I had to read that quote about three times before I got it.
Yancey goes on to describe expressions of prayer in cultures other than ours... the Nepali Buddhists with their prayer wheels, each turn of which sends a prayer to heaven. The well-dressed Japanese who pay a minimum of 50 dollars for a Shinto priest to pray on their behalf. Citizens in the high-tech nation of Taiwan who purchase "ghost money" at a Taoist temple and burn it to keep underworld ghosts from pestering them.
"In truth" he goes on to say, "Christians often treat prayer the same way. If I do my duty, then God 'owes me.' Worship becomes a kind of transaction: I've given God something, so it's God's turn to reciprocate. Prayer as transaction rather than relationship can decline into a practice more duty than joy, an occasional and awkward exercise with little connection to life -- not so different from the Buddhist monk spinning his prayer wheel or the Japanese businesswoman performing her temple ritual."
It sort of reminds of when Jesus said, "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words." (Matthew 6:7)
I remember how overjoyed I was those many years ago when I came to the realization that I could go directly to God about anything, rather than going through the rituals of the religious tradition in which I was raised. But there have been times since, as I have begun to realize Who God really is, that I've wanted to take a step back and let someone else go there on my behalf, after all.
God's just so much more than a nice guy who wants to be my pal. (More on that in the future.)
I'm not finding fault with anyone's religion. I'm finding fault with EVERYONE'S religion... ESPECIALLY mine... my religion being all the things I do to try to build my own flimsy little tower of Babel to God. It has to come down. =================>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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