“Suddenly the Lord will come to His Temple” Malachi 3

I will never forget those suddenly moments when the Lord would come and prostrate us as young people on the floor. The Lord responded to a young person being sincere about his life. 

The lack of sincerity is so big with us that we prefer to go through the motions of meetings and spiritual things. 

There is a place for discipline. There is a place for the structure that comes with following a discipline. One I know well is the monastic structure eschewed by St. Benedict. I have for some part adopted some of it. Father Christopher Jamison relates in his book “Finding Sanctuary” that we can adapt this monastic model without the need to go to a monastery.  We fit our lives around prayer and Bible Reading. That way we come into a place where prayer without ceasing almost is within reach. 

However there is a tendency to shy away from the fact that a corporate dryness is over the Church . God is moving in surprising circles that it is very often believers who manifest the greatest resistance. 

The art of sincerity must start with me not desiring to project an image of myself as being someone I am not. I love being consistent and speak about it often only to be ashamed that in some areas consistency is miles away.  I desire to achieve goals that mean I must leave my comfort zone yet I am found wanting. 

The art of sincerity is communicating here on this site things that are seemingly easy and straightforward. They are not.  My own spiritual life is plagued with issues and problems that if God in His Mercy does not come to meet me then I am of All people doomed! I struggle with prayer, I struggle with my slowness of mind at times as though my mind is a fog when it should be “snappy” as my Android smartphone. I struggle with patience and with my emotions that sometimes run wild when coolness of pose would be benefit. I struggle with overwhelming tiredness that my mind and body just shut down. 

The art of sincerity admits that i put no great expectation on a Church meeting other than ask that God sees my sincerity and comes to bring an overflow of my encounters with Him. 

The art of sincerity cherishes the small moments over a coffee writing things God whispers and it changes landscapes and mentalities. 

The art of sincerity says I do not love form over faith not love song over  Spirit that my worship not depend on tune or Word but my own simple sincerity which says “God, I am undone and can never measure up”.

They use a phrase ” man up” which shakes a man to think about his role and his masculinity. Yet this in the Word does not measure up in the same way. 

In the Word “man up” means to be real and sincere. 

The Lord Himself recounts a story of the prayers of the Pharisee and the Publican. The Pharisee pays attention in how He addresses God and how he sees himself. The publican faces his failings and asks for mercy.  It is obvious that God met the most sincere there. 

The Lord is choosing today to suddenly come to us. As we are His Temple. Such consecration He has placed in us. The way He comes is through our sincerity. About ourselves and about our pursuit of Him. 

Sincerity in the Sanctuary brings visitation. Sincerity in our daily life brings habitation. 

May we come unto Him today. 

Shalom!

Russell A Durose