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Everybody I know is too busy and so am I. You probably are too.
“I’m too busy doing God’s work for God to do his work in me.”
And everywhere I go in the CRC, church leaders say that ministry is continually challenged because people are too busy to engage. They are consumed by week day sports games and weekend tournaments, music lessons, dance recitals, business trips, weekend getaways, family reunions, and retail therapy outings. Go ahead and add your own time-eaters to the list.
Social media and its cousins contribute by infinitely speeding up the pace for both interpersonal relationships and information gathering. Between texts, Facebook posts, favorite blogs, Twitter, the email inbox and all the rest, well, our schedules are full, our brains are constantly running on adrenalin, and our souls shrink.
Time has become the most valuable commodity in our culture and its scarcity is one of our leading stressors. And ultimately we are too busy for God.
What’s one to do? Here is my modest proposal:
Designate one month as congregational Sabbath month. A month is just enough time to work a major Biblical theme through the congregation’s collective consciousness and to invite a time of self-reflection and habit adjustment.
Here are 3 ideas for giving shape to such a month:
One of my mentors has lived the motto: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness” for ninety years. Cursing the hurriedness and seemingly misplaced priorities of people’s lives tends to breed resentment, shame, and discouragement. Lighting the candle of Sabbath playfulness, restoration, and LIFE offers an invitation into grace, healing, and community and also provides a safe place to repent of misplaced priorities.
A “Sabbath month” won’t fix the problem of busyness. But I’ve always read the Scriptures as the story of our Lord nudging his community towards shalom. Maybe a Sabbath month will provide opportunities for hundreds of such Holy nudges.
Faith Nurture
Faith Nurture, Biblical Justice
Faith Nurture, Youth Ministry
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I've recently been enjoyed the song by Jonny Diaz entitled "Just Breathe". (You can find the video by clicking here). At first I wanted to turn it off because the beat was soooo busy and I just didn't want to hear that in my busy world. But, then, as I listened further, I was blessed by the words that tell us to "just breathe .. come and rest at My feet ... and be .. just be". All we really need is to "just breathe".
This resonates with Syd's reflections. The "peace of God" overcomes. Lay down what is good and find what is best.
My husband's favorite as well!
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