“A true follower of Jesus never becomes accustomed to the sound of footsteps headed for hell.”
“The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it has overturned the order of the soul.”
Leonard Cohen
Reports in recent days have included videos of vehicles stopped on highways where blizzards are creating whiteout conditions. White walls of blowing snow reducing visibility to the air just in front of your windshield. Wyoming, Kansas, South Dakota have seen it this week. Farmers on the Great Plains have in times past run a rope from the back door to the barn. They knew people, some neighbors, who having lost sight of the house, froze in their backyard feet from the door.
This morning there is a cloud layer, no blizzard. But internally, I’m grappling with a sense in my soul that may be a “blizzard”. I’m being transparent, even vulnerable with you thinking that you may sense something amiss and not able to make out what it is through the “blizzard” around you. Mr. Cohen’s metaphor speaks to many of us. Winds tear at us and we attempt to pull some protective “garment” up tight to protect our soul. Swirling snows of over-whelming issues sting and confuse us. Our souls are in a difficult place left breathless by the storm.
One of the tell-tale signs of such a storm-front experience in life is the publication of books with common themes. Steven Garner’s “The Seamless Life”, Parker J. Palmer’s “A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward An Undivided Life”, and Alan Hirsch’s “The Forgotten Ways” each touch on this. Common to all of us in this culture is the affect of distraction. It’s hard to focus in the dizzying whiteout raging around us.
Our ancient Christian fathers and mothers attempt to teach us the importance of being still…silent…reflecting on Him, truths about Him and our relationship, and listening. The Psalmist’s words peal out again to us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) Jesus applied the principle to His life. Mark tells us early in his Gospel, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place.” (Mark 1:35) That was His “rope” that helped Him return to His soul’s home with His Father.
To Love, Follow, and Serve Jesus is a vision that embraces an undivided soul. For only then can we here at RiverStone Church Thrive in ’25.
Loving you in Jesus!
Pastor Brian
“A church that neglects prayer becomes disunited, scattered, lethargic, all but dead.” Charles Spurgeon
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