Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Two Questions

1. The other night I had a dream that I was praying for an old friend. So the theological/psychological question: If you are praying in a dream, is it a real prayer?

2. Someone in our church is furious at me because he was "not informed" about a particular something. This particular something was included in an article in the church newsletter, announced at two different congregational meetings, highlighted in a children's moment in worship, and was the topic of discussion at several Session and Deacon's meetings. So, the question is: Whose fault is it that the person was "not informed"?

I'll take your answers off the air.

11 comments:

Lori said...

Praying anywhere counts as praying IMO.

And just two questions on #2:
~Was this an issue that the person in question was directly involved with?
~Was this person on vacation or legimately out of touch with the church for the period of time all the info spreading was occurring?

Rev Dave said...

#1 Yes, but I would pray upon waking to make sure.

#2 He is a grownup and is responsible for paying attention to things in places like the newsletter, and most especially at session and deacon meetings if he was present. He is also responsible for his behavior in being furious at you as well.

zorra said...

I would take #1 as a prompt to pray for that person again after waking up. Interesting.

Re: #2, there's a lot of that going around....

spookyrach said...

You should smite him. Repeatedly.

St. Casserole said...

Praying for someone in your dreams is prayer. Imaginative.

If the someone doesn't feel informed, I hope he will commit to reading the newsletter, attending worship and meetings with his ears open and brain in "on" position.

Oh! Really! These Church People!!!

Jayne said...

1. Well, I think dreams are your mind's way of working out things in your conscious life..maybe the prayer was your mind's way of working these things out.

2. IMHO, If you've done your part in trying to inform, he'd have no one but himself to blame. But he won't like that answer. *wink*

Elaine said...

I think that you are seriously failing this person. It is high time that you got him connected with the local adult literacy counsel. As Protestants we are supposed to hold dear the opportunity for all to learn to read so that they may study the Bible for themselves.

Elaine
Norman, OK

Sue said...

Prayer is prayer.

Smite him - rachel is right on the money on that one. I have zero tolerance for people who pay not attention to what is going on around them and then blame everyone else. zero.

Anonymous said...

Uh-oh. Here's a question.

More than once, I have dreamed about sinning. Specifically, in my dream I am tempted to do something sinful, recognize that it is sinful, decide to do it anyway, and then do it -- all still in my dream.

Did I really sin?

Anonymous said...

Ah interesting questions. :) I'm tempted to say a dream prayer is a real prayer and a dream sin isn't...

But just to be safe:

Interpret a dream prayer as a prompting to pray fervently for that person when you awake.

And interpret deliberate dream sin as well... repent just in case. ;) Oh and try not to think about it too much after you wake up. You might not be able to control your thoughts when you're asleep, but you're responsible for them when you're awake. Phil 4:8.

betsy said...

I'm sure the opportunity has passed, but I am down wit' the smiting, personally.