Every morning in my Gmail in-box I receive a Google calendar update containing my schedule for the day. With few exceptions over the recent Christmas holidays, I would find the email contained this message: "You Have No Events Scheduled Today." Now, I don’t know about you, but this is not a typical message in my life's in-box. It is, however, becoming more and more of a welcome one.This past week my ministerial team mates and I participated in an ACU intense course on Christian Spiritual Formation. Repeatedly throughout the week we read about Jesus going away to a quiet place to be alone and the importance Scripture places on keeping a regular Sabbath. When I experience what happens in my soul when I have "no events scheduled today" I become more fully aware that regular times of silence and solitude are disciplines I must cultivate if I want to be spiritually healthy.
So, what am I going to do about my spiritual health in 2010? Here is a short list of things I am going to work toward in relation to growing in spiritual disciplines:
- A weekly day away to reflect, pray and recalibrate
- A daily practice of quietly listening to the Spirit who lives in me
- A daily reading in the Gospels so that I might grow in my imitation of Jesus
I realize these aren’t mind boggling objectives, but I am confident they will prove most helpful to me. Unfortunately I all too often miss the time for my soul because my daily/weekly schedule has far too many events that don’t allow the space for the still small voice of God to say what needs to be said.
So, what about you? Do you have intentional time in your schedule for solitude and silence... or are you "too busy" for that? Do you need to schedule time for "no events scheduled for today"? What is your plan in 2010 for growing more into the likeness and example of Jesus?
"Be still and know that I am God…" Psalm 46:10
