By: Logan, Church Staff
This past week I had something tragic, some might say unthinkable, happen… my phone broke. No texts. No Calls. No googling something Pastor Doug mentioned in passing. None of it.
Ok, so maybe it might be a tad melodramatic, to say it’s unthinkable, but in our day and age phones do a lot. And as I came to find out, they also eat up a lot of our time. All that extra time I now had is where I found myself focusing. Being without my phone I found myself aware of how often I would reach to check my phone, looking for updates, hopefully, a text from friends or a call from a loved one. But with constant urges to check my phone I noticed I was never picking up my phone to draw myself closer to God.
I was shocked to find how much free time I had, so I began to wonder how I could fill this free time I apparently always had on hand. Specifically, how do I find ways to fill my life with God? This may sound weird because I do work at a church, after all. But I found I wasn’t engaging God nearly as much as I wanted to, which caused me to yearn for greater closeness with God.
Instead of staying in the ether, I looked for tangible practices that I could fold into my life, and even do using my phone. What has stood out for me most notably is reading the daily lectionary scriptures. Along with trying, and not always succeeding, to get some more prayer time in the mix. I won’t even touch how I’ve been neglecting my meditative practices. Now, I’m not here to celebrate the success of my practices, rather I want to stir your thoughts.
Where are the places in life I could be closer with God?
What practices can I take on to draw me closer to God?
What practices work, and do not work, for me?
Consider this reflection an invitation to commit to spending more time with God. Maybe your practices involve your phone; I read my lectionary readings on my phone now. Or maybe you need time away from your phone to be more present with God. Either way, I encourage you to take time this week and look for ways you might draw yourself closer to God in your daily rhythm. We at Peace love to hear about your journey, please reach out with anything you’d like to share. Pastor Doug and I always have listening ears and open hearts for you.
