatsoever you do in [thought,] word and deed, do all to the Glory of God."  All we are, all of our Time, Talent and Treasure can be a Holy, Living Blessing.

This is called the Resacralization of Life.  To Make Life Sacred Again.

Conclusion

Can you see this?  Imagine it?  Smell the possibility of real Resurrected and Ascended life?

The way to DO is to BE.

BE Prayer.

BE a Living, Breathing ministry to the world.

BE a Gift.

All of your Time, Talent and Treasure can be consciously from God, as it moves through God, and returns back to God.  I didn't make that up, it's in the Bible:

Romans 11:36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

You are already a part of that Divine, Love-in-the-Flesh, miraculous flow.

As you practice doing more and more, the eyes of your soul will be opened, and you will see that giving, loving, praying, is who you are.

Please, shall we go together?

Love, Ahyh

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