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.
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