Maineville Lighthouse Church

I was thinking…Pastor Steve 

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”  John 4: 23, 24  (NIV)

 

I was reading an article the other day and, in that article, was the phrase “savor the slow.”  There wasn’t a focus on those words, but it got me to thinking, “How, in this day and age, can we possibly savor the slow?”

 

Just look at all the time spent going places and getting things done between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.  It doesn’t seem to stop, does it?  I mean, once you hit November, the next time you look up you’re staring at February.  Has it always been this way?  I think not.  Maybe it’s become worse since the development of electricity, that must be it.  With electric, we could keep the factories open 24/7, the shops would be open until 9 or 10 pm, and we had fast food and gas (not exactly what I meant) available whenever we needed it.  So we could extend our time away from home.  It seems like we only lay down our heads before we get back up and start it all over again.

 

It’s not just in the Winter either.  With the longer daylight hours in the Summer, we tend to do the same thing, just trying to burn the candles at both ends.  All of this flooded into my mind as I contemplated that phrase again, “Savor the slow.”  How do we do that?

 

I think we look to some of the teaching that Jesus did and understand that, no matter how much we get done, more will still need to done.  There are some things that we have no control over, in spite of what we do.  One of those things is bringing the Kingdom of God to the present time.  Jesus said, “A time is coming…”  Now, the woman at the well, and others who had heard Jesus say similar things, thought the culmination of God’s Kingdom would enter into time and space soon, in their lifetime.  We know now that this didn’t happen, and it hasn’t happened in the two thousand years since then.

 

We can often wonder what is taking so long, why does the Lord tarry in His coming back?  Maybe it’s so we can savor the slow.  Sure, I think that there’s a mandate that we are to try to spread the Gospel to all before His return, but unless there’s some rather unique form of communication (and we are getting closer every day), we can’t reach everyone…yet.

 

Have you ever wondered if Jesus hurried?  I’ve never thought about it that much, but I don’t think I’ve ever pictured Jesus running!  Or even walking fast.  The one recorded time when people wanted Him to rush was when Lazarus was sick and dying.  But Jesus savored the slow.  Had Jesus been at the side of Lazarus and healed him before he could die, then there wouldn’t have been the same impact as when He called Lazarus out of his grave, to live again!  In the Gospel of John, Chapter 11, John records Jesus saying this:  So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.  But let us go to him.”  (vv. 14, 15)

 

There are reasons why things don’t happen quickly.  We want instantaneous food, internet, phones, texts, and responses from people with whom we have questions, including God.  However, sometimes we just need to be patient, to wait upon the Lord…to savor the slow.  When we are running here and there, we might miss something or someone.  Slow down and enjoy the slower pace, the deeper conversation, the quiet time with family and friends, or even those silent times before God.  Allow Jesus to draw you close to His presence, let His Spirit envelop you.  Relax and know that He is God.  Savor the slow.  Maybe we should make that our motto this New Year.  May it be a blessed one.