7-16-18 - Breathing In, Breathing Out

(You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.)

I am more comfortable doing than being, producing than consuming, achieving than receiving. When I’m in a busy period, I am even hard-pressed to read; I’d rather be writing, working. But too much of this, and the balance is off. Life in God should be like breathing – we have nothing to breathe out if we don’t breathe in.

Jesus demonstrated this as he was training his disciples. He had just sent them out on their first mission to proclaim the Good News of release in God’s love, to heal people and cast out demons. They seem to have had a successful foray, for they are excited to report in when they return:

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.

There are many kinds of prayer. I pray throughout the day, asking, thanking, praising, lamenting, repenting. But there is another way to pray, the “be still and know that I am God” way of sitting quietly in a dedicated time and space, “a deserted place all by yourself,” letting your spirit get quiet so you can hear what God has to say to you. That is where our relationship with Jesus can really grow. Christ followers need this prayer practice too. The longer days and slower pace of summer allow us to jump-start such a practice, taking a retreat or praying outside.

Often, though, I run back to the task list, bouncing to the next thing, ignoring the thirst in my spirit. Or perhaps more precisely, diverting my attention from the thirst in my spirit, because to access that promised living water demands an intimacy I don’t want to give myself to. Jesus invites us to go apart with him just as he invited his first followers. He wants to hear how our lives are, where we are encountering God, how are ministries are bearing fruit, or not. He wants us to rest with him. I think he waits on us as we might wait on a wild animal, sitting quite still so we will draw near, hoping we don't get spooked and run away.

I know this – that to offer ministry in the name of Christ without receiving the regular anointing of Christ in prayer is to offer water from a leaky pitcher. I’m grateful to the Spirit for giving me three words as I write this: rejoice, review, recharge. I recommit myself to allowing God’s presence to draw near to me, and I invite you to join me, setting aside a time, a place, and a heart as open and honest as you can make it. Just sit and say, "Here I am, Jesus." Don't apologize for how long it may have been since you last came - just start where you start.

Rejoice in all the ways God is active in your life and heart. 

Review your day or week, your responses and feelings.
Recharge your spirit, drawing deep from the water of life.

And listen. We may receive guidance, we may receive encouragement, we may be reminded to expect blessing. We may hear many things from the One who made us, among them, “Well done, my beloved.”

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