A Pastor in The Northwest

Today I've been thinking about a phrase I read recently related to being in the moment. The specific phrase was this: "Practice paying attention" I've struggled with this, actually—to keep 'in the moment I'm in.' Being present has been a challenge for me. Is anyone else out there? In His sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus taught us to pay attention to what's around us in the natural world and to keep focused on the day we're living - not stuck in the past or worried about the future. He summed it up at the end of Matthew 6 with: So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. Lord, help us to be present and to notice the beauty and wonder of every day - especially today! Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

I read this quote the other day and I've been thinking about it ever since: “If you’re feeling creative, do the errands tomorrow. If you’re fit and healthy, take a day to go surfing. When inspiration strikes, write it down. The calendar belongs to everyone else. Their schedule isn’t your schedule unless it helps you get where you’re going.” ​— Seth Godin We will never know what's around the bend so they say, and we have no guarantees about tomorrow so in the present moment, I want to get better at noticing the opportunities! What opportunities await me today? So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. -Matthew 6:34 NLT Photo by Manasvita S on Unsplash

I've been thinking a lot lately about prayer in this season of Lent. On this subject, I'm challenged by the words recorded in Ecclesiastes: Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2  Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few -Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 ESV Let your words be few...that's profound right? I've kept prayer journals and lots of prayer lists over the years and, while those are not bad per say, sometimes God would like us to be simply in His presence in silence. Silence? No words? That is difficult for us modern followers of Jesus isn't it? Maybe our challenge in this season is to speak less and listen more to what God is saying to us. In the words of Messiah Jesus, "When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like t...

In Numbers 3 God entrusts different tabernacle tasks to the different clans in the Levitical tribe. One clan was tasked with handling the movement and care of the Ark. I bet they thought that was pretty special. The other clans, well, they got what I'd think were the more boring parts - ropes, support beams, curtains, tent pegs, etc. I wonder if the clans felt like their tasks were less important that the ones handling the Ark? Yet, as one devotional I read recently points out,  "If most of us were given this assignment, we would probably think it lame and ask for another. But the sons of Merari likely understood that anything God asks of us should be followed through with honor. The people listed in Num 3:1–39 were likely selected because they believed they would see God’s glory.  God may ask us to do things that seem insignificant or crazy, but if we don’t, we will miss out on seeing His glory." Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Yea...

I read this poem today in my devotional time: Out of my bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come Into Thy freedom, gladness and light, Jesus, I come to Thee. Out of my sickness into Thy health, Out of my want and into Thy wealth, Out of my sin and into Thyself, Jesus, I come to Thee. William True Sleeper, 1840–1920   Manser, M., ed. (2015). Daily Guidance (p. 67). Martin Manser. It reminded me of an old hymn we used to sing in church circles called "I Need Thee Every Hour" written by Annie S. Hawks and Robert Lowry. I especially like the 3rd verse: I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain Come quickly, and abide, or life is vain I need Thee, O I need Thee, every hour I need Thee O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee, Amen. There is no day that I don't need the presence of Jesus. Lord Jesus, I come to YOU!

I 've been re-reading the Old Testament slowly and found myself once again sort of skim-reading Leviticus.  Why? It feels tedious with all the sacrificial guidelines, clean vs. unclean, and rules around what gets burned, drained, or eaten. Ugh. But this morning I ran across a cool devotional thought with a different angle on the importance of Levitical law and what it can teach us modern Jesus followers. Here's some of that commentary: In Leviticus, we also find the setup for the entire Gospel of John; Jesus’ life is cast as an offering to make all people one with God again. We find the background information for Isa 53, where the Suffering Servant dies and is resurrected on behalf of God’s people. Much of the Old and New Testaments require a general understanding of Leviticus. Not only do these ancient rituals show the need to appreciate the entire created order, they also show how much we should appreciate a faith that doesn’t require all these rituals. Leviticus shows the di...