Tag: spiritual disciplines

Three Unusual Disciplines for a Refreshing Post-Covid Summer

June 17, 2021 /

This morning I met a young mom for breakfast at Turtle Bread, one of my favorites in the shady Linden Hills neighborhood near my house. Over slices of quiche we talked about race and faith communities, the unique differences in our kids, and what post-Covid life looks and feels like.

When I asked how I could be praying for her, she said, “I’m weary and burnt out from a year of pandemic and I find it hard to concentrate on spiritual disciplines. I want to connect with Jesus, but I can’t seem to focus. I also long to redeem the summer we lost last year with our kids.”

I hear the same words of fatigue and almost PTSD-type symptoms from many people I talk to! There is a tension between the exhaustion we feel and the drive to get out there amp everything up to “normal” again.

Have you ever noticed how many commands there are to celebrate, wonder, and rest (or Sabbath) in the Bible?

What if we take a sabbatical from some of the traditional spiritual disciplines and embrace the disciplines of rest and play and wonder?

These disciplines may mean we turn off the news, the computer, the TV, the podcast and show up completely present to God and others. Dive in. Breathe deep.

He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted….stop and consider God’s wonders.

Job 9:10, 37:14

What if we…

  • practice joy with dance parties, and slumber parties and picnics, recognizing God’s faithfulness?
  • read a verse together and then nap with our kids on blankets out under a tree?
  • take a walk without any noise in our ears and say, “Come Holy Spirit. What do you have to show me about myself and yourself today?” (this one’s my favorite!)
  • stop to soak up God’s creation as we pick strawberries, or gather a bouquet of flowers, or look up at the clouds ?
  • carry a breath prayer with us through our days Breathe in: Creator God, Breathe out: Refresh me.

Recently my small group took time to celebrate all God’s gifts that we had missed rejoicing over while separated by Covid.

What will you do to celebrate, wonder, or rest this summer?

Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.

Psalm 40:5

5 Reasons Why I Go to Church

December 29, 2014 /

If anyone anywhere is going to go to church, Christmas is the most likely season that they will feel compelled to go.  I’d be surprised if anyone reading this hasn’t been in a church service in the past week.

After all, it’s family, and candle light and sweet baby Jesus.  All the warm fuzzy feels. And most churches put on a pretty good show.  There’s special music and sometimes cookies.

But the Christmas season is the exception. Less than 20% of Americans regularly attend church, and church attendance is declining. IMG_8923In the past few months, these are actual reasons people have told me that they weren’t in church:

  • We had to re-grout our bathroom.
  • My tennis coach had an opening for a lesson at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.
  • We had to go watch our son do mountain bike racing.
  • I had to go to a baby shower scheduled during church.
  • We had a friend in from out of town.

Continue reading

Missing Church?

November 20, 2013 /

Mark Batterson recently tweeted: One of my driving motivations as a pastor is this – do people actually MISS church when they MISS church?

A couple of weeks ago on Sunday I was away from home.  We knew there was going to be an opening worship service for the conference we were at so no morning worship was planned.  But then some folks got together and said, “There’s just something about the Body gathered for Sunday morning worship that seems…holy…honoring…right. Like we’re missing something without it.”

They weren’t being legalistic, but they decided to put together a Sunday morning time of worship for anyone who wanted to come.  Lazily I almost didn’t go, but at the last minute slipped into the back and was treated to voices from every continent raised together in praise, a corporate exercise in adoration using the Psalms, and a simple Bible message.  Reminders all of the love of Jesus and the power of the Body joined in community.

This discipline of gathering as the church, weekly, has been something I’ve been pondering a lot recently. Continue reading

What to do When You Don’t Have X-Ray Vision

July 1, 2013 /

I played a tennis match awhile ago against an amazon-like woman who wore her anger like the too-tight tennis dress she had on.

I tried to talk friendly. “Wow it looks like you’ve been somewhere warm!” I said admiring her tan.

She glared at me. “No.  No place,” she said emphatically.  “I just do this for tennis.” indicating a self-tanner.

“Have you played long?”

“Awhile.” Scowl.

We played.  She scowled more.  Gave terse answers to my attempts to get to know her.  Told me I was flat-out wrong on a line call.  She got mean.

She scared me.  Honestly!

I started praying while I played “Lord what is going on with this woman?”  This is crazy.  This is stupid soccer mom tennis, not Wimbledon.”

“Hurting people hurt people.” I heard in my head.  Then I realized it wasn’t anger she was wearing, but shame.  And sadness.

After the match I tried once again.  It turned out she was just back after maternity leave.  I’m sure she had been up with a baby and was sleep-deprived.  It became clear she was feeling fat and ugly and not at all “herself”.

I remember those hard-to-feel-beloved-when-you’re-so-cross-eyed-tired-and-barely-have-time-to-shower days.

It made me wonder how often we mistake shame for anger. We see the battle fatigues someone is wearing and miss the tattered t-shirt of pain hiding beneath.

Continue reading

Word Fatigue

September 7, 2012 /

The other day in our small group, one of the women was describing the feeling of heaviness, helplessness, and lethargy she felt upon return from a year in Africa.  I said it sounded like she had experienced “compassion fatigue” – the sense of overload you have when you’ve seen too much suffering, heard too many stories of loss and spent time with people in despair, too many requests for more money.

Visiting a church recently, I felt like I experienced a similar phenomena.  “Word fatigue”.

Continue reading

© 2024 Laura Crosby

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑