Being Still (it’s harder than it sounds) By Pastor Julie Wright

Being Still (it’s harder than it sounds) By Pastor Julie Wright

Amazing Grace’s theme this year is based on Psalm 46:10 – Be Still and Know that I Am God.  Reflecting on this, it sounds easy to do. And yet, I find myself starting my day by picking up my smart phone – first, to see if any of you are in need of a hospital visit or phone call. But then I get sucked into text messages, emails, and Facebook. The next thing I know, I’ve watched a cute video of someone’s cat!  Is this the way I want to begin my day? Is this what God has in mind for you and me?

Recently, as I was pondering this challenge, Council Vice President Jennifer Rutschke shared that she combats this same tendency to get sucked into the technology vortex by signing up for a daily devotional email that goes to her work email in-box. The devotion becomes the first email she reads every morning.  Now that’s a way to make technology work for you!  Thanks for the tip, Jennifer!

Whether you’re tech savvy or prefer to pick up the Bible or a devotional, it’s a good reminder that being still and listening for God’s presence doesn’t happen automatically.  However, a simple shift in a daily routine can have an impact on the rest of the day. Being still for even 5 minutes can help us to listen for God’s whisper, or see through God’s eyes, which colors the way we view and experience the world throughout the day.

These are some of my tips for connecting with God in stillness:

  • Sign up for daily devotions through Luther Seminary’s God Pause. Email devotions are short, meaningful reflections on the coming Sunday’s lessons and gospel delivered directly to your email inbox. http://www.luthersem.edu/godpause/
  • Take a lunch break and close your eyes for 30 seconds. Breathe in and breathe out slowly, remembering that the Holy Spirit fills your lungs with every breath. <Repeat.> This is a prayer.
  • Sign up for YogaDevotions, which will be held at Amazing Grace on Monday evenings this year. If you can’t attend a session this fall, look for future sessions in the winter and spring.

Share your tips with each other this year as we take much needed time to experience an ebb and flow between being and doing. Let’s ask God fill our cups so that we can continue Joining God at Work in the World.

Pastor Julie Wright