Starting in Virginia

This past month has been amazing! On Easter, I began my new role as the Pastor at Hope Christian Fellowship here in Warrenton, Virginia. The people have been absolutely incredible! I know that every pastor is supposed to say things like that, but its really true. This church family has gone out of their way to help me feel right at home. I'm excited about what God has in store for all of us in the coming years.

I've decided to spend my first few weeks at Hope teaching about developing healthy spiritual habits — solitude, Sabbath, Bible study, prayer, worship, serving, stewardship, selflessness, etc. I think good habits are like blazing a trail through an untouched forest toward the sound of a refreshing stream. At first, the going is rough; there are brambles that snag at us, obstacles that have to be cleared away, and the challenge of figuring out which way to go. But the refreshment that awaits us at the other end is worth it. And if we keep pounding at that trail over and over and over again, pretty soon it becomes a clear, smooth path that's easy and familiar.

We've started with a simple task from Psalm 46: learning to "be still" (literally to be silent, to go limp, to listen quietly, to be weak and vulnerable) while God is exalted all around us. I've set up some alarms on my cell phone so that several times each day I'm reminded to stop what I'm doing, find someplace quiet and uninterrupted, and just stand silently in the presence of God listening for the whisper of his Spirit. It's been a great experience, though I think all of us at the church are struggling with keeping our thoughts clear in the midst of our noisy, distracting world. We've also talked about celebrating Sabbath in our lives, which is something our family has been striving to do for a long time. I've been reminded once again that I need to see the Sabbath as a sacred time dedicated to the Lord. It's not optional; it's a matter of morality and holiness. I don't want it to become burdensome or legalistic or anything, but I want to remember that this idea of silence, solitude, intimacy with God, savoring life and finding refreshment is part of God's gift to me. It's all part of the rhythm of creation, and it's a blessing.

This week our church has added a daily habit of Bible study to our habits of carving out sacred time to "be still." And next Sunday we'll be walking through the entire Bible — Genesis through Revelation — in about 30 minutes. I'm looking forward to the challenge of offering an overview of the "big picture" of God's word.