Holy crap!!! Not literally.

I'm just excited that I'm getting this done early. I think. (It's either early or really late.)

So today in class we went over the Patron-Client relationship. We also talked about how this is still used today in society. We never really discussed how this also plays a role in our spiritual lives.  We did hint at it when we talked about sports. While everyone was trying to justify why they pray for no injuries or to have fun I was thinking what most people want to pray. "God, make us win. Let them suck it up today." After that, I thought about other parts of the average persons life and how we take the same approach to them but we also go another full step in the wrong direction with it.  When we want something really really really badly we begin to bargain with God.  It sometimes becomes a Patron-Client relationship in the wrong way.  We begin to use the formula "God if you just "blank" I promise I will "blank" for You." The problem that I see with this is that we, as Christians shouldn't need anything from God in order to justify our actions for him. (I'm kind of rambling... sorry.) For an example I'll use a sports team's pre-game prayer.  "God if you just let us win, I'll finally talk to my friends about You." It seems like a fair trade-off because of how the world views it now. But in actuality, we should be longing to talk to our friends even without this "gift/victory" from God. I guess the point I'm trying to get across is that prayer is not and should not be used as a bartering system with God.  Instead prayer should be used as a way to connect with God and give praise to him.  I'm not saying not to ask for things in prayer. I don't think it says anywhere not to ask for things. The main point I want to convey is that the Patron-Client relationship we have with God (if that's what you want to call it) isn't the same as depicted by the Roman society.  God blesses us and we should praise him for it but not because of it.

Going back to the whole sports prayer.... instead of "Yo God, make us win and them suck at life today." Maybe it should be more like "Give us the strength to praise you in our game today." Sounds weird and is kind of simple, I know. But I feel like, since that is what we are called to do, the rest just isn't that important.

J-Pow