The class at the university taught management of public organizations. I don’t remember why, but that class introduced me to a psychologist called Leon Festinger and the idea of cognitive dissonance.
When I am introduced to new information, sometimes as I digest it I experience some amount of stress figuring it all out. Of course, that’s my personality type. Some people solve that problem by just rejecting any new information. That’s their loss.
Try out these thoughts, for example. Don’t we all think in terms of ourselves? Seems natural.
Today, Jon Swanson pondered as he leads us through this part of Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” He notices, “Not my kingdom. Not our kingdom. Your kingdom.”
The pastor of the church we now attend likes to say as he institutes the Lord’s Supper, “Not my table, not your table, but God’s table.”
Cognitive dissonance? What? It’s not my table to decide who and what? It’s not my kingdom to rule over this and that?
Who is this God who thinks he’s in charge? Oh, I guess he is. Whether I like it or not. And I’d better digest that piece of information for my own well being.
Faith Venture 
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