Quiet and still
Peaceful
A new day born
Hopeful
Birds singing
Joyful
Heart beating
Grateful
Before the rush
Before the noise
Cacophony of activity
Whirlwind of productivity
It's coming …
Be still
Wait
No rush
Meditate
All you need
All you desire
Here right now
Come up higher
Holy place
Sacred time
Not alone
Heavenly company
Breathe out
Fear and worry
Breathe in
Peace and joy
Gentle brook
Deep and wide
Come and drink
Life inside
Stay awhile …
Morning moments
[Mark Conner – 24th February 2014]
Yesterday I blogged about Awareness. Today I want to talk about the second thing God has been speaking to me about which is Attentiveness. It is one thing to be aware of God in our daily lives. It is yet another to be attentive to him.
Moses once saw a burning bush that grabbed his interest. He was aware that something unusual was happening. But it was only as he took time to stop and look that God then spoke to him (Exodus 3:1-10). After all, who opens up deeply to inattentive people?
Be like the prophets who took time to see and hear from God. This requires a posture of being ready to look and listen. If we are otherwise engaged, we will miss out. We can't multi-task. Looking and listening to other lesser things means we don't capture the greater things. A doing obsession is the greatest enemy to this prophetic posture. What is most needed is extended time and space of not doing anything so there is an environment of ready attention - without preoccupation or distraction.
Often we are like a kid constantly playing with toys who is so engrossed/absorbed with them that we are unaware of Father's affectionate gaze. We might look for a minute … but with the intent of getting back to our toys as quickly as possible. This affects all of our relationships. After all, hurry is the enemy of life-giving conversation.
Do we really hear people? Do we really see them? Or are they just a distraction, an interruption, an inconvenience … to what we are doing?
Be like Samuel who said - “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” Deliberately cultivate a posture of attentiveness. No rush. Ready. Waiting. Listening. Looking. Noticing. Observing. Thinking. Reflecting. Meditating.
How many burning bushes did you walk by today?
[Picture: The Burning Bush by Chinese artist He Qi]
One thing God has been speaking to me about lately is awareness. In many ways, we don't need more of God's presence. What we need is a greater awareness of his presence. He is everywhere at once. There is no where we can go from his presence. Jesus is "Immanuel" = God with us. We don't need to pray for him to be with us. He already is. We need an awakening and an opening of our eyes to be more aware of him.
Jacob was in a desert place but had a dream and woke to realise that God was in that place (Genesis 28:10-17). What changed? His awareness.
As you go about your day, slow down a little. Listen and look for God at work. See him in the everyday aspects of your life – the ordinary, not just the extra-ordinary, the natural, not just in the super-natural.
God is with you – whether you feel him or not. Walk by faith and not by sight. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That starts with being aware that he is always with us.What a difference that can make!
[Picture: The Dream of Jacob by contemporary Chinese artist He Qi]
Next: Attentiveness
At first, I saw God as my observer, my Judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, deciding whether I merited heaven or hell when I die.
But later, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride; It was like a tandem bike and God was in the back, helping me pedal.
I don't know when it was that He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since.
When I was in control, I knew the way. It was rather boring and predictable; I took the shortest route to travel between two points.
But when God took the front seat, He knew delightful paths; up mountains. and through green gullies, through rocky places, and all at break-neck speeds! All I could do was to hang on.
Even though it looked like madness, He said "Pedal!" I was worried and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer me. and I started to learn to trust.
I forgot my boring life and entered into an adventure. When I said, "I'm scared!" He'd lean back and touch my hand. He took me to people who had gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey – our journey. And we were off again.
He said, "Give the gifts away. They are extra baggage, too much weight." So I did – to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.
I didn't trust him at first in control of my life. I thought He would wreck it. But He knows bike secrets. He knows how to balance, take sharp corners, how to avoid rocks.
And I'm learning to shut up and to pedal to the strangest places. I'm learning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face.
And when I'm sure I can't do any more, He smiles and says, "Pedal!"
[Author Unknown]
Musing replaced by amusement
Preoccupation over meditation
Noise for quiet
Activity for depth
Elders replaced by celebrities
Glitz over substance
Acting for being
Gossip for wisdom
Better replaced by bigger
Trendy over timeless
Speed for well-being
Quick fix for deep change
Time for a great reversal
Selfishness replaced by love
Joy over sorrow
Grace for guilt
Peace for the storm
Lies replaced by truth
Justice over abuse
Hope for despair
Good news for bad
Lethargy replaced by passion
Purpose over aimlessness
Courage for fear
Faith for doubt
God over all and in all
Ready to swap?
[Mark Conner – January 22nd, 2014]
God in human form
Immanuel
God with us
Jesus calls
Follow me
Will we go?
Spirit calls
Gentle whisper
Will we hear?
Father waits
We play with toys
Will we turn?
An invitation
From heaven’s throne room
Come and see
Trinity
Other invitations
Distant preoccupations
Distract and clutter
Competition
For my heart
Tug of war
Who wouldn’t go?
What greater call?
What better company?
Just a quick visit
Or a lengthy stay
Or maybe another day
An invitation
Just for me
Time to RSVP
[Mark Conner – January 24th, 2014]
Life is becoming faster and more complex. Pressures and challenges are increasing, easily sapping our joy and peace. Personal wellbeing is vital as it provides us with the energy to carry out our God-given purpose in life. Over the holiday season we have been sharing a series of messages entitled Body Soul Spirit – a holistic approach to health, looking at some principles of physical health, emotional health, relational health, spiritual health and financial health from God’s Word. The series has been about “healthy living in stressful times”. God is interested in all of our life (see 1 Thess.5:23-24. Mark 12:29-30). Every area is important and each area influences the others.
“Balanced living” is about constant adjustment. Like a pilot of a small engine aeroplane, we need a destination and a flight plan. However, once we are in the air, we may be “off track” up to 90% of the time – due to wind, rain or turbulence. The key is to receive constant feedback – from the external environment, our own instrument panel and the control tower – and then make adjustments. Life is just like that. We drift from time to time and get “off track” occasionally. What it takes is the courage to keep making adjustments to get back on track.
Meditation
One day Isaac went out of the house and meditated in the field (Gen.24:63). He pulled aside from the busyness of agricultural life to reflect. The Hebrew word translated “meditate” means: to muse, commune, mutter or speak with oneself. Other related words mean: to ruminate, roll over in the mind, ponder, analyze, study, or imagine; to contemplate thoughtfully, to rehearse in one’s mind, to concentrate; and to reflect, to study, to consider deeply.
Unfortunately, when some Christians hear the word “meditation” today they may think of an exotic Eastern cult, something New Age, a Zen master, Buddhism, or someone in a yoga pose. Remember, that Satan never creates anything; he only counterfeits what God creates. For instance, God created the rainbow, not the New Age movement. Meditation has strong Jewish and Christian roots. Isaac lived 100s of years before the Buddha!
The Old Testament Scriptures are flooded with the concept and practice of meditation (see Joshua 1:8. Psalm 1:2; 19:14; 63:6; 143:5). It was part of the Israelites daily life and their weekly Sabbath. They meditated on God, his Word, his works, creation and their own life. Jesus was also an example of someone who valued pulling aside from the busyness of the crowd and spending time in prayer and meditation. His disciples were urged to do the same. Christian history has been blessed by both the active and the contemplative traditions of spirituality. Both are valuable.
Today, even modern science, health and the business world are seeing the benefits of meditation. A recent TIME magazine article highlighted ‘distraction’ as the dominant condition of our age and ‘mindfulness’ as the solution. It revealed that over 50% of American adults check work messages on the weekend. 40% check work messages while on holiday. The average American teen sends and receives over 3,000 text messages a month. Technology can be helpful but it also has downsides (e.g. mobile phone video clip). “Mindfulness” is about learning to be present in this moment, not living in the past (which tends towards regret) or the future (which tends towards anxiety). No wonder the Psalmist said, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Many of us need to slow down and avoid the hurry sickness of our age.
Questions
God often asked questions when in conversation with people (See Gen.3:8-9). Jesus, although he had so much to say, often used questions when talking with people (see John 1:35-38). Precision questions go straight to the heart. Jesus used questions not because he needed an answer but in order to bring a person to a new level of understanding. Questions help build relationships, are a key to creativity and problem-solving, enhance education and learning, and are an aid to personal growth.
As you review this series, for each area of health, ask yourself: (1) What is my Goal, (2) What is my current Reality, (3) What are my Options, and (4), What Will I do about it? Questions such as this can be a catalyst to help us GROW. After all, experience is not the best teacher; only reflection on experience turns experience into insight. Use the power of questions: What did you learn today? What would you do differently if you lived today over again? What do you want to say to God? What does He want to say to you? Ask What, How and Why?
Transformation
The apostle Paul spoke a lot about transformation (see Rom.12:1-2). Transformation is a result of God’s love not a means to it. God loves you just as you are – warts and all, yet he loves you too much to leave you as you are. Transformation usually occurs over a process time (much like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly) and is a partnership between God and us. It requires a change of thinking (re-scripting the stories we tell ourselves) and a change of habits (which are more often replaced rather than eliminated). Our daily choices can have a big impact. Genuine change is hard … but it is possible!
Remember, “what you tolerate you will never change”. Don’t put off until tomorrow a change God is calling you to make today (see Pharaoh in Exodus 8:8-10). Like the Prodigal Son, come to your senses, turn and see how God meets you once you start walking towards him.
As we take regular time to meditate, ask ourselves some honest questions, and consider the transformation God desires for us, we position ourselves for genuine change, as we make the adjustments God is calling us towards.
Sample Reflection Questions
A new day …
Loved
Listening
Looking
Loving
Laughing
Living
[Mark Conner – January 24th 2014]
Predicting is as much of an art as it is a science. And if any prognosticator is honest, he or she will tell you that they don’t always get it right. I know. I certainly don’t always get it right.
But I don’t pull my predictions out of thin air. To the contrary, each of them has a reasonable explanation. For these seven predictions, I gleaned from several sources:
This year I am adding a new feature, a confidence factor. For example, if I said I had 100 percent confidence that a prediction would become reality, it would mean that I have absolutely no doubt about it. None of these predictions have a 100 percent confidence factor. But none of them fall below 70 percent either. That means I have a fairly high level of certainty about each of these trends.
The order of the trends is random. They are not ranked in any particular priority. I actually have 14—I will share the other seven in the near future.
1. Increased church acquisitions. Smaller churches will seek to be acquired by larger churches in increasing numbers. One of the big factors is simply personnel cost. Many smaller churches can no longer afford to pay a pastor a salary and benefits, particularly health care benefits (75 percent confidence factor).
2. Downsizing of denominational structures. Many denominational structures are becoming smaller because their churches are declining. Others are feeling economic pinches. This trend of smaller and more efficient denominational structures at all levels will only become more pervasive in 2014 (90 percent).
3. Decline in conversion growth. American churches that grow are more likely to get their growth at the expense of other churches. Evangelism is waning in many churches, and fewer non-believers are becoming Christians. The negative reaction to programmatic evangelistic methods has evolved into an overreaction. Too few churches emphasize personal and church-based evangelism (75 percent).
4. More megachurches. The data are clear that there are more megachurches (average worship attendance of 2,000 or more) today than a year ago. There is also little doubt the trend will continue. The only uncertainty is whether or not the rate of growth of megachurches will continue to climb (85 percent).
5. Greater number of churches moving to a unified worship style. For years a noticeable trend was churches offering different worship styles. The most common was the offering of two services: traditional and contemporary, though the definitions of each were elusive. In the next year we will we see a reversal of that trend, as many of those same churches decide to move to one common worship style (70 percent).
6. Increased emphasis on high-expectation church membership. For decades American congregations as a whole lowered their expectations of church membership. One could be on a church roll in many churches and not even attend worship services for years. We will see a gradual reversal of that trend in 2014 as more churches move to higher-expectation membership (70 percent).
7. Increased challenges for congregations to build and acquire land due to restrictive governmental policies. American churches will experience more frustration with governmental authorities as they seek to expand, build, and acquire land. Part of the reason will be due to the authorities’ concern about traffic and congestions. Another part is the underlying concern of losing a property tax base to a nonprofit organization. In a few cases there will be outright animosity and prejudice against Christians and churches. (80 percent)
Visit the original article to give feedback on these seven trends.