God Bless...to be continued?

I like the funny papers (comics as some people call them), and generally their jokes on politics, the business world, and the quirks of talking animals bring me lots of delight. Today, I found something in the comics though that didn't make me laugh at all. Classic Peanuts by Shulz, featured Sally trying to tell Charlie Brown a secret. The comic strip goes through 7 scenes of them peeking around doors and crawling behind couches to sneak somewhere where they wouldn't be heard. Then Sally whispers to Charlie Brown, "we prayed in school today."

At first, this really caught me off guard--why this would be in the funny papers, but then the reality sank in. Many children are under the impression that praying in school is wrong. WRONG. This isn't the "I don't want the teacher teaching religion to my children spill"...no, this is children underestimating their freedom of religion and overestimating the restrictions on their freedom of faith in schools. Perhaps you think I'm overreacting, but the restrictions in schools is silly, it's too much, and it's uncalled for. Freedom of religion does not and should not have a clause that says 'except in schools and government buildings.' I do not become an atheist when I walk into the White House, a courthouse, or my nephew's school, and I refuse to act like one.

The other morning while I was getting ready for school I heard on the radio that a court upheld the moment of silence in schools law in Illinois. Thank God for that.

I say all this to point to the fact when God's people are silent, God's people lose some power. As children of God, we should not let it get to the point that we can be silenced because we are already quiet. Tonight at church, our pastor preached on Psalm 107, a chapter that speaks of God's awesomeness and how He has saved people from starvation, storms, danger, etc. Frequently the chapter says let them praise Him, let them thank Him. The second to last verse in the chapter, verse 42 says, "The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths."

So pick a side, join a team, and decide. Is God worthy of praise to you?? ...then are you praising Him? And I don't mean only in your prayer journal, to your pastor, or in church. That's all great, but praise Him and speak of Him and His good works to your classmates, in your workplace, at your lunch table, in the elevator, etc. You may have 30 seconds to get the Word about Jesus and all He's done for you out. I hope in whatever situation you are in, you will not hesitate to praise Him. Even if it's titled a 'moment of silence', I hope that my children will have the privilege, option, and right of praying in their schools someday. If we do not take advantage of the rights we have, it should be no surprise that they are taken away from us.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.