Praying with Homer J. Simpson

What a weekend! Moving is not fun. Period! Jennifer and I moved into a bigger apartment in the same complex so we didn't have to rent a truck or take a carvan across town. Many thanks to those who showed up to help out, especially those with big muscles. Sure we broke our entertainment center but we had fun doing it. Uuuugggghhh.

Today I started a new book called "The Gospel according to The Simpsons" by Mark I. Pinsky. Tony Campolo wrote the foreword to this interesting little piece of literature. Campolo states that Homer treats God as a sort of parachute where he hopes he never has to use, but he wants God to be there just in case. When deep trouble comes Homer's way, he turns to God and begs for miracles, but when they do happen, Homer is not a man of more deeper moral convictions or faith. God to Homer is more of a magic formula that you are able to manipulate spiritual forces so that the supplicant gets what he or she wants. Campolo points out that many people in churches today treat God the same way. How many of us have ever thought that if you didn't end your prayers by saying - "In Jesus' name" - you wouldn't get the desired results you sought? Instead of treating prayer like magic, we should surrender to the spiritual forces so that those forces (i.e. God) can do through him or her what those forces desire.