Holy Silence...

I am reading a book at the moment called The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity by Skye Jethani. I am reading it with the church leadership from my church. I just finished the second chapter and have fully enjoyed the book. This second chapter, The Canvas of Silence, focuses on how our lives are filled with words from music, computers, TV and a host of other areas. Because of this we have a hard time letting our minds comprehend the big things in life. Our lives are so filled with the noise of words, read or heard, that we can’t begin to fathom the greatness of our maker.

How do we break from these things that hold us down? How do we create a “quiet time” that goes beyond “quiet” and goes to an Amazing time? “But finding true silence requires more than quieting our surroundings. It also requires our souls. This is the real dilemma of living in a wordy world. Even when we are still and alone, like the minutes before falling asleep in bed, our minds are racing with the images and words we’ve marinated in all day. It is inner silence that eludes us (pg. 33)”.

How do we quite our souls so we can comprehend to vastness of God? How do truly quite our world so that we may hear from God? I challenged myself this morning to go to the river/creek a block away from the house to silence my world. I had to fight against taking my mp3 player or my cell phone or my watch. I also fought against wanting to pray or talk to God. Yes, I did not want to pray. Because I wanted to be silent and know that He is God.

I couldn’t help to wonder why the water spiders (that is what we call the guys that are like spiders that skate on the top of the water) dart back and forth on the water. Or, why the water snails aren’t bigger. They have so much food but seem to only eat what they need to survive (novel concept). God has so incredibly woven this blue ball in which we live into a beautiful dance. I so want to hear that music.

I want to encourage wives to allow their husbands to seek some solitude. Husbands watch the kids for your wife so she can get away for an hour of silence time. But here is the catch. Don’t use that time to nap, to use your smartphone, or to pray (that will come in time). Use that time to ponder your existence, to ponder the vastness in which we live and to ponder the things beyond us. Does this sound to weird for you? It might, but people have been doing just this since the beginning of mankind.

Pondering the bigness of God comes fairly easy to me, but this exercise is a good reminder of his bigness. The bible says we’re “fearfully and wonderfully made”. Can you grasp that, I can’t, but God can begin to help me understand it.

Blessings in your search for silence,
Pastor Scott

The Biggest Worm You've Ever Seen...

So, I've been trying to get our garden ready for this years planting. Yes, I understand I'm a bit behind schedule. While I was weeding the other day Luke and I found the biggest worm I've ever seen. Check this bad boy out:

I wasn't joking. This bad boy was a small snake. I sure hope he brings us yummy veggies later on this summer.

DYC...The Grotto

Saturday was a good day. Each of us went to two different seminars and then we went to The Grotto (http://www.thegrotto.org/). We spent two and a half hours of by ourselves trying to reflect on what God is doing in and around us. I could blog about this but it would take me a few days to complete it.


I was struck by the upper level. I noticed a theme of sorrow and joy. I think we here in America don't like to even acknowledge sorrow as a part of life. We could be having the worst day in the history of days when someone comes up and asks, "How's it going?" Without batting an eye we respond, "I good," or, "I'm fine." I understand that life is not all gloom and doom, but seriously there are plenty of times when sorrow is more a part of our life than we would even consider letting out of the bag. I think the movie Princess Bride summed it up best, "Life is pain, princess!"

But I believe in a God that doesn't leave us there. He has offered us joy. This is not happiness nor is it an emotional band aid. Joy allows us to mourn the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job or the loss of a dream. Joy tells us that God is sovereign, that He is in control no matter the circumstances.

When God is in control (which we need to give over that control) I am able to focus on today and the moment that is at hand. For this is the only guarantee we have in this physical world, the next moment is not a for sure thing. And without joy, I can worry myself about everything around me and it won't change anything. When I can focus on this day, this moment I can listen and watch what God is doing around me.

Maybe he has placed a single mom who is struggling to stay on her feet in this moment, maybe it's a strange teenager who has no one to turn to who is placed into this moment, maybe it's a need of my wife that is placed into this moment or maybe it's my kids who need an encouraging word from their earthly father that is placed into this moment. If we don't have joy, we can so easily miss these moments.

When I surrender my control and let joy reign the moments become real, they become holy. Yes, God can show up at work, in our homes and our relationships.

Sorrow and joy are part of a godly life. They are real life, they are who we are. They are mysterious in the fulfilling of our lives. Let's embrace the mystery and offer our control so that joy can reign in our lives and into this world.

Blessings,
Pastor Scott

DYC...What every mother wants their kids to learn at a retreat

Here is a short clip to help you understand what type of man is teaching your kids. Remember to pause the music player to the right before playing the clip.

Blessings,

Pastor Scott

DYC...

Oh yes, I almost forgot. Would you like to follow what we are doing at DYC? Check out the blog and live stream of our sessions at http://www.pnwdyc.com . By the way, I think I just had the easiest night getting the guys to sleep...I guesss it helps staying up till 1am.

Blessings,
Pastor Scott