Be Still? You’re Kidding, Right?
Apr 17th, 2008 by John
Be still, and know that I am God.
Be still, and know that I AM.
Be still, and know.
Be still.
Be.
I was first led in this prayer by Franciscan scholar Richard Rohr at The Ooze in Seattle.
Be.
How shall we “be still” in a culture where stillness is considered laziness?
How shall we “be” in a culture where silence is a sign of uncomfortable weakness?
How shall we “be” in a culture where “the eyes of faith” are considered blindness?
How shall we “be” in a culture where singleness of purpose is considered ineptness in a multi-tasking world?
How shall we “be” in a culture where simplicity is considered lack of initiative amidst consumer-driven frenzy?
How shall we “be” in a culture where homo sapiens has evolved to homo narcissus?
How shall we “be still” in a culture that interprets “be still” as “be run over”?
How shall we “be still” in churches that mimic the culture?
How shall we “know God” when God is just another word on our “priority list”?
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Not just how shall WE “be still and know God” but how do we teach our children and the next generation to “be still and know God”?
jvan,
That is *the* question and I doubt that “we” or our children and their children will get there without serious, society-wide (global even) change. The post-Enlightenment (Western) world has brought us to the place where being hectic is being holy. The greater our hectic index the more valuable we feel and the more people see us as valuable. To be authentically at rest is to be considered either naive or lazy. Or to be considered “a dreamer.”
One of the best lesson my kids have gotten this year was from their school’s “Media Off Day”, 24 hours of no TV, no ipods, no video games, no electronics what so ever. It took them a little bit to get over the “there’s nothing to do” phase, but some how we made it through the day. I think in some ways is was Sabbath honoring in that we rested from our daily habits and schedules. While we had some “quiet” time that day, I plan to be more purposeful in guiding them toward some meditation and reflection when we do it again.
Reminds me of the movie The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Have you ever seen it?
Wonderful stuff, John – thank you!
jvan (#3),
That is a very practical step to take. I think we can cultivate a habit of solitude, stillness and silence even in a hectic world, but it takes persevering, drastic change. For example, Julie is forever telling me I blog too much. I need a blog Sabbath
Post Blackbird Song,
I’ve heard about the movie. Does it speak to cultivating stillness in an unstill world?
MikeF,
Thanks for the link and kind remarks over at MERCY BLOG.
God bless you.
John
I love this prayer of our darling Mr Rohr. Sums up the whole heartbeat of my life, really (along with palpitations, panic attacks, heart attacks and heart failures
How do we NOT be still when the alternative is insanity?
Sue,
Keep sane ‘down under’
John,
Wonderful post brother on this beautiful friday.
I always love reading your blog because I always learn something. I will strive be more still. It is so easy especailly for me not to be still, quiet and sink in who God is and what he has done. I praise you brother for reminding us in this busy world to stop and remember God and his Holiness. You are such a source of strength to many believers.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
I enjoy being still … and of being.
I can’t wait until the lakes are warmed up again and I can get out under the canopy of God’s great blue sky and gently rock on the waves while seated on my little single-seat inflatable pontoon boat. No computers, no TVs, no phones, no interuptions (unless I happen to catch a fish – a great bonus by the way). It seems I am able to set aside all of those pesky urgent things for a few hours and enjoy the important thing – sitting at the feet of the Lord and marveling at the wonder of the great things He has done. We really need to get back to the original meaning of recreation (re-creation). It’s not an activity where we wear ourselves out, it should be an activity whereby we can get our spiritual battries recharged.
Preacherman,
Thanks for the good words, my brother and colleague in ministry.
John
Ken (#12),
I like the picture you paint….and I hope you get that fish.
To be still is a genuine discipline in this age.
John
I had to chuckle a little bit when I read this post today. Jessica and Matt and I are reading through the Bible using a special kids read the bible in 365 days book. Last night we read about Elijah, huddled in a cave and lamenting to God that he was the last prophet. God chooses not to speak to Elijah in a thunderstorm or earthquake. He speaks to Elijah in a whisper. Our daily reading was summed up with Psalm 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God. Jessica and I couldn’t help but recite the prayer we’ve said so many times in church.
Often we are lead to believe that God will just grab us and tell us what to do or that He will move in some prominent way. God is often varied in His work. He may be in that little girl that hands you a flower and excitedly says, “Jesus Loves You.” He may be in a whisper of a message that drifts through your thoughts like a gentle breeze. He may be in that stranger that gives you a smile, just when you need one. He may be in that person who wakes up out of a coma, unable to speak but able to gloriously sing hymns of praise. He may be in that little girl that tells her Mommy out of the blue that she wants to read the Bible every night!
Quiet time to reflect about God and pray to our Father helps us learn to listen to His gentle voice. He is more than a God. He is a friend, a confidant, a loving father, a savior. Have you had one-on-one time with your Father lately?
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Karen (#15),
What a beautiful experience and reflection on the stillness and quietness in God’s presence. I, too, marvel at the thousands of ways the Father can speak to us.
John
Hey John,
Just wanted you to know that I stop by here often, and find that it is often a place of refreshment and reflection. You have the gift of touching deep truth with concise words.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Rob
[...] Stanley of Transforming Sermons has a great post / link up to a piece at Jesus the Radical Pastor Post here that is a great reminder that we all need to take some BE time with GOD. Swap This These icons [...]
It is interesting that the Good News Bible renders this as:
“Quit fighting and know that I am God.
I think it is good to remember the story of Habakkuk.
Was not his prayer similar to the above?
Habakkuk expresses the attitude that many righteous people have. He is ourtraged at the violence and injustice in his society. He lists six different problems. His list is repetitious, but it emphasizes just how bad things were. There was sin, wickedness, destruction and violence, no justice in the courts, and the wicked outnumbered the righteous. Does this sound like our society?
In verse 4 he says, “the law is ignored.” God’s word was no longer the standard. It is now illegal to have the 10 commandments hang on the wall in a public school, so I think things are even worse in America.
Habakkuk is preaching against it, but he is having little effect. Habakkuk raises a good question. Why does evil go unpunished? Why do the wicked prosper? Why doesn’t God do something?
Look back to verse 2. Habakkuk has been praying. Evidently, he has been praying for a long time because he says, “How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And Thou wilt not hear?” He also thinks God is indifferent and inactive.
The interesting part is that God DID answer him! Granted it was not the answer he was looking for, in fact it did not happen in his lifetime!
So my question to any of us is are we prepared for the answer today?
Just as Job was willing to serve God regardless of his health, and Habakkuk was willing to serve God regardless of his surroundings.