Familiarity Breeds Contempt
In recent conversations, I have come to the conclusion that I am entirely too familiar with God. I pray to him when it is largely convenient to me, and while God is the Lord of my life, I have a hard time seeing the evidence of that from day to day. Contrast this with Israel’s treatment of God’s name. In the Hebrew, the name of God was supremely sacred. From my understanding, this is where the 3rd of the ten commandments came in. The respect for God’s name was to the extent that the high priest would be the only one to speak it once a year as he went into the holy of holies.
Christ came to earth and made Himself more relateable (PRAISE TO THE LAMB WHO WAS SLAIN!), but I feel like something has been lost in my heart. If the phrase “Familiarity breeds contempt” is in any way true, how can I / we renew our wonder, awe and fear for the Lord?
I think that a lot of the fear and awe comes from a deeper knowledge of God. Not so much the kind you get from facts but the kind you get from an ever deepening relationship. Not sure if thats too churchy of an answer but ….. or ……. JESUS the answer is JESUS.
I think there is a lost aspect to worship in modern and postmodern times. The art of ritual. We (the evangelical church) pretty much put ritual on life support in the 70s and then killed it in the 80s.
In reading about the Passover in Exodus 12, I’ve been noticing how the ritual of Passover frames the event itself. God wouldn’t let the ritual slide. It is imperative.
So perhaps you familiarity stems from 30-40 years of a church that just wants to try new stuff with God and it’s backfiring?
I say this as a former-professional Christian rock band member and proponent of good music. I’m far from a traditionalist. But I’m seeing some things differently than I have in the past.
My three cents.