Pot Pies

I was recently ill for a few days and not really into our dinners. Instead I had a hunger for a pot pie; my mom always gave us Swanson's Pot Pies when we were sick - its not for every day - just sick days. TV dinners on the other hand are good anytime! (I never claimed that this blog was a good source of nutritional information) I love how TV dinners are all divided up - each food with its own proper place - I can take them on one at a time - never messy, it is neat, clear,  and I know exactly what I am eating (well, maybe).

I have written and spoken on this before but it has intersected my heart once again - I like to treat life like a TV dinner - I have work, family, leisure, projects, church, worship, sports - each is in its own select spot and I live them out one at a time. Whenever they try to interact - think mix - with each other - like foods in a pot pie -I frantically try to regain order and put each back in its place.

Truth - it doesn't make for a very healthy and tasty life - it leaves me hungry, a bit anemic and wondering why my days seem to be lacking some spark of life. In truth, we are to see life more like a pot pie - everything is mixed together.

I have two favorite perspectives on worship:

"When a person, yielding to God and believing the truth of God, is filled with the Spirit of God, even his faintest whisper will be worship!" 

(A W Tozer)

We are not created to worship. Nor are we created for worship. 

We are created worshipping!

(Harold M. Best)

As God's creation, an image bearer, - all I do is worship - resting, working, talking, reading, doing laundry, getting beat in basketball in the back yard by my son, washing the dog, preaching a sermon, driving across town, hugging my wife, answering an email, taking a walk, eating .....  all is worship! And it is not always neat, doesn't always feel like worship ... but it is all designed to celebrate that we live in the context of a loving, creating God who shows Himself through the most insignificant of our activities  when were are not aware of His working and also in those moments when His Spirit makes Himself clearly known.

So  Lord, in the varied mix of activities and living that make up this day - the worshipping You that is my life - may I breath out worship in every moment. Amen

Restless

So, just finished almost 3 days on Mt. Lemmon praying with close to 50 other pastors from Tucson; to wait on Him to move, direct, encourage, challenge, unify. Some generous friends made their cabin available to that I was able to arrive at the Prayer Summit a day early and stay an extra day afterward. Some time for quiet, solitude, rest, listening, planning...

It was a perfect place- the trees were incredible, the cabin comfortable and quiet - the only sound was the creaking floor and the wind - I had plenty of coffee - comfortable blankets - perfect! So Wednesday afternoon, evening and Thursday morning were all mine...

But I was so restless!! 

I kept getting distracted from my time and its purposes and kept feeling this urgency to make the short drive back to a full busy life, responsibilities, opportunities, my list that was waiting. The other voice reminded me that I was up here for something of value with just the Lord, to rediscover what makes a truly "full" life...

But I was so restless!

Each year I spend 6-8 days out in the desert near Cascabel - it is completely isolated, silent, absolute solitude. I get restless there as well - the rest of life has a very loud, persistent and compelling voice - but in this desert place, I can't leave - I literally have no way out till my arranged ride comes to pick me up .... so, restless as I am, I persevere through it. It takes a couple days or so, but those loud voices that make me restless begin to quiet down and the benefits of solitude and silence begin to break through.

Up on Mt. Lemmon it was too easy to leave, to give in to the restlessness and so.... I headed down earlier than planned and drove straight to my office, and my mail, and my lists! As a result, some of the shaping that God desired to do in me - didn't happen.

I have come to realize that the restlessness is actually there Holy Spirit letting me know that I have allowed to much in, too much clutter in my heart and mind and soul - the restlessness I feel in my quiet moments are a warning as well as an invitation... an invitation to stillness and rest and fullness and peace and eventually work that is empowered by the Spirit.

So today - stop long enough to feel the restlessness and the invitation. It is only when we hit the brakes and lunge forward that we notice how fast we are going and often how far away we have gotten.