Lead us not into temptation

There was nothing in particular that jumped out at me today so I had to read the readings again. I was with a small voice the above jumped out. The temptation that rolled around in my head was not the big kind like money or sex or power all taking a front seat to my relationship with God. It was smaller but I think more significant. I think the temptation of the "religious" life can be to become something other than I am. The temptation could be to surrender those things in my life that most truly represent who I am in order to become something I perceive to be "religious". Being here at seminary it's easy to get caught up in that. That too is a temptation. I want a faith that is ok with not always been sure. I want a faith that enriches folks around us. I want a faith that is full of laughter. I want a faith where people are not convinced but encouraged simply because it shows that you enjoy this new life.

It is not to say I'm against change or that the journey into God (whatever that means) does not require surrendering some ways of life for others. I believe it does. The man I was 10 years ago could not have been comfortable here now. Thus I think I have changed. The temptation then is to force the change. To live out front of the change in the hope that it will happen. To become another on my terms rather than God's.

I would like to think that Jesus hung out with the Disciples because in part they were rogue's. They were honest enough to admit that they did not know. And the Priests and Pious...We all kind of know how Jesus reacted to them. ...Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen