Pastor Angie's In-Spire-ations July 2017

I am at a loss for words.  Maybe it’s because I have been feverishly writing ordination papers, a  Bible Study, sermons, bylaws, policies and procedures. Maybe my words are all used up.  Alert the media!!  That NEVER happens.  Just ask Chris.  Yet, while I usually have this article to Jayne by the 15th of the month, here it is June 25th and I am still just not finding words to share with you.  So it has come to this:  I am sitting on my deck in the evening, listening to the wind in the trees with my computer on my lap, waiting for words.  My Canon-in-D wind chimes are dancing on the breeze, making music that I’m convinced could calm the savage beast.  The sun is playing hide and seek behind the clouds and the neighborhood is quiet.  The birds are deep in the woods chirping away, happy to have protection out of the wind.  The bull frogs are quiet tonight, too, probably keeping their little heads out of the cool, windy air.  Once in a while a plane will glide over or a train will rumble by.  I take a deep breath to breathe it all in.
Suddenly my fingers stop on the keys.  You don’t suppose God is telling me something, do you?  You don’t suppose God has shut my lips to remind me what Sabbath is supposed to be about.  How easy it is to forget God’s lesson on the seventh day.  God RESTED.
Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) says, “Are you tired?  Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.  Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.  I’ll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
My favorite line is the invitation to “learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”  We want to force things our way…just like I kept trying to force laying out profound words for you.   I was looking for my own ideas, but when I sat down and listened and started transcribing what God was telling me through God’s creation, I began to get the message.  God was pleading with me to just sit down and listen to the voice of God’s creation, even if just for a moment.
When I sat down just a little while ago, I was stressed and frustrated.  I got everything on my to-do list done today but this newsletter, and I was still allowing stress over that to be lord of my life instead of my one true Lord and Savior.  In the past 30 minutes, I went from stressed to completely relaxed just by shutting up long enough to hear God’s voice in creation.  I challenge you to find 30 minutes at least once per week during July to just listen.  I will!

Pastor Angie


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