“Sacred Rhythms”
Members and Guests of Redeemer,
I have now been your Pastor for one whole week! It is and has been a joy getting to know each of you. I hope you will be patient with my learning of your names. I am good at remembering life details, but names for some reason seem to take a while to sink in for me. So, I look forward to getting to know each other more deeply and connecting names.
A few reflections after one week. One phrase I have heard from you more frequently than any other went something like this, “We are so glad to have you with us, as we have been in transition for such a long time.”
As I heard variations of those words, a number of scriptures and quotes have come to my mind and across my desk (thank you Holy Spirit) this week. Here are some of them:
“In waiting we begin to get in touch with the rhythms of life - stillness and action, listening and decision. They are the rhythms of God. It is in the everyday and commonplace that we learn patience, acceptance, and contentment.” - Richard J. Foster.
Ken Gire author and Dallas Seminary graduate once said, “Love comes while we rest against our Father’s chest. Joy comes when we catch the rhythms of God’s heart. Peace comes when we live in harmony with those rhythms.”
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the people of the church in Ephesus said, “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, Christ had his eye on us, and designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” - Ephesians 1:11-12 Msg
As a musician, it is wonderful to be singing notes and to be part of a musical phrase that is going somewhere. But just as the notes are important, so too are the rests between the notes. They give us time to breathe, to add definition and structure as the themes in the music develop. And just like winter will soon come to an end and we begin the Spring season, a time of growth after that rest, God, has been giving you all a time to explore who you are and what is important to the ministry of Redeemer and this is important work. A time to bring into focus the main theme and melody of our ministry. This has been and is an important season and rhythm in the life of Redeemer.
I want to encourage you not to feel like this time has been ‘spinning’ your wheels. But to embrace this rhythm and the beating of God’s heart as we prepare for the music we will make together. And remember, this is all about God’s timing. And God is pretty amazing with timing!
God’s blessings to you,
Pastor Dan