The Joy of Silence

" In contemporary society our adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry and crowds." ~Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline

I'm not sure where or when I received the gift of the joy of silence.  I am a child of the television generation and grew up in a house that had T.V.'s in every bedroom as well as the family room.  Our stereo system (before everyone had their own personal I-pod) was fitted with speakers to each living space and the outdoor patio.  The first thing my dad did when we got a new car was add better speakers to the rear so that we could enjoy the full effect of our 8 track tape player.  

Yet somewhere in all that typical noise filled environment, I recognized that silence brought me joy.  Quiet gave my mind space for reflection and opened my ears to the still small voice of God.  It was restful to sit outside and listen to natural sounds or to nothing at all.  My soul was restored when I chose to turn off the electronic boxes.  

Noise makes me feel anxious.  When I am surrounded by noise, my blood pressure rises.  I feel pressured and tend toward hurrying.  I have less patience for the people around me.  My attention is divided. 

Satan uses noise to distract me from hearing God.  He tries to get me to focus on the waves and forget that the Master of the waves has promised to take care of me. 

When the LORD came to Elijah--He wasn't in the wind, or the earthquake but was in the whisper.  You can't hear a whisper over a rock concert.

As an experiment, try to go an hour or two without any music or television.  If you have young children (and are never able to have quiet :) then try it when you are in the car alone.  Don't fill every minute with sound.  Ask God to fill it for you with His voice.

"Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46:10

Choosing a Path

With all this time on my hands, I have had the opportunity to read more, reflect more and consider more.  It has truly been a gift of God and a time of Sabbath rest for my soul, spirit and body.  As I have considered what the LORD is teaching me right now, one theme continues to present itself:  Choose. 

When I talk to people, or overhear others' conversations, I hear the phrase, "I just don't have time" or "I'm so busy, I don't know what to do".  I have said it myself more than once. For most of us in America it seems that we rush from place to place, from event to event, from meal to meal, from crisis to crisis.

When I read the Gospels I don't feel a sense of rush at all.  Jesus expressed urgency when proclaiming that the kingdom of God was near, but He was never in a hurry.  He walked everywhere He went even though His was the most important ministry ever executed on the earth and it would have been much more efficient to choose a faster mode of transportation.  The message I receive from His life in this regard is that the journey is as important as the destination. 

I believe that we justify our lifestyle by claiming we have no control.  We just can't help the fact that our cell phones ring, that we have to go here or there and that we can't seem to get a handle on our schedules.

I think that as Christ followers, God would say:  "Choose!"  We do have control over how we spend our time.  It is true that we have to fulfill our God-given responsibilities and that may include work-hours we can't choose.  But even those who work full-time have a lot of hours that are under their control.

How many conversations do we neglect with the very people God has put in our path because our minds are focused on the next thing?  How many times are we multi-tasking with our phones or i-pads and missing a divine appointment to show the love of Jesus to someone right in front of us? 

God has not called us to be a people out of breath, with no energy or heart for the ministry He has given us.  He is the Lord of the Sabbath--the King of Peace and the Giver of rest.  He invites us to join Him and to take His yoke upon us--a yoke neither heavy nor cumbersome.  

In Jeremiah, God called Israel back to Himself with these words:  "Thus says the Lord; Stand by the roads and look; and ask for the eternal paths, where the good, old way is; then walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls" (Jeremiah 6: 16).

Our techno-toys should be used as tools not as taskmasters.  The activities we fill our calendars with should be evaluated in light of the greater call God has on our lives, not chosen just because our friends are doing them.  We need to do "first things first" and make room for people before things and conversation before commerce. 

We are free in Christ to choose.  Abundant life is a gift of God to be experienced right now, right where we are.   When we refuse to enter in to the "busy-ness" of our culture, we open up a world of possibility to be the people God has called us to be.

A Fresh Start

Today is Yom Kippur--The Day of Atonement--on the Jewish Calendar.  It was the day chosen by God for the Jews to stop and remember the terrible cost of sin and its only payment--blood.  The high priest would enter the Holy of Holies this one day of the year and apply blood to the horns of the mercy seat, thus covering over for another year the individual and corporate sin of Israel. Yet year after year, this sacrifice was not enough.  Guilt was never erased completely and relationship with the Almighty remained strained.  The blood of animals was insufficient to pay the debt owed by men to a perfect and holy God.

We no longer have to live in the shadow of our sinfulness, the blood of the Perfect Lamb, Jesus Christ, has completely paid the debt we owe.  When we choose to apply that blood to our hearts by faith, we are made right with the LORD and we no longer enter in with fear because of our guilt.  This was the day that the prophets longed for and Abraham saw "afar off".  It was the promise David lived for and Daniel prayed for.

Yet we take it lightly.  We grasp the gift and forget its cost.  We live as if we have not been purchased.  We no longer fear a Holy and Righteous God who has redeemed us for Himself.

The Law holds no sway over us as New Testament believers.  Jesus fulfilled its every obligation.  But it is a good thing to take a day to reflect on the cost and the gift.  Today, remember what the LORD has done for you.  Remember the burden He lifted by His sacrifice.  Remember His claim on your life--the life He purchased with His blood.  Remember. 

If you have been withholding grace and forgiveness--remember, and repent--give to others what God has graciously given to you.  If you have been walking outside the will of God for your life--remember and repent--fall back in step behind the Lord Jesus and let Him guide you.  If you have been dabbling in sin--remember and repent--turn from your wickedness and back to holiness. Remember.

Oh Lord, may we always remember the high cost of our freedom and may we exercise that freedom according to your will for our lives!

What is "church"?

Around our house we have been asking the question for awhile, "What is 'church'?" Since my surgery has limited my activity, I have been devouring books and Scripture and had plenty of time to think...

One thing I believe church is NOT is what many of us in America have made it: a weekly ritual of showing up in our Sunday best with our Sunday faces and Sunday graces for an hour or two and then fading back into what we consider our "real" lives. This is about as far from the New Testament teaching of Christ on the church as one can get. Jesus spoke most harshly not to the sinners He encountered but to the religious leaders of His day who, instead of lighting the path for seekers to move toward relationship with the Living God, busied themselves with ritual and showy acts of piety.

When we "go" to church and refuse to "be" the church, we are falling into the same trap. We become so enthralled with our habits of religion that we obscure the path for those who are thirsting for the Living Water Jesus offers.

Sunday worship is not a bad thing. It is good and proper for the people of God to join together in adoration and recognition of Him. But perhaps we need to examine HOW we do Sunday worship--do we always have to have 3 songs and a sermon? Could we not have an hour of praise and worship? How about an hour of prayer that wasn't relegated to a Wednesday night but occupied the primary gathering on Sunday morning? Does the pastor always have to be the one who speaks? Could we not (as the Bible suggests) allow each person to bring forth a testimony, hymn or spiritual word as the Spirit directs?

What would our services look like if they weren't so predictable? Who would they minister to? What life would pour forth as each congregant was empowered to use the gifts they have been given? What if children were encouraged and allowed to remain in the service instead of being shuttered away so the adults could listen undisturbed?

I long for the exhuberance displayed in the Psalms labeled "songs of ascent". These were sung as the Jews walked up the hill to the temple on holy days. They were songs of joy--"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord"--how many of us approach our Sunday worship services this way?

May the Lord Himself shake us from our slumber and quicken our hearts to beat like His!

A Shepherd's Heart

God has granted me the privilege of being a shepherd. Every day I understand more of the heart of our Lord Jesus expressed in His words, "I am the Good Shepherd." I know why God prepared His greatest leaders by schooling them through the care of sheep and goats.

There are so many lessons: (1) Goats and sheep are utterly unable to care for themselves--if I don't care for them, they will fall prey to their own poor choices and/or dangers around them;
(2) They depend on my reassurance when faced with a frightening or unusual situation--a loud sound, a misplaced item in their pen--all of these things cause them to turn toward me and to copy my reaction whether of alarm or calm; (3) They don't know how to "ask" for help--they simply stand apart, head down, looking forlorn--if I don't approach them, check them out and care for them, they would just lie down and die; (4) They long for my attention--they gather round and beg for treats and touch; and (5) They are brutal in their competition with one another--if I don't make sure the weakest among them get fed or are protected from bullying, they will be pushed out and away by the strongest among them.

I receive great joy from watching these funny creatures and I thank God for the blessing of learning from them each day.

The Grace of God

It is truly unbelievable that I have not touched this blog for over a year...especially in light of my last post. But God is gracious and He is faithful in spite of our faithlessness.

This past season of life has been full of both blessings and trials. Blessings in the form of answered prayers and unexpected gifts from the LORD and trials in the form of health problems.

The blessings have brought smiles and even shouts of joy (when our eldest son was accepted to veterinary school!) but the trials have had their own sweet rewards. Light shines brightest in the darkest night.

Four weeks out from major abdominal surgery that was a result of complications from diverticulitis, I can testify to the sustaining power of Christ in every circumstance. He is the Friend that sticks closer than a brother.

I can also testify to the precious gift of a family's love--eight days in the hospital and never alone for one minute. Even my sons took turns staying with me. My daughter has given up this semester to stay home and keep house for us. My husband got up at 4 in the morning to walk me downstairs when I couldn't lie in the bed anymore. And my parents provided meals and respite at their home near the hospital for everyone so that they were free to come and go as needed.

Healing is a gift from God even when administered through the hands of skilled doctors. As my body grows stronger, I am reminded of how fragile we are and how vulnerable. This morning I copied part of 2 Chronicles 20 from the story of Jehoshaphat. He tells his people: "Do not be afraid...For the battle is not yours, but God's....stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you". What a reminder of the way God works in our lives--He gives the victory, the healing, the strength. Do not be discouraged!

What a difference a year (and a half!) makes...

God has been calling me back to writing for over six months now but I have resisted and used life's busy-ness as an excuse. I will try to be more obedient in the future.

So many changes. The last of our children entering college has put me out of at least one of my jobs--I'm no longer a home educator full time. I still offer editorial advice and encouragement to stay on track with assignments and time management, but no more daily lessons. It is a great blessing to be able to see the fruit that God has granted for our years of sowing. It is easier than ever to understand the joy that the Bible expresses when talking about harvest time!

For me, I am learning to live with the reality of limitations. But in light of my infinite, unlimitable Heavenly Father, it is a small thing. He is faithful to give me abundant grace, peace and strength for each new day and I am so thankful for that.