There once was a man who lived in the hood and sat on his porch for long periods of time. He read a book about loving his neighbors and other folks who happened to pass by his porch.
Sometimes the peace on his porch was interrupted by sirens, arguing neighbors, cars with loud music, screaming children and gunshots. The man left his porch and went in the house until the interruptions were gone.
One day while reading about prayer, he decided to pray. He asked God for more peace on his porch to be able to focus on his reading. God answered his prayer in a still small voice that said, "You need to get off your porch."
The man was stunned at first until he looked up and saw that three of his elderly neighbor’s yards were overgrown with weeds. Looking down the street he saw trash in the neighborhood park on the corner. The wind blew garbage into the yard of a disabled neighbor. A young man walked by with his head down in tears as a funeral procession drove by. In his heart the man heard the words of God again, "Get off the porch."
The man started slowly at first as he mowed the lawns of his neighbors. He cleaned up the park and even painted positive words on rocks to spruce it up and inspire those who would pass by.
On one afternoon while jogging around the block, he came to a group of young people crying on a porch. Their brother had just been killed in a drive-by shooting. The man spoke to them and prayed with them.
The man still spent time on the porch, but he spent more time leaving his porch. He went through the neighborhood looking for ways to put into practice what he learned on the porch. The man really wanted to know God more. As a boy he had served a Priest on an altar, but never really knew God. He even built an altar in his bedroom in an attempt to be like the Priest. He knelt in front of the altar of religion and heard nothing but silence.
He was now learning about the space between the porch and the altar. There’s an ‘in-between” place of prayer in action. The man told God he was sorry for staying on the porch. He wanted to pray and love.
The porch is a place of surrender and learning about being a Christian, but we’ve made it into a spectator’s haven. The porch has become a galley from which we can watch the world’s sufferings without being touched by them.
The space between the porch and the altar is a place where prayer joins repentance and creates a sacrifice of love unto God that arrives at His altar – pure and unblemished.
“Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ” Joel 2:17 NKJV
” Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.”
Genesis 35:3 ESV
Friday December 3, 2021, 11:33 AM Doney Park, AZ
Written by a repentant man.
Sometimes the peace on his porch was interrupted by sirens, arguing neighbors, cars with loud music, screaming children and gunshots. The man left his porch and went in the house until the interruptions were gone.
One day while reading about prayer, he decided to pray. He asked God for more peace on his porch to be able to focus on his reading. God answered his prayer in a still small voice that said, "You need to get off your porch."
The man was stunned at first until he looked up and saw that three of his elderly neighbor’s yards were overgrown with weeds. Looking down the street he saw trash in the neighborhood park on the corner. The wind blew garbage into the yard of a disabled neighbor. A young man walked by with his head down in tears as a funeral procession drove by. In his heart the man heard the words of God again, "Get off the porch."
The man started slowly at first as he mowed the lawns of his neighbors. He cleaned up the park and even painted positive words on rocks to spruce it up and inspire those who would pass by.
On one afternoon while jogging around the block, he came to a group of young people crying on a porch. Their brother had just been killed in a drive-by shooting. The man spoke to them and prayed with them.
The man still spent time on the porch, but he spent more time leaving his porch. He went through the neighborhood looking for ways to put into practice what he learned on the porch. The man really wanted to know God more. As a boy he had served a Priest on an altar, but never really knew God. He even built an altar in his bedroom in an attempt to be like the Priest. He knelt in front of the altar of religion and heard nothing but silence.
He was now learning about the space between the porch and the altar. There’s an ‘in-between” place of prayer in action. The man told God he was sorry for staying on the porch. He wanted to pray and love.
The porch is a place of surrender and learning about being a Christian, but we’ve made it into a spectator’s haven. The porch has become a galley from which we can watch the world’s sufferings without being touched by them.
The space between the porch and the altar is a place where prayer joins repentance and creates a sacrifice of love unto God that arrives at His altar – pure and unblemished.
“Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ” Joel 2:17 NKJV
” Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.”
Genesis 35:3 ESV
Friday December 3, 2021, 11:33 AM Doney Park, AZ
Written by a repentant man.
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