Strolling through the bookstore, I stumbled across a passage in one future book of the month that kinda spoke to a few random thoughts kicking around. I'll follow up this with some thoughts on Thanksgiving as well as Marcos' sermon from Wednesday. For now, just some unfettered Philip Yancey for your enjoyment ....

Prayer: Does It Make A Difference? - Philip Yancey (pages 57-61)

I communicate with friends on different levels. I'll spend an afternoon playing golf with three buddies and that evening my wife will ask what we talked about. Did you see where that ball went? Great shot! How'd you correct that slice? Oh, we may speak of families or vacation plans or work, but in five-minute spurts as we walk from one ball to the next. More in-depth communication takes place over a snack in the clubhouse than in five hours on the course.

With certain friends I like to toss around ideas and opinion, Who are you planning to vote for? Why? What do you think of the situation in the Middle East? With others - and the field narrows sharply - I express emotions and vulnerability. We talk about our marriages, aging parents, children, major disappointments, struggles with lust and other temptations.

I can count on one hand my most intimate friends, those with whom I would share anything. I can hardly think of a boundary on our conversations. We reached that plane of relationship after long hours together and considerable risk. If a doctor informs me tomorrow that I have a terminal disease, they will be my first calls.

Most of my intimate friends live in other cities, and as a results I may see them once a year. when we meet, though, we skip the chitchat and go right to the heart of what concerns us most. I don't worry about being judged or second-guesses or made the subject of gossip. With true friends, I feel safe.

Friendship with God encompasses each of those levels of communication. God cares about the ordinary and everyday as well as the peak experiences. I speak to God my failures and sins (confession and repentance) as well as my triumphs and joys (praise, thanksgiving). I bring to God my worries and concerns (petition, intercession). The very attempt to hide something from God is folly, for God knows all of who I am: the hon'ne as well as the tatemae, the genetics as well as the environment, the thoughts and motives as well as the actions. I can sit silent before God, and still we can communicate - sometimes even better.