I grew up in church in the 1980s. If you did too, you'll probably remember the exuberant dad-dancing, the Jewish songs and the tambourine apocalypses that used to happen during worship times most Sundays. If you liked your musical instruments with ribbons and rainbow straps, the 1980s would have sent you out with joy and, quite literally, forth with peace, clap-clap-clapping your hands.
I digress. There was a very gentle song we used to sing in those days. It had remarkably complicated lyrics but I think I've somehow managed to remember them. It went something like this:
Be still and know
That I am God
Be still and know
That I am God
Be still and know
That I am God
So for the longest time, I wondered how.
What does it mean? Be still? Okay, I can do that I think, if I squeeze my eyes shut and don't think about Lego or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for a bit. But I definitely know that he is God already! I mean we sing about that every week. What more is there for me to know? And anyway, why are we singing this to each other? What are we actually suggesting that we... do?
Then, one day, I read where it came from in Psalm 46. And there are some things about this idea of 'being still' that I thought it would be great to go deeper into.
After all, the older I've got, the more I've realised that life is moving fast, pretty much all the time; time is changing everything! Concentration spans have shortened, patience is harder to find, and the whole world is on the move. Being still is harder than ever before, and maybe there's something in this.
Then God started to show me about capturing those moments between the moments, right there in the middle of worship, and something clicked.
So over the next few posts I'd like to think about what it means to 'be still' and how that might help in 'knowing' who he is. I'd like to apply that to how we operate as worshippers, what it means for our worship times, and how to make the most of the stillness when it comes.
Are you with me?
Great! Okay, so your task this week is to read all of Psalm 46. What's the context of the Psalm? Where did it come from? Why do you think God says what he says in verse 10? Maybe you could even have a go at singing or playing it through in your own words? Though you'll lose points with me if you set it to the music of the rainbow-ribboned tambourine.
More next time.
