Pastor's Ponderings:
Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence
We are almost through the season of Lent, a season of preparation for Easter. Lent is typically a time when Christians observe a period of fasting, repentance, moderation, self-denial, and spiritual discipline. The goal of these spiritual disciplines is to strengthen the faith of the observer and develop a deeper relationship with God. For me, this year, Lent has taken on a deeper meaning.
I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week in Indianapolis for “Our Life Together: a time for pastors across the state to come together for spiritual renewal. We were led by Dr. Ruth Haley Barton. Dr. Barton is founding president/CEO of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors and leaders, and of the congregations and organizations they lead. She is the author of a number of books on spiritual disciplines. And while I look forward to sharing some of her thoughts about spiritual practices with you over the next several months, there is one spiritual practice I wanted to share with you now. And that is the spiritual discipline of silence. It is the most challenging and least experienced spiritual discipline of evangelical Christians today. It is easier to talk about and read about than to actually practice being quiet.
In her book, “Invitation to Silence and Solitude”, Dr. Barton suggests that we are desperate to find ways to open ourselves to God, to know this God as One, to experience reverence in His presence, to see and feel and know God in the very cells of our being. We are starved to know God beyond what we can do for him. We are starved to hear the sound of sheer silence that is the very presence of God.
Silence and solitude are the most radical of the spiritual disciplines. To be in solitude is to choose to do nothing, for extensive periods of time. Silence is required to complete solitude. When we go into silence and solitude, we stop making demands on God. It is enough to know that God is god, and we are His.
During the last three weeks of lent, I invite you to join with me, to enter into a time of silence and solitude, to lay aside some of the busyness and “self-importance” that drives us, to seek a deeper intimacy to know this God who created us in a deeper way ever imagined. God is waiting for us in the silence - will you join me?
Pastor Pete
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We are almost through the season of Lent, a season of preparation for Easter. Lent is typically a time when Christians observe a period of fasting, repentance, moderation, self-denial, and spiritual discipline. The goal of these spiritual disciplines is to strengthen the faith of the observer and develop a deeper relationship with God. For me, this year, Lent has taken on a deeper meaning.
I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week in Indianapolis for “Our Life Together: a time for pastors across the state to come together for spiritual renewal. We were led by Dr. Ruth Haley Barton. Dr. Barton is founding president/CEO of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors and leaders, and of the congregations and organizations they lead. She is the author of a number of books on spiritual disciplines. And while I look forward to sharing some of her thoughts about spiritual practices with you over the next several months, there is one spiritual practice I wanted to share with you now. And that is the spiritual discipline of silence. It is the most challenging and least experienced spiritual discipline of evangelical Christians today. It is easier to talk about and read about than to actually practice being quiet.
In her book, “Invitation to Silence and Solitude”, Dr. Barton suggests that we are desperate to find ways to open ourselves to God, to know this God as One, to experience reverence in His presence, to see and feel and know God in the very cells of our being. We are starved to know God beyond what we can do for him. We are starved to hear the sound of sheer silence that is the very presence of God.
Silence and solitude are the most radical of the spiritual disciplines. To be in solitude is to choose to do nothing, for extensive periods of time. Silence is required to complete solitude. When we go into silence and solitude, we stop making demands on God. It is enough to know that God is god, and we are His.
During the last three weeks of lent, I invite you to join with me, to enter into a time of silence and solitude, to lay aside some of the busyness and “self-importance” that drives us, to seek a deeper intimacy to know this God who created us in a deeper way ever imagined. God is waiting for us in the silence - will you join me?
Pastor Pete
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