If there's one thing I've learned about myself, it's that I'm not a disciplined person. The word itself implies work. Discipline shouldn't come easy to us; it can't. It requires work, effort, intentionality, practice...it's discipline!
During the next several weeks, I plan on disciplining myself. To be theologically aware of life experiences (more intentionally that is), and to remain accountable to whoever reads this blog. I'll be posting every Wednesday with reflections on the past week and identifying what God has been doing, where God has been acting and how I find myself fitting in (or against) all that God is working in/through.
Week 1
I've recently started up a new internship at Richmond Presbyterian Church. This is the final internship for my M.Div degree requirements.
In the previous placement, my awareness of my spiritual health became apparent. I was clearly burnt out from my previous placement as a youth pastor in North Vancouver. Even now, I don't think I've fully recovered. One would think that studying theology would be a simple fix, but I assure you it's not. It's one thing to study about God, but it's entirely different to be in relationship with God.
I'm aware that life doesn't slow down. There will never be a prime time to focus on my relationship with God, and nothing else. Like all relationships, time must be made.
So as I start this new placement, I begin with the intentional process of meeting with God regularly. Meeting God in prayer, in Scripture, in meditation and reflection. Psalm 46:10 states, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Often Christians like to quote the first portion the verse. I don't often hear the second half.
The first half is great! It gives practical guidance...be still! Life is chaos. We're moving constantly. We have news headlines updates ringing; work/school deadlines to make; relationships to develop and nurture; Twitter and Facebook updates causing our phones to beep at us constantly; the latest videos on YouTube to check out; cooking; cleaning; eating; devotions...the list goes on. But what rarely lands on that list is to be still.
But we should be aware that being still is not an end in itself. The purpose of being still is to know God. To know God as I Am (active). To know that God is active in and around us; in and through us; in and through others in our lives. God is active in our lives, and if we move too fast we'll miss all that He is doing.
But being still and having a simple awareness of what God is doing is not the end either. The verse goes on. As is typical of Hebrew poetry, there is repetition - for that extra emphasis. The psalter records God saying "I will be exalted..." (both among the nations and in the earth). Each phrase expands the reader's perspective. The first half, calling us to be still and know God as I Am, reveals the need to exalt God in our lives. We are called to slow down, be still, not simply to be aware of God's presence, but to exalt Him for all that He's done and is doing. As the verse goes on, we move from the individual realm to see that God's exaltation moves into a national realm. For the author of this Psalm, this meant that the nation of Israel (God's holy, set apart, People) were to exalt God, because as a nation they were being still and knowing God as I Am. But the verse doesn't stop there! God will be exalted in all the earth! The earth is to be still and know God as I Am.
This small verse, often understood in an individual sense, has become a global issue. This isn't to say that the whole world will naturally do this (we know it's foolish to expect such a thing). But it reveals a truth to us: being still and knowing that I AM God, is central to our design. It is central to the design of the cosmos. If we do not take the time to be still, to exalt God for God's activity in our lives, we will disrupt the natural order of the world. We will bring a chaos into the world that depends on our own ability, rather than resting in God's calm. We will bring anxiety, rather than the peace of knowing that God is in control. We will bring busyness, rather than dwelling in God's care and provision.
I come to this new internship, not to ensure I complete my required work (and more), but to be still and know I Am.
Spirit of the Living, would You fall afresh on us. Move us to a place where we can be still...where we can know that You Are God...where we can exalt You for all You've done and are doing. May You be the centre of our being this week. Give us the eyes to see and the ears to hear Your guidance and direction. In Jesus Name, amen.
