IGX

I'm heading to Israel March 17, and would be glad to carry with me any prayers anyone would like put in the Western Wall. You can send it me all folded up, e-mail it and I'll fold it up, or I'm glad to say a requested prayer (I have it on good authority that God focuses on the message, and ignores the messenger.)

I would consider it a great personal favor if you would ask the Almighty to reach out with his vengeful hand and smite the niggers to death. Either that, or send a pox upon them and their niglet spawn.

I pray for Universal Tolerance, Understanding and an end to Mindless Hatred. Also good beer.

I want a pony.

Ask him for a time machine so that we can send people who believe in this shit back a thousand years.

PM sent.

Please tell Him I've gotten word that he's suffered a stroke and I wish him a speedy recovery. We're all good down here and he should take this time to focus on His health and the needs of His immediate family.

Great offer. Kudos, HH

Midst the on-the-surface cynicism, I sense serious questioning: Why prayer? Is God just an egotist? Doesn't he know our wants without our articulating a prayer? Isn't prayer selfish, and shouldn't it be limited to universals?

Here's my take: God has a purpose for each one of us to fulfill. Part of the purpose is to be close to God, and prayer is part of being and becoming close. Thus God wants closeness, not for himself as he's not needy, but because it's part of what makes us better, what keeps our compass pointed true north. Prayer in the Bible is often universal, but also can be personal. Examples include heartfelt plea, and promises of reciprocity. Jacob prays to return safely to Haran (personal) and vows to tithe and build a temple to God (purpose). (Gen. 28:20) Hanna prays for a child (personal), and vows he will be a nazirite (purpose). (Samuel I 1:11). Thus the Biblical mode is to open your heart, to be close, and to seek blessings to fulfill your purpose in life.

Hebrew Hammer wrote:Midst the on-the-surface cynicism, I sense serious questioning: Why prayer? Is God just an egotist? Doesn't he know our wants without our articulating a prayer? Isn't prayer selfish, and shouldn't it be limited to universals?

I'd appreciate it if you took my pony prayer more seriously.

Here's my take: God has a purpose for each one of us to fulfill. Part of the purpose is to be close to God, and prayer is part of being and becoming close. Thus God wants closeness, not for himself as he's not needy, but because it's part of what makes us better, what keeps our compass pointed true north. Prayer in the Bible is often universal, but also can be personal. Examples include heartfelt plea, and promises of reciprocity. Jacob prays to return safely to Haran (personal) and vows to tithe and build a temple to God (purpose). (Gen. 28:20) Hanna prays for a child (personal), and vows he will be a nazirite (purpose). (Samuel I 1:11). Thus the Biblical mode is to open your heart, to be close, and to seek blessings to fulfill your purpose in life.

I suppose there are more sophisticated ways of looking at this process, but nothing in your second paragraph addresses why God would consider prayers written down and placed in a particular wall to be extra-special and more deserving of His intervention.

Perhaps it's a comforting belief if it's your wall. But if it's not your wall, it looks odd.

Do you know what a great gift it is that God gave us the right to speak to Him every hour and moment, wherever we are? He always listens to us. This is the greatest honor we have. For this reason we must love God.

- Elder Porphyrios (1906-1991)

Grandpa's Spells wrote:

Hebrew Hammer wrote:Midst the on-the-surface cynicism, I sense serious questioning: Why prayer? Is God just an egotist? Doesn't he know our wants without our articulating a prayer? Isn't prayer selfish, and shouldn't it be limited to universals?

I'd appreciate it if you took my pony prayer more seriously.

Here's my take: God has a purpose for each one of us to fulfill. Part of the purpose is to be close to God, and prayer is part of being and becoming close. Thus God wants closeness, not for himself as he's not needy, but because it's part of what makes us better, what keeps our compass pointed true north. Prayer in the Bible is often universal, but also can be personal. Examples include heartfelt plea, and promises of reciprocity. Jacob prays to return safely to Haran (personal) and vows to tithe and build a temple to God (purpose). (Gen. 28:20) Hanna prays for a child (personal), and vows he will be a nazirite (purpose). (Samuel I 1:11). Thus the Biblical mode is to open your heart, to be close, and to seek blessings to fulfill your purpose in life.

I suppose there are more sophisticated ways of looking at this process, but nothing in your second paragraph addresses why God would consider prayers written down and placed in a particular wall to be extra-special and more deserving of His intervention.

Perhaps it's a comforting belief if it's your wall. But if it's not your wall, it looks odd.

Here's an analogy outside the tradition: Think of a loved one who has died. You can think about them and talk to them (if you're so inclined) everywhere. But for many, there is something special to visiting a grave site, a sense that there's a special access to the deceased's soul. You can look at that as meaningful or describing part of the human delusional landscape. Either way, place plays a major role.

Within the tradition, the story of the Bible focusses on place -- Canaan, the broader territory promised to Abraham, Mount Sinai, the Temple. God seeks special places. The tradition is that prayer can be offered and is listened to anytime, anywhere, even from the belly of the whale, but that prayer from holy space is special.

As an aside, the Wall was the only accessible spot close to the Temple, but now the archeology takes you down many layers to the City of David, and tunnels in the Western part of the wall go past what archeologists believe may have been the original Temple.

Hebrew Hammer wrote:I'm heading to Israel March 17, and would be glad to carry with me any prayers anyone would like put in the Western Wall. You can send it me all folded up, e-mail it and I'll fold it up, or I'm glad to say a requested prayer (I have it on good authority that God focuses on the message, and ignores the messenger.)

Traveling out here for Pessah ?
Give me a call and we can meet up

Hebrew Hammer wrote:I'm heading to Israel March 17, and would be glad to carry with me any prayers anyone would like put in the Western Wall. You can send it me all folded up, e-mail it and I'll fold it up, or I'm glad to say a requested prayer (I have it on good authority that God focuses on the message, and ignores the messenger.)

Pray that the followers of Wahhabi Islam and others of that ilk be stricken with a pestilence so strong that even those stiff-necked wretches question the crooked path they have chosen.

Hebrew Hammer wrote:

Grandpa's Spells wrote:

Hebrew Hammer wrote:Midst the on-the-surface cynicism, I sense serious questioning: Why prayer? Is God just an egotist? Doesn't he know our wants without our articulating a prayer? Isn't prayer selfish, and shouldn't it be limited to universals?

I'd appreciate it if you took my pony prayer more seriously.

Here's my take: God has a purpose for each one of us to fulfill. Part of the purpose is to be close to God, and prayer is part of being and becoming close. Thus God wants closeness, not for himself as he's not needy, but because it's part of what makes us better, what keeps our compass pointed true north. Prayer in the Bible is often universal, but also can be personal. Examples include heartfelt plea, and promises of reciprocity. Jacob prays to return safely to Haran (personal) and vows to tithe and build a temple to God (purpose). (Gen. 28:20) Hanna prays for a child (personal), and vows he will be a nazirite (purpose). (Samuel I 1:11). Thus the Biblical mode is to open your heart, to be close, and to seek blessings to fulfill your purpose in life.

I suppose there are more sophisticated ways of looking at this process, but nothing in your second paragraph addresses why God would consider prayers written down and placed in a particular wall to be extra-special and more deserving of His intervention.

Perhaps it's a comforting belief if it's your wall. But if it's not your wall, it looks odd.

Here's an analogy outside the tradition: Think of a loved one who has died. You can think about them and talk to them (if you're so inclined) everywhere. But for many, there is something special to visiting a grave site, a sense that there's a special access to the deceased's soul. You can look at that as meaningful or describing part of the human delusional landscape. Either way, place plays a major role.

Within the tradition, the story of the Bible focusses on place -- Canaan, the broader territory promised to Abraham, Mount Sinai, the Temple. God seeks special places. The tradition is that prayer can be offered and is listened to anytime, anywhere, even from the belly of the whale, but that prayer from holy space is special.

As an aside, the Wall was the only accessible spot close to the Temple, but now the archeology takes you down many layers to the City of David, and tunnels in the Western part of the wall go past what archeologists believe may have been the original Temple.

Atta boy HH! Personal prayer, notes in walls, candles lit in Cathedrals....all OK IMO even if the only good is that it brings a bit of comfort to the afflicted.

Ask Him to make people doubtful and skeptical about the world around them...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXsVKbHY_T0[/youtube]

Could you please ask Him why it's okay that the Jews are segregating their buses and generally acting like spoiled, bigoted ass wipes?

Thanks

Opposite of what anyone else has asked for.

Gene wrote:Ask Him to make people doubtful and skeptical about the world around them...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXsVKbHY_T0[/youtube]

That was very powerful and wholly correct.