3MN: We create an environment that mirrors our inner life. I want to change mine.
Happy Thursday!
In the next 3 minutes:
- Words from my brutally honest friend.
- Observations from a Quaker on slowing down.
- An invitation to seek stillness with me.
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Minute 1 - "You're the least restful person I know."
"Next in the sermon series? Rest," I blurted, yanking myself from the mental maelstrom of looming problems and upcoming meetings. My friend's gaze held mine, waiting.
My racing thoughts had almost drowned out her question.
"Interesting. You're one of the least restful people I know," she grinned, amusement laced with truth. The words stung, not defensively, but because it hit home.
Since the fall of humanity, we have mastered the art of hurry. And I was no exception. Clouded mind. Busy schedule. Never-ending projects. Unmet fulfillment.
I could blame it on my environment. I could blame it on the pace of my stage of life, the current demands. But the blame is on me.
Your inner life is not a mirror image of your environment. We create an environment that mirrors our inner life. I want to change mine.
I will keep up the illusion and ignore the truth as long as I never stop moving. So this sermon series will be my stopping place. I need this topic just as much as anyone else.
"Be still." The Latin term is vacate (where we get our English vacation). That's where we meet God, love others, and find ourself. Be still.
Minute 2 - A life of unhurried serenity.
Quaker missionary Thomas Kelly, writing in 1941, made an observation after spending a full year "slowing down" and "simplifying" on a twelve-month sabbatical in Hawaii.
Strained by the very mad pace of our daily outer burdens, we are further strained by an inward uneasiness, because we have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power. If only we could slip over into that Center! If only we could find the Silence which is the source of sound!
Minute 3 - Just be quiet.
As I prepare my heart, mind, and notes for this sermon series on Rest, I invite you to join me in seeking stillness this week.
Stillness is not about waiting for a revelation. Stillness is about "consenting to the work of God's Spirit, which is deeper than understanding or words" (Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools).
- Pick a consistent time: Mine is right before I lay my head down on my pillow each night.
- Create a ritual: Bedside, feet firmly planted, eyes closed, hands open, and deep breathing prayers.
- Then be quiet: Just be still. No agenda, no productivity, no goal. Start with two minutes. Do this every day. Maybe you will bump it up in the future, maybe you won't. Don't evaluate if it's working or not. Just be still.
VERSE OF THE WEEK 🔥
“Be still, and know that I am God" - Proverbs 46:10
See you next Thursday,
Payton Minzenmayer
P.S. - Winter storms expose 112-year-old shipwreck.