WALKING IN RHYTHM – Part Four
For the past several weeks I’ve been writing about rhythm.
Rhythm is what makes it music instead of noise and is what gives our lives form instead of frenzy.
When God was about his creating activity, he created with rhythm.
“Evening passed and morning came” Genesis 1 tells us.
I love that God sort of holds everything in between.
Last year the GIFT* group I belong to explored Believe by Randy Frazee
and the most meaningful thing I took from that study was about rhythm.
I regret that I don’t recall the source he used, whether it was ancient Hebrew wisdom or
current thought based on ancient wisdom or something else.
I only know it was important enough for me to write down and tape it to my workspace:
The Hebrew Day Planner
10pm-6am: Sleep, restoration
6am-6pm: Work
6pm-10pm: Relationship hours
I think it’s brilliant!
A wonderful way to order our days
(and a wonderful tool for re-ordering them when life feels out-of-synch).
I would humbly propose a slight change to this rhythm, though.
I’d like to propose we add at least
a half-note rest (the musical kind)…
just a slight break…
to acknowledge the beginning of the new day
to thank God for holding things together during our sleep
and to invite him to guide us through the day.
“O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun.” **
or
“Good morning, Jesus. I greet you. You greet me. The dawning of a new day.”+
And then
let the work of the day begin,
whether that work
continues for a bit in extended time of devotion
or shifts to the business of the day.
Taking just a breath….a heartbeat of time…
to center our thoughts on God
and offer our day to him
establishes just the right beat for the day.
❤
*a GIFT group is what we call small groups at Bethany. It’s an acronym for Growing In Faith Together.
** From Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals
+ From Richard Foster’s Prayers from the Heart (p. 42)
Walking in Rhythm – Part Three
Walking in Rhythm, One Final Note