SilentChurch

OpeningPrayer:

GraciousGod,

Wecomefromthenoiseanddistractionoftheday.Wearefilledwithquestions,tension,andnoise.Openoureyestoseeyou,ourheartstofeelyou,andourearstohearyou.Amidstthechaosofourdaysbepresent,thatwemighthearyourmessageofloveandgracethisnight.Amen.

“Ifyou’renotdreamingincolor,thenwhyevenbother?”‐Gratitude

ItookthispicturewhenIlivedinWashingtonforaJanuarymonth.Takesometimetolookatitenjoyit.Whatagreatpicture,wow.Nowopenyoureyesandlookaroundyou—it’swaybetter.Throughoutthisexperience,challengeyourselftohavethethingsaroundyoucreate“silentchurch”moresothanwhateverisonthesepages.

“PraisetheOnewhobreaksthedarkness”

PraisetheOnewhobreaksthedarknesswithaliberatinglight;PraisetheOnewhofreestheprisoners,turningblindnessintosight.PraisetheOnewhopreachedtheGospel,healingeverydreaddisease,Calmingstormsandfeedingthousandswithverybreadofpeace.

PraisetheOnewhoblessedthechildrenwithastrongyetgentleword;PraisetheOnewhodroveoutdemonswithapiercing,two­edgedsword.PraisetheOnewhobringscoolwatertothedesert’sburningsand;Fromthiswellcomeslivingwaterquenchingthirstineveryland.

PraisetheOnetrueloveincarnate:Christwhosufferedinourplace;JesusdiedandroseformanythatwemayknowGodbygrace.Letussingforjoyandgladness,seeingwhatourGodhasdone.PraisetheOneredeemingglory;PraisetheOnewhomakesusone.

Stopwhereveryouareandlookaround.Trytoopenyoureyeswiderthanusual,toreallytakeinallthatisaroundyou:textures,shadows,shades,colors,eventhethingsyoujustglimpsewithyourperipheralvision.

Wheredoyouseethe“liberatinglight”?Isthereanythingyouseerightnowthathassignificanceforjustyou?Writedownanythoughts,ideas,words,oremotionsthatcometomindwhenyouthinkaboutGodincontextofwhatyouseeandwhatthepoemspeaksabout.

“Godisthecreator,andhasfeelingsforeverythingGodhasmade,everyatomintheuniverseisnotaneutralobjectiveobject;rather,itistheartwork—belovedartwork—ofaCreatorwhovalueseverysquarecentimeterofspace…”­BrianMcLaren

Takeaseatunderatreeorinagrassyarea.Holdsomethinginyourhands:arock,astick,ahandfulofgrass,treebark—anythingearthy.Takeseveralminutestocloseyoureyesandbreathedeeplyasyouconsiderthequoteabove,andthe“belovedartwork”oftheworld.

Whatdoesitmeantoyoutobelieveinadivinecreator?Howcouldorshouldthisbeliefinfluencethewayyouliveyourlife?

TheKingdomofHeavenislikeamustardseedthatsomeonetookandsowedinhisfield;itisthesmallestofalltheseeds,butwhenithasgrownitisthegreatestofshrubsandbecomesatree,sothatthebirdsoftheaircomeandmakenestsinitsbranches.”Matthew13:31­32

Pickoutatreeinthedistancesothatyoucanseeallofit,notjustsomeofit.Whatdoyounoticeaboutthetreethatyouusuallyoverlook?

ThisversefromMatthewisoftenmisunderstood,JesusistalkingabouthowtheKingdomofHeaven,akaGod’shopefortheworld,beginswithsomethingsmallandinsignificantbutsoongrowsintosomethinghugewherebirdscometonest.However,havingbirdsrestinginyourplantsmeanttheywereprobablyruiningyourcrops–somethingyoudon’twant.So,whatJesusisactuallysayingisthattheGod’splanfortheworldisthatthebirds,theunwantedmembersofsociety,mighthaveaplacetobelong.

WhatwereyoualwaystaughtwasGod’shopefortheworld?WhatdoyouthinkisGod’shopefortheworld?Whatlittlethingshaveyoudoneorcouldyoudothatwouldbenefittheunwantedmembersofoursociety?

“ThereisareminderoftheResurrectionatthestartofeachnewyear,eachnewdecade.That'swhyIalsolikesunrises,Mondays,andnewseasons.Godseemstobesaying,"Withmeyoucanalwaysstartafresh."

Thereforewedonotloseheart.Thoughoutwardlywearewastingaway,yetinwardlywearebeingreneweddaybyday.­2Corinthians4:16

Lookatthesky,orhopefullythesunset,andabsorbthisendingmomentoftheday.Whattypesofemotionsdoyouattachwiththeendofaday,oraseason,oranevent?

Beforethinkingaboutresurrection,thinkaboutdeath.Writedownandthinkaboutthe“littledeaths”inyourlifecurrently.Example:loseofajob,endofadream,brokenrelationshipetc.

Now,thinkaboutandwritedownallthedifferentways“resurrection”couldbeinterpreted.

Whereinyourlifedoyouexperienceresurrection?Whattypesofthingsrenewyou,orgiveyoulife?WhatareaofyourlifedoyouwantGodto“startafresh”?WhereintheworlddoyouwanttoseeGodstartafresh?

FinalReflection:

SooftenChristianandChurchgetsboileddowntobeliefforthesakeofsalvation.Wetalkandtalkaboutourbeliefsfillingourlivingswithemptyritualsthatarticulatetheimportanceandprocessofoursalvationoverandover.However,wemissthewaysthatGod’smessageofsalvationisbeingspokentousdayafterday.ThewaysthatGodsavesusandbringslifearenoteventsthatwemustanticipate,butdayafterdayGod’smessageofrenewalandrebirthisbeingspokentousinamultitudeofincredibleways.

Ioncewroteinmyjournal,“WhatisGod’splan?”AfterafewmomentsofwrestlingwiththatquestionIwroteonewordinthemargin:“Resurrection”.WhenIstepbackandreallyconsiderwhatIthinkGod’sgoalisIbelieveallsignspointtoresurrection.ButIdon’tmeanjustasoncewedieweareraisedtoeternallife.Godthecreatorisconstantlybringingnewlifetotheworld,healingtoourbrokenness,resurrectionfromalloflife’slittledeaths.

Somuchof“church”getsboileddowntowhat’sonthepagebutIthinkGod’splanfortheworldissituationswherewordsjumpoffthepageandtheworldischangedasaresult.God’shopefortheworldistorestoreitandbringhealingandresurrectionwherebrokennessanddeatharefound.

“Church”istakingpartinGod’shopefortheworldandhelpingtotakepartintheresurrectionprocessesgoingonall‐aroundusdayafterday.

ClosingPrayer:

GraciousGod,

Sendusforthtobevoicesofhopeandresurrectioninthisworldofchaos.Continuetoopenoureyes,ears,andheartstothewaysthatyourpresencejumpsoffthepageandmeetsusdayafterday.Amen.