Jeremiah

Found this entry on an old blog of mine. Thought it was good enough for a repost:
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Have you ever read the book of Jeremiah? I don't mean " have you ever looked up some verses in Jeremiah in a Bible study, or hurried through him so you could check Jeremiah off from your Bible-in-a-year reading list." Have you ever picked up Jeremiah and read his words outloud - slowly - lectio devino ( is that spelled right?) style? After studying the weeping prophet as depicted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, I decided to try and listen to what God was saying through him, and what he was tring to to express himeslf to the people of Isreal - and just maybe to us today.

It's powerful stuff - as bad as Ecclesiastes in it's own way. He makes my boughts of blackness seem positively sunshine filled. Now a days we would tackle him, hold him down and shoot him full with psychotrophic drugs.
What do we teach our kids about how Christianity works?

" If you're happy and you know it, Clap your hands! ( clap, clap - Jeremy you're not clapping...)
If you're happy and you know it, CLAP YOUR HANDS!!( clap, clap - JEREMY clap, please...)
If you're HAPPY and ya know it, then your face will surely show it! ( See me smiling, Jeremy? If you believe in God, and are a good Christian, you need to clap and smile, JEREMY!)
If you're happy and ya know it, clap your hands! (oh, I GIVE UP, just sit there with your scowl and end up in Hell, see if I care...)"

No wonder kids fall away from the Church when they reach the teen years. They are told their confusion and moodyness is an indication of unbelief. maybe not outloud, but that is what they hear.

Have a nice day, all you happy Christians. I'm going to hang out here with moody ol' Jeremiah. He and I are going to be friends.
~M~