screaming urgencies

As we begin the week on this Sunday, let’s think about putting important things in life ahead of the urgent. Let us not allow screaming urgencies to drown out the need to focus on the important.

Consider this tweet from yesterday:

Are attempts to be busy in ministry & achieve great things “for God” simply our attempt to compensate for a lack of personal depth with God?

In this question, ministry is urgent… and developing personal depth with God is important.

When ‘mission’ takes precedence over people, urgent has replaced important.

What urgency (screaming or quiet) in your life is crowding out important in your life.

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pulling the rug out

Getting the rug pulled out from under you is not a pleasant experience.

In the last few years I have had some friends who have had this experience. In each case I have found myself pretty upset on their behalf.

These were people committed to their cause and then, out of the blue, they were told that they didn’t fit any more.

It is my personal care for these people that keeps me from being objective. But I do have one question that I wish we’d consider before pulling the rug out on someone: Shouldn’t we recognize that there really is good in diversity? Didn’t God give a variety of gifts for complement instead of uniform?

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Misconception

Don’t let your anthropomorphic and idiosyncratic view of God get in the way of your understanding of the reality of God.

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silence

a spiritual discipline

try it

get into a place of solitude and say nothing

try 2 minutes at first

no phone

no screens

no conversations

set an alarm if you need to

Say to God “help me to have 2 minutes of silence”

breathe deeply, slowly

try to think of nothing

If you stray, try praying the Jesus Prayer silently “Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, Savior, have mercy on me.”

Try it daily for a week.

if you can do two minutes without too much distracting in-your-head-noise, try three minutes, four…

“Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, Savior, have mercy on me.”

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Suicide rate up – a reason

In an important article from the New York Times, an argument for deep community as an answer to many suicides warns about lonely people we should watch out for… Click here

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Filed under culture, experience, seeking understanding

My Favorite Psalm

You know, when you accidentally hit post when you meant draft? Yeah. That just happened.

So here it is without comment until later.

Psalms 19:1-14 ESV

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord , my rock and my redeemer.

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