The sermon this Sunday is on simplicity. I don't believe I have ever preached on this subject before. What is simplicity? Is it something that we should seek after? What spiritual messages come from it?
I would appreciate any thoughts that you might have on the subject. I may use some of them this Sunday. If you have insights to share on the topic of simplicity, please post a comment or send me an email.
I wonder how my week or your week may be different just from thinking about the concept of simplicity.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
7 comments:
Simplicity for me is appreciating God's creation. I was out running on Sat. evening. Enjoying the breeze and thanking God for allowing my body to do this. Ran past a house where Grandma was sitting on a lawn chair in the garage. Her daughter (or d-i-l) was sitting a few feet away with the baby on her lap and they were watching the toddler run himself ragged on the driveway. Ahhh, the life! I feel the same way when my hands are in the dirt, weeding or gardening. Helps me to recall simpler times and appreciating God's reminder and picture perfect palette every day!
Jeff, great timing for a sermon on simplicity. For the past few weeks, we've seen a lots of chaos due to the financial markets etc from all the affects of not living simply and it's hard to stay out of the way of the news about it from so many sources.
I was just thinking today of that wonderful passage: Let go and let God. To me that's the essence of simplicity.
When you have a problem, STOP worrying, say a little prayer and let it go. Then, trust that God work it out, bring the answer to your heart, or make the situation go away.
This has never failed me.
I wonder if the other members of our congregation are distracted like me. When I hear the word "distracted", I think about when I was growing up. I'd sit on the couch watching TV and my mom would try to tell me something, and I knew she was speaking but I didn't pay attention to what she said. Sometimes she would ask me to help her do something, but how could I get up and miss the end of the show? I bet it eventually made it pretty hard for her to communicate with me; to rely on me for help. I was just too distracted.
Sometimes nowadays, I have so many things (I think) that are important to say to the people around me. But it's hard to find time to begin to speak, much less develop a conversation. When is it ever quiet? How could my story about something that happened to me today ever compete with all the stimulating distractions going on around us?
I wonder what God must think: "You don't sense my presence? How could you? You never stop moving. All your time is spoken for and all your attention is consumed. But I bet you can't tell me where it all goes. I bet you can't tell me one ounce of difference all your movement has made. I gave each of you a job to do to help me and I gave you the energy and skills to do it. But all your energy is spread across a thousand trivial matters, and all I want from you is to say 'no' to all of that stuff, slow down and let me show you what you were made for. That is the only way you'll ever be fulfilled."
That's what God was able to say to ME because I stopped thinking about everything else long enough to write this comment. He was just waiting there for me to finish what I'm doing long enough to get a word in. I'm just too distracted.
To me, simplicity means letting it be quiet. So many things have come to occupy our eyes and ears that there is no longer room for God to occupy our hearts and minds.
Wow. I don't know which just hit me in the gut more...Jeff's blog or the comment on distraction. I can't fall asleep because of all the distractions. The kids are asleep (even the big one I married). It's quiet and peaceful. But I have so many plates in the air that I'm awake trying to count them to make sure none falls and is shattered. I'm so overwhelmed with "life" that I am not really living. How can I be the wife/mother/business owner/friend/person God meant me to be when my life is so artificially complex? I'm going to stop typing and use this quiet time to listen to Him. Maybe I'll even try to give up a little control. One step at a time.
Jeff - if you wait long enough to comment, your sermon most likely is already done.
My sister pointed out, many years ago, about how much time we spend taking care of our things. This is the same as saying "what you own, owns a piece of you".
Her advice stuck with me, and while it's nice to have things - its just not important. Spend your time with friends and family - not "taking care of your things"
For me, chaos is the opposite of simplicity. Chaos is the noise, its the excessive spending, complaining, conflicts. Chaos is what makes you feel as if you are the only one who can possibly find a way out of the situation. When the TV is always on with repetitive bad news, when you are constantly shopping for that big bargain, or when you make your job bigger than anything else in your life, you crowd out your own thoughts and feelings and miss out on the voice of God.
What would happen if we only bought what we needed and could afford, when we put aside the petty conflicts and annoyances, when we rose above the need to achieve more, to have as much or more, than anyone else.
I love the term "artificially complex", because it speaks to how we complicate things for ourselves. God's world is so simple, it's made up of basic truths that don't change. If we live in God's world, we don't have to worry about "the rug being pulled out from under us". When we feel like the Peanuts character Pigpen (with the big cloud of dust) it's a sign that we need to look beyond our own chaos, to see ourselves and the world the way God sees us. Please remind me that I wrote this when I walk around looking anxious and sad like the sky is falling on my head. InkyLynne
For us, cable is the wire running from the back of the rabbit ears to the TV. (Good thing they have HD rabbit ears now.) For us, high speed connection is running, rather than walking to a neighbor’s house to say hi and share a story.
I think everyone should visit Simpli-City in their lifetime. It's not that bad of a town. Go on a mission trip. Make a meal at Westport. Get to know how life is for 90 percent of the world. It pulls it all into perspective. And, life’s fine once you arrive.
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