Seven Days without X Makes One Weak

Now that's caught your attention, hasn't it! Quiet at the back there! What can the rambling Savage be going on about today; surely he's not about to launch into sordid territory here?

Quite right- not my style at all, though latest statistics do seem to show that married men and those who enjoy their marriage to the full live longer and are happier than unmarried men. Oh dear, time I start feeling like Marvin the paranoid Android again, maybe? Pass the Prozac, brother? Certainly not. Maybe Miss Right is still out there for me, but finding her is not the most important task in my life.

So what's X the unknown tonight then? Seven days without singing maybe? Mmm, listening to the dirge which passes for entertainment from some of our TV wannabees or even accomplished singers- sacred or secular- makes that questionable. But actually, research does show that singing is good for you, and who am I to disagree. I've inherited my late Mum's love of a good warble and it's one of the things that keeps Sunday special for me to sing a belting hymn, chorus or too. Indeed, church music can be full of surprises. Tonight, I was surprisingly delighted to hear- and later to sing- that classic Amazing Grace, to the tune of the Animals' old hit House of the Rising Sun. Clearly someone learning a lesson from William Booth here: why should the Devil have all the best tunes. It works amazingly well!

Seven days without beer or wine prompting lassitude, maybe? No, I can't agree with that either, though I enjoy my little tipples in moderation. My brother recently joined the Tesco wine club: both of us enjoy our Sunday sampling of the fruit of the vine but we must be careful not to become wine snobs.

Seven days without laughter? Could that be it? Well, there's not much to laugh about in the news at the moment, really. Tragedy in the Red Sea, where hundreds of poor souls drowned in a ferry accident; continuing tension in the Middle East and disturbing Muslim outrage at the publication of cartoons depicing the prophet. Even satire is dangerous territory, it seems, though Britain's masters of this genre must be as relieved as we believers that the bill which could have outlawed poking fun at religion or even preaching the gospel in some contexts, was defeated earlier this week. Ironically, the bill was lost for want of the vote of a certain Anthony Charles Lynton Blair.

Certainly, Christians who take their faith seriously can laugh at its excesses and themselves as heartily as the satirists, without ever compromising the heart of it, a liberating, tender relationship with God. That is a precious freedom which needs to be preserved at all costs.

Seven days without Big Brother maybe? Well, thank goodness, the annual farce which is Celebrity Big Brother is over for another twelve months, but it won't be long before another dose of throwing them to the lions, or should that be the lens, returns in some other guise. Anyone in the public eye is fair game these days, it seems.

Perhaps, then, seven days without blogging makes one weak? At least, that could be the conclusion from research this week which purports to show the benefits of sharing your thoughts, opinions and frustrations on the net for one and all. The computer monitor has become the new confessional. I can't deny I much enjoy writing these postings on a regular basis, but I think one look at the dates they've been published show that I don't rely on them for my spiritual well-being and to get all my frustrations off my chest. That's not to say those frustrations are not there, mind, particularly this week when I face big uncertainty again over where I'll be earning my living and, I hope, fulfilling at least part of my vocation from now on. But that's still in God's hands at the moment.

Which brings us back to the opening question and what must be my final answer- even if it doesn't bring the questionable riches bestowed on three Europeans this weekend as the Euro Millions multi-rolledover jackpot was finally won. Seven days without PRAYER makes one weak; I can't claim it as an original pun, but it's as true as ever. Prayer is the lifeblood of the believer and, actually, many would argue that it's a natural human instinct to pray- though the method of doing it and to whom it's will of course vary. It's been compared to breathing, actually- and without breathing, we wouldn't just be weak, we'd be dead- and very rapidly. So not just seven days, but seven hours, without prayer can make one weak. That's one reason I have so enjoyed the daily prayer meetings at my current employer- and why I should so miss them if I have to leave my employment there later this week.


I try now to include deep prayer as part of my routine in some form every day- and it doesn't have to be formulaic, oft-repeated or liturgical for it to be efficacious. True prayer is sharing your heart with God, the Father of the universe and the most important person in any life. Anyone that seeks to grow spiritually should spend more time in prayer, difficult though it is with our modern lifestyle. If you seek to be no longer weak, spare a prayer and you'll find your strength renewed. Who needs press-ups when you can pray up!