Friends in faith,
Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t just stand there. Do something!”? Perhaps those words were spoken in a crisis situation, a request for immediate action. Although not in a crisis, I remember hearing those words in my youth spoken by my mother or father when there was work to do. (It would have been a crisis if I had not responded!)
On my first visit to the Goat Lady Dairy some years ago, I heard a different version of that expression. Steve Tate, one of the founders of the Goat Lady Dairy, shared that one of the phrases they regularly use on the farm is, “Don’t just do something. Stand there!” He explained that they learned so much about the animals on the farm by standing, watching their behavior, and reflecting on what they observed.
John Dewey, American philosopher and psychologist, said, “We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.”
The biblical narrative is full of passages that remind us of how important it is to remember and reflect on God’s power and presence throughout history and in our present day lives. This Sunday in worship we will focus on the theme Pause to Reflect by considering texts from Psalm 46 and Luke 22. I encourage you to read those texts before Sunday and reflect on these words from each reading:
“Be still, and know that I am God!”
and
“Do this in remembrance of me.”
And come reflecting on your life in Christ…
Grace and peace,
Butch
Comments