Kirk Byron Jones’ comments on yesterday’s teleconference about finding spiritual support for your ministry were uplifting and encouraging.
Here’s just a sample: “We must give ourselves more time to just be. We are addicted to distraction and busyness…This is about challenging some deeply held convictions about what it means to be human and to be in ministry. We do not work for acceptance but work from acceptance. We do not just receive the grace of God but revel in the grace of God and roll around in it. The scripture does not say, BE busy and know that I am God but the scripture says, BE still. If we can still ourselves with our perceptions, worries, rules and relax our spirits in the Spirit of a loving God who loves us just because, that is very enlivening. That is being for being sake. It tastes good because one’s identity is detached from productivity and productivity in a role. Each of us is a child of God and through each of us God is having a unique human experience. Spirituality becomes paying attention to my own humanness and what is going on around me….if we receive those gifts fully, the energy will be there when it comes to sermon preparation time. There is a circle of rest: resting in God leads to peace, peace leads to clarity and clarity leads to creativity. We do not really know what it means to be on until you know what it means to be off.”
Kirk’s website is kirkbjones.com.
The recording of the teleconference is available. E-mail me at Margaret@margaretmarcuson.com, and I’ll send you the link.
Margaret Marcuson
Yes, that was truly a profound statement. Being frantic gets in the way of our creativity, in preaching, ministry and life.
Rebecca Maccini
Thank you so much for the recording. I loved the comment about when we rest with God, we find peace, when we find peace, we find clarity and with clarity comes creativity.