When we are
still, we will be in a position to:
Bless –
with three people a week, who are not members of our church
Eat – with three people a week, who are
not members of our church
Listen – to the Holy Spirit’s voice at
least during one period a week
Learn – from Christ and what He
wants to do in our lives at least period
a week
Send – journal throughout the week all
the ways in which we pointed others to the universal reign of God through
Christ [1]
We need to
remember that a shallow stream runs quickly, a slow river meanders slowly. If
we want depth in our lives and our relationships with others and with God.
Ram Dass has
commented that: ‘The quieter you become, the more you will hear.’
If you would
like to read more deeply on this issue, in addition to the sources in the
footnotes, you could also read:
Richard J
Foster, Sanctuary of the Soul: journey into meditative prayer (IVP
Books, Westmont, Illinois, 2011)
Adam Mabry, The
Art of Rest (Good Book Company, Epsom, 2018)
John Ortberg, If
you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat (Zondervan,
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2001)
In conclusion,
there is the Celtic blessing that we would do well to read purposefully, pray,
and reflect on its meaning and implications for our lives:
May God bless you
with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths, and superficial
relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your
heart.
May God bless
you with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so
that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom and peace among all people.
May God bless
you with the gift of tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection,
starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may reach out
your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.
May God bless
you with enough foolishness to believe that you really can make a difference in
this world, so that you are able, with God’s grace, to do what others claim
cannot be done.
Amen
[1]
These points are taken from Michael Frost, Surprise the World: Five Habits
of Highly Missional People (NavPress, Colorado Springs, 2016)
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