ICYMI: Luke 6 // Feels Like Home
If you missed Sunday's service or could use a refresher, here's a quick recap featuring a song from Sunday on Spotify, main points from the sermon, a key quotation, a guide for prayer, and our weekly Next Step Practice. Scroll to the bottom for the full sermon recording.
📖 Focal Scripture
🎯 Main Points
Whose voice is shaping your life? In Luke 6:39-40, Jesus warns against following blind leaders. He says that a disciple is only as good as their teacher. This raises important questions about the voices and narratives that shape our lives. Are they building us up or tearing us down? Are they leading us in the right direction? Whose voice might be missing?
They’ll never find me there. In the book Shining Like the Sun, author Steve Wiens shares an ancient story about God's reaction after creating humans. According to the story, God looks around and thinks that creating humans was a big mistake because they will always be nagging, asking for things, and never giving God any rest. God gathers a group of elders together to explain the problem. The elders suggest different places for God to hide, such as Mount Everest or the moon, but God rejects all of them, stating that humans are resourceful and will find God wherever God hides. After a long pause, one of the elders whispers something in God's ear, which makes God smile. God decides to hide inside each human, believing no one will ever find God there.
Hidden Wisdom: The punchline is obvious. We’ll often search for meaning and wisdom in all kinds of places, but rarely within. We're conditioned to think that the answers to a meaningful existence are "out there" in influencers, bloggers, self-help gurus, and politicians. But Jesus invites us to create space within and do some deep work of contemplation, prayer, confession, stillness, and listening to find the voice of God within.
The Point of Religion: There has been much discussion about the decline of religion in recent years, as seen in news articles, research studies, and decreasing church attendance. The perception is that religion is less relevant, which is understandable given issues like the rise of Christian nationalism, hypocrisy in the church, and churches feeling more like entertainment options than places of spiritual depth. However, the word "religion" means to reconnect, and in a time when social media, partisanship, and constant busyness leave people feeling disconnected from each other, themselves, and hope, a move toward contemplation allows for reconnection with God, self, and neighbor.
Contemplation moves us to action. When our action is rooted in contemplation, we can co-create a new world by God's grace, listening for the voice of love, truth, and wisdom that has always been there.
🗣️ Key Quotation
“We often think that our busy lives are the reality and prayer the escape. When we set out on this journey of contemplative silence, we discover it is the other way round. Often it is our busyness which is the escape from reality – the blindness that prevents us from inhabiting or recognizing the simple truths of our lives and the mysteries that surround us.” — Richard Carter
🙏 A Guide for Prayer
1. Reflect on the Voices and Narratives Shaping Your Life
Take a moment to consider the different voices and narratives that have influenced you. Are there any particular influencers, media personalities, or past experiences that have shaped your perspective? Are these voices building you up or binding you? Reflect on how these narratives align with the teachings and values of Jesus.
2. Acknowledge the Log in Your Own Eye
Pray for self-awareness and humility to recognize any areas of your life where you may be acting hypocritically or causing harm to others. Ask for guidance and understanding. Seek forgiveness for any wrongdoings and strive for personal growth.
3. Silence, Stillness, and Listening
Find a quiet and comfortable place where you can be alone with God. Practice silence, stillness, and listening. Take a few deep breaths and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and prayers. Open your heart and mind to receive divine wisdom and guidance.
4. Pray for the World
Lift up prayers for the brokenness and suffering in the world. Pray for peace, justice, and reconciliation in conflicts such as the war in the Middle East. Ask for divine guidance for leaders and individuals toward a peaceful resolution. Pray for the vulnerable and marginalized and for the realization of a world aligned with God’s heart and Jesus’s Jubilee vision.
5. Reconnect with God
Remember that God is always near and desires a deep connection with you. Pray for the ability to hear the God’s voice within your heart and soul. Seek divine wisdom and truth as you navigate the complexities of life. Ask for the grace to be transformed by divine love and to live in alignment with divine values.
6. Express Gratitude and Seek Guidance
Close your prayer time by expressing gratitude for God’s presence and love in your life. Thank God for the opportunity to commune and seek guidance. Ask for strength and courage to live as a disciple of love, following the example and teachings of Jesus.
➡️ Next Step: Create Space for Contemplation
This week, you’re invited to carve out space for contemplation and let your doing flow from your being. One best practice is to actually schedule your time by creating a calendar event. Some ways to do that:
Begin your day in silence. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Grab your cup of coffee. And just be still.
Participate in The Read Along, our weekly reading plan. This week’s readings: Monday through Wednesday — Luke 6:46–49; Thursday through Saturday — Psalm 18:1–24.
Set an alarm on your phone to go off at a certain time each day. When the alarm goes off, take five minutes to either pause and be still or spend it in prayer. (You could also download the Dwell audio Bible app and listen there to the daily devotional.)
Before bed, practice the Daily Examen. The Daily Examen is an opportunity to reflect on the presence of God and take stock of your day. Use the prompts below to either write your reflections in a journal or take intentional time to think through them. Here are the questions I use to guide me:
In what moments did I experience God’s presence today?
When was I at my best?
For what am I grateful?
When did I feel unrest?
Who or what is in need of prayer?
Where do I need God tomorrow?
