Gospel Wabi Sabi: Good News For Imperfect People

King David writes: “I have calmed and quieted my soul. (Psalm 131.1)” That sounds good. Who wouldn’t want that? But this quieting is something he does. He’s intentional about it. The quieting of the soul doesn’t happen by accident. It doesn’t fall out of the sky and hit him on the head. It’s something he does. He arranges his life so that he can quiet his soul. He creates the space necessary to bring serenity into his mind and heart and soul. It’s built into his schedule. He’s purposeful about doing this quieting. And in creating space to be quiet, he also is creating space to be with God. Creating space for God to work in his life. Find put how to do that for yourself in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

Relaxation is God’s idea. Genesis tell us that when God was finished with bringing the universe into existence he rested. That’s kind of an odd phrase. God rested. God doesn’t get tired. God doesn’t need to plop down on a soft cloud and chug a cosmic can of Red Bull to keep going. What’s described here is a rest not of exhaustion - but a moment of joy and fulfillment. “God rested,” it’s like God saying, “I am pleased with what I have done. And it’s good.” Sabbath means satisfaction in a moment of reflection. An artist doesn’t continually wield the brush. At some point the artist has to put the brush down and step back and see the canvas. That’s what is described of God. He took a moment in time to reflect on what he had done and to experience joy over his creation. How can you build this rhythm into your life? Find out more in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

Fear usually starts small but it grows. Our fears get bigger and more powerful, even stronger than our rational minds. We can tell ourselves, (or other people tell us), that our fears are irrational or illogical, but that doesn’t seem to do any good. Fear knocks reason and logic aside like a snowplow through slush. Jesus says, “Fear not…have courage…don’t worry…take heart” 21 times in the Gospels. He takes our fears seriously. Jesus knows how fear can poison the human heart and paralyze our daily lives and we cannot get out that rut by ourselves. Find out more in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

Is God pro-exhaustion? Does he lead people beside quiet waters anymore? Does he want us to be living in this kind of hyper-activity all the time? I don’t think so. Thomas Kelly once wrote, “God will not guide us into an intolerable scramble of panting feverishness.” And yet that’s where most of us seem to live. How do we begin to turn things around? How do we tap into a sense of peace that comes through his presence? Discover one practical step in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

‘Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.’ (Mark 1:35). Jesus lived a very busy life. From sunup to way past sundown people put all kinds demands on him. Heal this. Help with that. It was like he was walking through a flock of ducks and his robe was made out of bread crumbs. People were pecking at him constantly. It would have been so easy to get distracted from what the Father had called him to do and be. It was in that quiet place, alone with the Father at the beginning of the day, where Jesus found his center. Everything flowed from that divine center. It was that centered life that gave Jesus the courage to follow the Father’s will and not his own. Find out more in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

For me the most challenging words in the Bible come from Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew chapter (6:34), where he says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” I understand that last part. “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” it’s the first part that’s been more elusive. “Don’t worry about tomorrow.” Because I do worry. I have a long list of worries. Probably you do, too. And just telling me not to worry doesn’t do any good. That’s like telling a depressed person to just snap out of it. Not helpful because it’s just not that easy. Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t just tell us to snap out of our anxieties. He goes beyond that to help us find a path forward so that we can put our worries into perspective and lower the intensity of our anxieties. Find out more in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

Why is it that God invites us to pray for the needs of others? And what is supposed to happen when people pray prayers of intercession? It could be that as you pray for others in Jesus’ name your anxiety level will go down. If you take the focus off of your life, if you stop thinking only of yourself and realize there are people around you who are struggling, your anxiety level will go down. I don’t understand exactly how prayer works, I only know Christ wants us to pray and not give up. 

You may not realize it, but there’s a lot of prayer going on all around the world. In Tibet they use spinning prayer wheels; the more the better to attract the attention of the gods. In Japan in the Shinto shrines they clap hands to get the attention of the spirits and light candles to gain the favor of their ancestors.  In Saudi Arabia carpets are carefully placed on the floor so worshippers can pray in the direction of the holy city of Mecca, believing that geography determines the effectiveness of one’s prayers. In Jerusalem prayers are recited by the western wall of an ancient temple – written on small pieces of paper and stuffed into the cracks in the wall - also believing its location adds extra oomph to one’s prayers. All around the world people are praying. But Jesus flips all this on its head with one word and takes prayer to a level no one ever anticipated. Find out more in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

How does the nearness of the Lord become an antidote for anxiety? Because anxiety springs from our need to control the world around us. We want to be able to predict and manage the future. The more you feel you are the victim of unseen forces – that someone else is pulling your strings - then the more anxiety is going to win the day. If you feel like you are just a ping-pong ball being knocked around by the forces of the universe then anxiety is going to win the battle for your brain. The sense of inner peace that we are looking for will not come because our problems go away. Peace won’t come because of a lack of problems, but because of the presence of our Sovereign Lord. Explore how in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

Everyone deals with anxiety. That’s normal.  But severe anxiety can lead people to falsely believe that they are alone, that they are abandoned by God, or that they because they are so filled with fear that they are not worthy of God’s loving care. That’s false. No matter what happens, no matter what you are worrying about, no matter how far down the worry hole you’ve fallen – nothing can take you out of God’s grace. Find out more in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.