"Your Name is Your Nature"

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image of anything...

You shall not bow down to them nor serve them...

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain."

Exodus 20:4,5,7

For the first time in seven weeks I went to a mass in english.

I've loved many things about mass in spanish;
the familiar gospel,
the ten stringed-instrument band,
giving "paz,"
women in leadership,
incense,
just taking it all in, and
the little angles at the altar.

But I felt the need to seek out a service where
I can be a little more interactive.

It was almost the opposite of everything I expected.
Almost 90 minutes long, in stark contrast to our 45 minutes in the USA.
And the great echo of our long, narrow chapel made even english sound
foreign.
However, despite the waves of frustration, and my dipping blood sugar,
I felt as though I became very close to the backs-of-heads I was worshiping with.

And as little as I care for long-winded homilies,
the man had some good words.
Thanks to God for perking my ears.

Is God who we make Him to be?
Or is He as He tells us, in His Word?

We make God fit into our comprehension,

our lifestyles... and by this, we empty His name.

This priest said we are so apt to making false idols,

because we empty God's name.

"And your name is your nature."

Our problems with making false idols stems from our

problem with corrupting the Lord's name.

This turned my vantage point completely upside down.

I've only been advised on when to not say the Lord's name.

I've never been advised to preserve the Lord's name by

maintaining His nature.

This is incredibly refreshing for me and I know God allowed

me to be late for the first service so that I may hear this, and

also for the time He used to do some healing in our house.

I feel like I've got a new paradigm to grow from, 

I feel excited and encouraged to continue in this light.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light for my path."

Psalm 119:105