Insights Magazine: Number Twelve, 2021

Page 11

SHAKE IT UP A LITTLE b y d a v ID c a r l

Article Photo: Stanislaw Gregor on unsplash.com

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it up is to worship at an Anglican or a s I get older, I am starting to see a contemporary church, to visit both large pattern emerging in my life. My congregations and small start-ups. They attention is getting more focused—that’s all worship God differently, with varia good thing. I don’t like my schedule to ous traditions and styles. Many of the be disrupted too much—not so good. I am churches I’ve visited I wouldn’t want getting increasingly set in my ways—not to attend every week, but it is so good good at all. It has become very clear to me to see wonderful people serving God in in the last several years that one of the different ways. most obvious characteristics of a disciple of Christ is that he or she is enthusiasti- 2. Take a day of silence and solitude I have long wanted to do this, but it is cally in a state of change. None of us completely out of my comfort zone. I “arrives” as a Christian—we are always on feel down deep that I need to cultivate the journey. the disciplines of silence I am prone to avoid I want to be wholly and solitude in order to change and disruption, rooted in Scripture understand things I have but if I do, I will become the thing that has been and willing to jettison not understood before. the cause of so much secuanything that keeps There is a lot to this—and most of it I don’t yet comlar finger-wagging: I will me from pursuing Him. prehend—but I’m going become the controlling, to start learning. Jesus went away for unconcerned Christian. I really don’t want silence and solitude often; I guess I to become that guy—Jesus was not that could start and do it once. guy. Instead, I want to be wholly rooted in My list includes other ideas, but I want Scripture and willing to jettison anything that keeps me from pursuing Him. I have to encourage you to make up some of your made a list of things that I want to do this own. Open up the windows of your life year to “shake it up”—to keep myself open and let the wind blow through. Shake it and winsome and spiritually agile. Here up, and don’t let yourself become controlling and unconcerned. Don’t let yourself are a couple of them. 1. O c c a s i o n a l l y, w o r s h i p w i t h become “that guy” or “that gal.” Christians from other traditions I was raised Presbyterian/Baptist/Evan- Copyright © 2009 by Insight for Living, Inc. All gelical Free. A great way for me to shake rights are reserved.


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