MAIN IDEA: God wants to be with us, so we should develop habits to cultivate communion with Him.

HEAD CHANGE: To know that our typical pace of life disturbs our communion with God.

HEART CHANGE: To feel dissatisfied with having a superficial connection with God.

LIFE CHANGE: To embrace a slower, more contemplative spiritual life by adopting the habits of Sabbath and silent prayer.

MESSAGE / UNPACKING

[Gleaned from Pastor Cory’s weekend sermon and thoughts from the book “The Deeply Formed Life” by Rich Villados]

Pastor Cory begins by explaining how the thought/emphasis of transformation has varied from conservative, progressive, and Pentecostal traditions over the years.
Just by nature of living HERE NOW, we are being formed by a culture fashioned by shallowness:

1. Speed…life moves too fast
2. Distraction…more information, opportunities, and distractions than ever      
3. Superficiality…because of the pace of life, depth is elusive

The reality is that we are either being formed by CULTURE or CHRIST!

Contemplative Rhythms for an Exhausted Life

The pace we live at is often destructive. The lack of margin is debilitating. We are worn out. And because of this, what usually gets pushed out, are the most important things…time for ourselves, time with our family, life with God.

“It is only when we slow down our lives that we can catch up to God.” -N.T. Wright

“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.” -Dallas Willard

The Practice of the Presence of God—Brother Lawrence in the 1800’s

How do I begin to become DEEPLY FORMED?
1. Prayer…sitting before God. Talking AND listening to Him.
2. Silence…shut out the noise!
3. Solitude…is not the same as isolation.

God is not just in the business of improving our lives, He is committed to our transformation!

transformation = (Greek…metamorphoo) to change, transfigure, transform

4 Indispensable Practices:

Silent Prayer—Any relationship that has grown over time has developed the capacity to simply be with each other. God purifies us of the false god of good feelings.

Sabbath Keeping—Sabbath is not a reward earned by hard work. It’s an invitation to a life that isn’t dominated and distorted by overwork. Sabbath moves us from production to presence.

Slow Reading of Scripture—Read with the purpose of encountering God. Focus on a word or phrase that God is highlighting for you in the moment. Talk to God about what you feel like He just highlighted.

Commitment to Stability—Commit to a church, group, and process. Stay connected with others, especially in the moment of conflict, tension, and even anxiety.

STEALING TIME vs MAKING TIME
Start somewhere…relationships only grow with time
Give grace for this not to look or be amazing, especially at first.
Stay committed to the process.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What word or phrase would best describe your current life pace?

When you think about spiritual formation, what are the first things that come to your mind?

Why do you think speaking of spiritual formation as a journey is important?

What has your journey of spiritual formation looked like?

What words would you use to describe your own spiritual “root system?” Is it deep or shallow? Narrow or wide? What could you do to deepen your root system?”

In your own words, how would you describe your prayer life?

When you hear the word “sabbath” what do you think of. What has been your experience, if any, with sabbath?

What changes could you make to your daily and weekly schedule to prioritize prayer and sabbath as a regular rhythm for your life?

SLOW—Pay attention to your normal habits and routine. Where in your life do you choose speed or hurry where hypo could slow down instead? Look for opportunities to slow the pace of your life so you can be more present to yourself, your neighbors, your family, and God.

STOP—Set aside one day a week to rest. Refrain from your normal forms of productivity and prioritize being present. Avail yourself ion the presence of God by intentionally keeping the Sabbath.

PRAY—Begin each day this week with silent prayer. Set said ten minutes (or more if you can!) to sit with God in the quiet. If you find yourself getting distracted, it’s okay! Simply say something like, “Jesus, here I am” our “I’m back!”

READ—For a deeper dive into the practices of silent prayer and Sabbath keeping, read chapters 1-2 of Rich’s book, “The Deeply Formed Life.”

SCRIPTURES

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Galatians 1:6-7

“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.” Exodus 3:1

“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” Psalm 27:4

“But Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Mark 1:3-4

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:15-16