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Volume 13 Week 26 July 1, 2007

A Summertime Re-Creational Activity!

Holy Moments Are All Around Us; How About a Holy Moment Today?

Last night I got home after another long day, sat down, put up my feet and thought, “This is one of the best things about summer.”

I hope you find time once in a while to take one of those refreshing summer breaks. Back patio or poolside, it doesn’t matter. Sometimes a person just needs to sit and relax and re-create. That’s the idea behind the day of rest, the Sabbath, and it carries over into the tradition in some cultures of the daily siesta, a brief time of refreshment.

It might even be worth scheduling as part of your day. Make yourself a promise that after the dishes are done or as soon as the baby goes down for a nap, or before you turn the TV on in the evening or after the lawn is mowed, you’ll reserve a few minutes, maybe even less than a half an hour for a quiet time break.

We rush around so much (at least I know that I’m guilty) that we’ve forgotten how to slow down, and maybe summertime is a good time to restore the practice. And if the Sabbath is real, we can make these brief moments in our day holy moments by practicing some of the ancient disciples, the things that Jesus did and that Christians have always done as part of their daily routines.

So here’s a couple of suggestions on how you might take a break and enjoy a holy moment with the Lord this summer. Try one out and let me know what happens!

The Word!

There are portions of the scripture that take a few hours to read. Genesis, Matthew’s gospel, the Revelation to John are not light reading for a few minutes at the end of a long day. But there are many parts of the Bible that can be read easily in less than a half hour. The letters of Paul come immediately to mind.

How about reviewing Paul’s letter to the Galatians, the subject of the Sunday sermons the past few weeks. See what Paul has to tell you about the law and the gospel, how they are different, how they work together, and how the gospel has preeminence in the life of a Christian.

Or try Colossians, our texts for coming weeks. See what Paul has to say about the person and work of Jesus Christ, how He is so far greater than the angels or the made up “gods” of other religions. And see how Paul applies the good news of Jesus to our daily lives.

Ephesians can be read in less than a half an hour. It has a simple two part outline: three chapters on what God has done for us in Christ, and three chapters on how we respond to God’s great love. It’s a letter that describes the Church, and what it means to be God’s holy people.

Take a break with the word of God. Have a holy moment and listen to your Father in heaven as He speaks through His timeless word.

Prayer Time!

I’m convinced we’ll get to heaven, look around and say, “Oh, I should have prayed more!” If you get an iced tea break out on the patio some evening, make it a holy time by making it a prayer time.

Some like to follow the simple “ACTS” pattern. Begin with “A,” for Adoration. Tell God that you know who He is. Worship and adore the One who is over all and who knows you and loves you. Begin with something like, “God, You are the greatest, because You are…” and see where your heart leads you.

“C” is for Confession. Consider for a moment who you are. Be realistic about the things you’ve said and done in recent days, and then accept your Father’s invitation to speak with Him about anything and confess your sins by saying something like, “Father, I was wrong when I …” And then, bask in the wonderful good news of His forgiveness and grace. Sit quiet and let God love you. It’s what He does best!

“T” is for thanksgiving. Make a list. Tell him how much you appreciate all His blessings. Say something like, “God, you’ve been so good to me and I see Your hand in the gifts of…”

And “S” is for Supplication, asking God to supply your every need. Bring the concerns you have to Him, knowing that He loves to hear them. “Father, my loved ones and I need Your…”

Another way to make a quiet moment a holy moment of prayer is to pray the Lord’s Prayer, piece by piece, nice and slow. Take each petition on it’s own and fill it in with the thoughts and concerns that come to mind.

Another great way to have a holy moment of prayer is to think of the one special person on your heart these days and offer a prayer for them alone. I saw a cartoon once that pointed out the tragedy of our meager prayers for others. A fellow looks down the street and sees his friend Bob coming. He thinks, “Oh no! I told Bob I would pray for him.” He closes his eyes and whispers, “Dear God, bless Bob. Amen.” Then he looks up and says, “Hey Bob! I’ve been praying for you!”

Grab a lemonade and a comfortable chair. Pray for a friend. Give them ten minutes of time alone with your Father in heaven. Then remember to call and just say, “Hey, I’ve been praying for you!”

Dreams!

God is always at work around us. It’s always so inspiring to me to see and to consider the wonderful things that God is doing here at Mount Calvary. His Spirit is active and alive bringing people to faith through our ministry, touching lives with grace and healing and peace, transforming ordinary people into extraordinary servants.

Why not take a little time to pray for your church and to dream a dream of our future. Some of us are working on an exercise this week that invites us to find a comfortable spot to be alone with God and wonder, “What visual image would sum up the life of this congregation?” Or ask, “What biblical story, character or situation does your congregation’s work remind you of?” I’d be curious to hear what ideas the Lord might give you.

Quiet!

And maybe none of these suggestions are right for you. Maybe the idea of a quiet time is to have a quiet time. One of the great spiritual practices of Christians is silence. Sometimes the best thing we can do with 20 or 30 minutes is to just sit quietly and be with God. No thoughts, no worries, no agenda. Just silence. Just sitting with God who is bigger than all of your cares, wiser than all of your worries, forgiving of all of your faults and longer than the few short days of your wandering on this earth.

Maybe we’d all benefit from the Psalmists advice, “Be still and know that I am God.” Have a holy moment soon.