Stillness in a High Tech World (Lent 4-2014)

Where are you, people? Trying to build a legacy? Does that legacy include worship of God or are you too busy making a name…for yourselves?

Genesis 11:1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel–because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Progress has a way of interfering with stillness.

Remember when people told us that email was going to free up so much of our time? Kind of makes you want to go back in time and slap that person. Computers were going to make our lives simpler. In some ways, life seems easier but it’s often just quicker. Therefore, we cram more into less time and make a name for ourselves called “Productivity” or “Efficiency.” But when the crash happens, the virus comes, or the software doesn’t work right, it can get pretty stressful.

With smart phones, iPods, and laptops, it seems that technology and progress want to follow us into the most quiet and private places.  Into worship even. It breaks into the stillness with its beeps and buzzes and blings. Even on silent mode in church, it can be a visual distraction, taking you away from focus on God and into making a name for yourself.

Be Still. Put the phone away for a while. You’ll be glad you did.

Be Still. Open a paper copy of your Bible and pray as you meet with Me in the pages.

Be Still. Turn off the noise and be amazed at the feel of your beating heart or the sound of the breath of life in you.  I put it there.

Be Still and Know that I AM God. I’m not one of a million distractions and I certainly don’t want to feel like a smartphone is coming between us.

Be Still and Know that I AM God. I will do what I must to get your attention and to bring you to the humble place of stillness. Better, isn’t it, that you do it willingly rather than as a last resort?  The texts can wait.  The emails can wait.  I want to spend some time with you–in my Word, in prayer, and in song.

Questions for reflection:

1.  Where does reading Scripture fall in your priorities for the day?  Do you feel prepared to take on the day only if you read the news, Facebook status updates, and emails?  Or is reading God’s Word part of your preparation?
2. Do you view obstacles to achieving your goals of building a reputation and a name as being God’s wake-up call to a better life or as a problem to be overcome?
3. How do technology and progress impact your life?  Even good things can come between us and the peace God desires to give us in the stillness.