I leave in eleven days for Chicago. I'm going, along with some of my very best friends, Tony and Brian, to take a class at our denomination's seminary, North Park. It's on Covenant History and has been affectionately dubbed "I Love the Cov" over the years. I'm really excited about it on some levels, but I'm overwhelmed with everything that has to be done before I leave and all the prep for the class itself. Yesterday I got the textbook I'm supposed to read before I get there. It's called "By One Spirit," and it's only 811 pages long. Take out the footnotes, and it's still 643 pages. I just grabbed a calculator and did the math: I need to read 59 pages every day before I get there. Now normally, 59 pages a day is a cinch for me, but this material is a little... how shall I put it kindly?... dry. Let me give you a sample sentence, pulled at random from the book:
Nelson published The History of Puritans and Pilgrims in Sweden in 1901 - an obvious effort to find identities between the Mission Friends and the Congregationalists.
Here's one more, just for kicks:
Hasselquist's task in the face of these developments was to try to develop a church which would embody Lutheran structure and pietistic fervor - a church, in short, which would be enough like the Church of Sweden to placate "state church" Christians and yet devotional enough not to drive away the Revivalists.
Mmmm... Now that is some tasty reading. Light, yet flavorful.
Anyway, I'm stressed again. And as the beginning of the year has come around again, I have really been trying to live more simply... to focus on only that which is truly important. To trust in God to take care of the rest. One of the things that I'm having to face is that I do not give God enough of my time on a regular basis. I need so badly to spend time in prayer and meditation. To read the bible and seek the word of the Lord for today.
I'm attempting a new practice... well, it's really a very ancient practice... called lectio divina. Basically, you focus on a small passage of scripture and really go deep with it, trusting that God has a word for you today. I've been spending 30 minutes every morning since December 31, and it's really been good. Every day I sense God giving me a specific word to focus on... The first day was so powerful. I was away at Mission Springs for a personal retreat that morning, and I got down on my knees with Psalm 23 (from The Message) in front of me. I zeroed in on the first three verses:
GOD, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.
You can imagine what words almost leapt off the page: Catch my breath. It was like God was saying to me, "This is the path... Slow down. Seek me. Let me refresh and heal you. Catch your breath."
So that's my theme this year: Catching my breath. My blogging, which has been pretty intense in the last month or so, will have to slow down. My soul needs some time. My wife and kids need some time. I want them to see my face rather than my back sitting at this damn computer.
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Weight Watchers: My first week I lost 11 pounds, my second week I gained 4 back - Christmas - and today I had lost 7. So, in three weeks, I've lost something like 14 pounds total. Not too shabby. Anyone else out there doing WW? How's it going?