I am currently reading a book by Ken Gire with the title, Seeing What is Sacred: Becoming More Sensitive to the Everyday Moments of Life. At the heart of this book is his contention that the “reflective life” is the Christian life lived in a moment by moment awareness of God’s divine presence.
In his introduction I was particularly struck with the following statement:
“We’re starved for a life that not only senses the sacred in the world around us but savors it. We’re famished for experiences that are real, relationships that are deep, work that is meaningful” [page 4].
This statement seems to encapsulate lately my experiences as a minister in the Lord. At the Lipscomb preaching conference these three things seemed to wrapped up in the theme of Exodus and deliverance. Real experiences of deliverance in our lives from the bondages of addiction, depression, etc. testify to the “pillar of smoke by day and the pillar of fire by night” presence of God daily in our lives. Deep relationships are hard to come by. Blessed is the person who has a few of them. And, we want Monday through Friday’s work experience to count for something. After all, we are putting in 40-60 hours a week. A third of our waking hours, or even more, are poured into our work. Can it possibly have meaning other than a paycheck at the end of two weeks?
If we do not live the reflective life, I see a malnourished soul, shallow relationships, and work that is drudgery. This kind of existence dulls the heart’s ability to savor the moment, remembering the purpose of it all.
Pausing to reflect on a mountain ledge at 4500 feet above sea level, listening to a contemplative CD, reflecting on the body of Christ during communion, writing a Haiku after hiking on the trail around the lake at Penuel Ridge, praying with a person who has been called to shoulder the pain of others, etc.—these are just a few of the ways that I have paused to savor, taste and reflect on God’s movement in my life.
Let us all see what is sacred by becoming more sensitive to the presence of God in everyday moments of life!
In Christian love, Curtis
In his introduction I was particularly struck with the following statement:
“We’re starved for a life that not only senses the sacred in the world around us but savors it. We’re famished for experiences that are real, relationships that are deep, work that is meaningful” [page 4].
This statement seems to encapsulate lately my experiences as a minister in the Lord. At the Lipscomb preaching conference these three things seemed to wrapped up in the theme of Exodus and deliverance. Real experiences of deliverance in our lives from the bondages of addiction, depression, etc. testify to the “pillar of smoke by day and the pillar of fire by night” presence of God daily in our lives. Deep relationships are hard to come by. Blessed is the person who has a few of them. And, we want Monday through Friday’s work experience to count for something. After all, we are putting in 40-60 hours a week. A third of our waking hours, or even more, are poured into our work. Can it possibly have meaning other than a paycheck at the end of two weeks?
If we do not live the reflective life, I see a malnourished soul, shallow relationships, and work that is drudgery. This kind of existence dulls the heart’s ability to savor the moment, remembering the purpose of it all.
Pausing to reflect on a mountain ledge at 4500 feet above sea level, listening to a contemplative CD, reflecting on the body of Christ during communion, writing a Haiku after hiking on the trail around the lake at Penuel Ridge, praying with a person who has been called to shoulder the pain of others, etc.—these are just a few of the ways that I have paused to savor, taste and reflect on God’s movement in my life.
Let us all see what is sacred by becoming more sensitive to the presence of God in everyday moments of life!
In Christian love, Curtis
