The Practice of “Slowing”

Posted in Discipleship, Life Happens2 Comments

One of the great books on spiritual disciplines is John Ortberg’s book, The Life You’ve Always Wanted:  Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. You can read my review of the book by clicking here.

One of the spiritual disciplines he talks about in the book is the practice of “slowing.” Have you ever thought about “slowing” as a spiritual practice? One of his mentors told him that if he wanted to grow spiritually that he must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from his life. Listen to a great quote from his book:

Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. Hurry can destroy our souls. Hurry can keep us from living well….Again and again, as we pursue spiritual life, we must do battle with hurry. For many of us the great danger is not that we renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it. We will just skim our lives instead of actually living them.

Most of us battle the hurry sickness, but how can we treat it–how can we cure it? There are two main practices that can help us swim against our culture’s current of hurry.

1.  Slowing. Slowing involves cultivating patience by deliberately choosing to place ourselves in positions where we simply have to wait. Slowing will seem like such a “waste of time,” but it is invaluable. Here are some examples. Deliberately drive in the slow lane.  Chew your food slowly. Get in the longest check-out line at the grocery store. Go through an entire week without wearing a watch. Read each sentence slowly–then read it again even more slowly.

2.  Solitude. Solitude is a more traditional spiritual practice. I’m not saying that we should take it to the extreme and join a monastery. I’m just saying that solitude is the one place where we can gain freedom from the forces of society that will otherwise relentlessly mold us. When we’re “alone” with God–He molds us!

We need some small measures of solitude every day. A walk, a short drive, working in the yard, sitting in the car before going into the office, a quiet time–all these serve as moments of solitude. On occasion, we need longer periods of solitude. Take an afternoon to yourself or even an entire day. Go to a place where you will be uninterrupted and alone. Spend the day relaxing, reading, walking, napping, etc.

Both of these practices have been vital to my spiritual growth and to my ability to hear from God. By the way, if you haven’t read John Ortberg’s book on spiritual disciplines, you must do so. Here’s a link to Amazon where you can purchase the book and get started. I wish I had read this book as a new Christian and learned about the practice of “slowing” and many of the other spiritual disciplines that have helped me to grow in recent years.

Leadership: Image vs. Integrity

Posted in Discipleship, Life HappensLeave a comment

The real test of any leader is in their private life. Image is what people think we are; integrity is what we really are! Leaders need to be people of integrity—honest, genuine, consistent, and transparent. In particular, spiritual leaders need to have strong spiritual disciplines in the areas of Bible study, prayer, and church attendance.

Leaders need to carefully guard their time. Elton Trueblood wrote:

A public man, though he is necessarily available at many times, must learn to hide. If he is always available, he is not worth enough when he is available.

Gordon MacDonald asked one of the most profound questions a leader must face, “Are we going to order our inner worlds so that they will create influence on the outer world? Or will we neglect our private worlds and thus permit the outer sphere to shape us?” This is the choice we have to make every day of our lives. That’s what Paul seemed to say in Romans 12:2.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this [outer] world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 (NIV)

“Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.” Romans 12:2 (Phillips)

If the real test of a spiritual leader is their private life, then how are you doing? Are you holding down a passing grade? If not, ask God to help you make improvement.

Similar Posts:

6 Steps to Run Faster

Posted in RunningLeave a comment

When you first start running your goals usually center on distance. You may set a goal to run around the block, to run a mile, or to run a 5k. After you run for a while you typically add time to the goal equation. In other words, you begin to ask the question “how can I get faster?” Here are some steps to seeing your times improve if you’re fairly new to running:

6 Steps to Run Faster

1. Consistent slow, base-building running. Over time this improves your cardio capabilities and builds running muscles. The pace of this run is called “conversational pace.” In other words, you can carry on a conversation during the run without getting short of breath because you’re running slow enough to do so. Most coaches teach that 80% of our weekly running should be at this pace. I personally believe that the percentage can be even higher for newer runners.

2. Increased volume. Continue to increase the number of miles you run each week, but do so carefully. Never increase your weekly mileage more than 10% at a time. Every 2 or 3 weeks you should decrease your miles during that week for recovery purposes.

3. Weight loss. Any excess weight that we carry slows us down, so as you continue to eat healthy and lose weight you will naturally see improvements.

4. Cross training. It will be helpful if you do more than run. Stretching, light weight lifting, yoga, cycling, swimming–any of these will help you improve and give your legs a break.

5. Speedwork. Personally, I would not worry about speedwork as a new runner. I would substitute hills for speedwork. Hills are actually speed work in disguise without the pounding and risk of injury. When running a hill, shorten your stride, keep your head up, and pump your arms with the feeling that your elbows are reaching behind you. Your pace will actually slow down while going uphill, but your effort level will stay the same or even increase a little.

6. Cadence. “Cadence” refers to how many steps you take per minute. Strive to increase your cadence to 170-180. A higher cadence ensures a shorter stride. In turn, a shorter stride produces better form and protects against injury. An uninjured runner will be able to train more consistently. All these factors often lead to faster times.

More running-related posts below:

6 Tips for Beginning Runners

Bring on the Rain

You Light My Path

Deacon Ministry Handbook

Posted in UncategorizedLeave a comment

The office of deacon is still relevant and Biblical in the 21st century. Although there has been an increased emphasis on the office of elder in the local Baptist congregation, most Baptist churches still need and honor the office of deacon.

When I consider my years in the pastorate, I think of the men with whom the Lord surrounded me. God placed men in the office of deacon who encouraged me, challenged me, advised me, and prayed for me. These men were partners in the ministry of the Gospel, they were brothers in Christ, and they were friends. I cherish them and count it a special privilege to have served with them and to have personally served as a deacon early in life.

Many good deacon resources exist, but few are recent and updated. The authors of this resource work regularly with deacons and they believe that deacons play a crucial role in the success of the local pastor and church. They wrote the Deacon Ministry Handbook to provide concise, practical guidance to pastors and deacons. The combined ministry knowledge of the authors has produced a tool that can benefit every pastor and deacon in Kentucky and across the Southern Baptist Convention.

You can get a copy at any place books are sold, but you can purchase at a discounted rate from this LifeWay site designed to feature the book. The authors and I recently recorded supplemental video resources that will be available soon to assist with training. If we can assist your church or association with deacon training, please email me at steve.rice@kybaptist.org.

Prayer Changes Things

Posted in Preaching, Worship4 Comments

In one of my recent sermons, I preached about prayer.  I began by asking the following honest questions:

  • Why is it that the average Christian makes so little progress in their Christian life?
  • Why is it that the average Christian experiences so little victory over sin?
  • Why is it that the average Christian feels so defeated in their walk with Christ?
  • Why is it that the average Christian sees so few people come to know Christ as a result of their witnessing?
  • Why is it that so many churches never experience growth?
  • Why is it that so many churches rarely see the baptismal pool stirred from activity?
  • Why is it that so many churches struggle with constant budget shortfalls?
  • Why is it that so many churches bicker and fight over the most insignificant matters?

I believe the simple answer to all of these questions can be found in one, 10-word sentence found in Jame 4:2 (NIV), “You do not have, because you do not ask God.”  Prayer is the answer.

James, the author of the book and the brother of Jesus, was a mighty man of prayer.  Tradition tells us that he prayed so often and so long that his knees became like the knees of a camel.  Because he spent so much time in prayer with Jesus, he became like Jesus.  No surprise that when he was martyred in A.D. 62, his words were the same as Jesus’ words on the cross:  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Our words need to be the words of Christ.  Every day we encounter people who desperately need to hear from God.  God wants to speak to them through us.

How’s your prayer life?  No, really?  How is it?  God is breaking my heart in this area.  He is speaking much-needed truth to me, maybe He is saying the same thing to you as well.

Prayer:  Oh God.  Thank You for the harsh truth!  Thank You for not giving up on me.  Thank You for being patient enough to speak the same thing to me again and again until I hear it….until I get it….until I obey.  God, please teach me to pray in the way you desire for me to pray.  God, I love You….I praise You….I worship You.  Amen.