All prayed out?

A priest friend of mine will often add the line "Lawd have mercy" on her various blog and Facebook posts when she's really trying to make the point, or if she is especially tired or REALLY
 exasperated by something.  "Lawd" is different from "Lord"...if only for some of us Southern folks!

I think the author of this book, Martin Thielen would certainly use the word "Lawd" to describe how tired he is of folks disparaging Christianity because of the hurtful, closed minded way many Jesus followers have portrayed, used, and abused the words of Jesus.  I am shouting Amen through much of the first few chapters of this book. 

I'm especially enjoying pondering the question "Are you all prayed out?" (page 10)  I don't think you can be a sentient being and not get "prayed out".  Just reading the newspaper (online or the kind that gets ink on your hands) can be an exercise in exhaustion and heartache.

But of course as I have said in other settings (including my original blog which I update
 about twice a year!) prayer has GOT to be seen as something other than asking God for stuff.  Like God is the giant ATM in the sky.  (Or as I heard outstanding preacher Otis Moss once say, "Jesus is not your cosmic bellhop just waiting to get you stuff"  LAWD I love that!)

Part of what Dr. Thielen is saying in this book...has of course been said by many other thoughtful folks over the years, but it bears repeating.  Faith is HARD.  Prayer doesn't work like a magic dispensary, people in churches are humans who let you down sometimes.  And Christianity cannot be boiled down to a few bumper sticker slogans.  Lawd have mercy!