Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.” “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

Isaiah 1:10-17

Dear God, I don’t even want to know what Isaiah would have to say on your behalf to the Christian church in our country today, let alone to me as an individual. I think I would rather live in a self-righteous, ignorant bliss that I’m right, everyone else is wrong, and they should all be doing things my way.

I’m particularly disturbed by how much the church has become in politics. I think we have bought the lie that political power equals influence in our culture. The ability to legislate a morality will enable us to influence that morality from the top down–through our authority–as opposed to through our submission to you.

So, assuming that the Christian church in America today is a fair representation of Israel in Isaiah’s time, what would you have to say to us through these verses? Having just come out of the Christmas season, I find this part of Isaiah’s words troubling:

As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!

What do you think of our treatment of Christmas? How do you feel about us waging a war to be able to say “Merry Christmas” as opposed to “Happy Holidays?” Did that please you or did that disgust you? Do we burden you? Can you even stand to look at us at Christmas time?

Father, I feel like I am on this continual journey of repentance and submission. I’m sorry for the ways in which I grieve you. I know that I do, but I really do not want to. So speak to me (gently if you can) and reveal to my eyes the parts of my life that disgust you. And help me to be the voice in my family, community, and world that you need me to be for your glory’s sake.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen