Distance

"In fact, sin does disconnect us from intimate fellowship with God." I guess I would push it even further and define sin as disconnecting us from God, that is what it is anything that disconnects us. That may be what Warren was trying to say as well, but I wanted to clarify. Of course, you may recall that Luther then took it a step further and defined sin as not just disconnecting from God, but turning in on oneself.

That being said what struck me the most today was:

"The most common mistake Christians make in worship today is seeking an experience rather than seeking God. They look for a feeling, and if it happens, they conclude that they have worshiped...Seeking a feeling, even the feeling of closeness to Christ, is not worship."

Warren goes on then to talk about as baby Christians God touch us with lots of feelings, etc. to reassure us, but eventually we are weaned away. For me this is where our relationship with God being compared to marriage became a helpful analogy for me. I know I have only been married a couple of months, but in that time one of the things that has struck me is the arguments that happen. Usually they are over silly little things, but it seems that often the anxiety gets heightened because those warm, gooshy feelings aren't there and panic sets in that maybe in this moment the other doesn't love us. Just because I sound angry and I act distant doesn't mean I don't love my wife. As our relationship grows I will learn to realize in a very real way that when I experience that from her she hasn't stopped loving me as well. I think the same is true with God. Just because we don't constantly have that warm gooshy feeling doesn't mean that God doesn't love us, for God does indeed continue to love us.

Once again I will leave you with my favorite quote from today's chapter...speaking about Jesus on the cross: "Jesus could have saved himself -- but then he could not have saved you."