Comments on: Continue The Conversation (SYNC-Part 2)

By: Paul Kuzma

Paul Kuzma — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:03:57 +0000

Great post Pete!

I live in a city about 8 miles long with a freeway that goes through it. Recovering from burnout 7 years ago, having the Lord speak “I don’t want you to get back on the same treadmill you’ve been on”, I felt lost. I didn’t know how I would slow my pace, or even if I could.

Approaching the freeway onramp one day, I felt a spark in my spirit … “Don’t do that. Take the side streets. When you’re driving in your own city, take the side streets instead of the freeway.”

It forced me to slow down. I’m not hyper-religious about it. If its’ going to add stress to take side streets, I’ll use the freeway. But it just helped break that “hurry sickness” thing from my life. I still struggle with it, but a little less these days.

By: beyondJEMS

beyondJEMS — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:39:19 +0000

Pete, I’m so glad we had lunch and I got connected with this series because it really speaks to part of the changes I’m trying so hard to make in my life. here’s the irony… i shared your sermon with a friend who pointed out to me that i’m always in a hurry; rushing, rushing, rushing and yet always late!

Confession… I sent a tweet during church on “Hurry makes us feel important. It is our ego.Interferes w spiritual transformation” This one nails it most for me. In multiple ways: first there is the physical rushing around always overscheduling and procrastinating to create last minute chaos. Then there is the mental hurry that is an even bigger problem for me. My head spins constantly with past ‘hauntings’, today’s do to lists & future dreams. Even in solitude, my mind races. So even if we are not physically in a hurry, we also need to be mindful of our thoughts. In my mind there is no room for God. I have yet to allow Him to breach the sound barrier I have created over the years.

I have started my daily devotionals a bit earlier and now the kids are old enough (3 on 6/10 – check out my post on it) to let me have a bit of quiet time alone, so I’m working on the silecing my head part to read the book you recommended.

I’m looking forward to the next installment and the kids and I are coming to the picnic w/ Matt & Nicki. (btw, Nicki Robins told me today there is a CD of the first sermon? how do i get my hands on that?)

By: marina

marina — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:29:35 +0000

It’s all about the adrenaline for me. It’s like I purposely over-book my time in order to always get that rush of adrenaline flowing through my veins in order to move on to the next activity or task. When my kids were younger, I’d rush around, hurrying them through playtime, naptime, mealtime. I am trying so hard now to recover from being so hurried for so long. Sunday mornings are the true test for us – I grew up being hurried by my dad and so hurry has felt natural and right for a lot of years. I literally make myself stop and smell the roses in our front yard. I try to notice details around me that are new. If I’m really in a hurry, I interrupt my task, call a friend, drink a bottle of water, burn a CD, any simple task that helps me re-focus my priorities and stops the hurry.

By: Audra

Audra — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:06:35 +0000

Hurry is one of the badges we wear to try and feel important. Love that spiritual formation can’t be microwaved, that is brilliant.

By: JVo

JVo — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:27:00 +0000

I timed myself reading through your post and all the 49 responses before me. Lightning fast. Good job, man. On to the next blog . . .

By: Amanda Fordham

Amanda Fordham — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:50:21 +0000

I was always told that true character happens when no one is looking. I think that when I am so busy working, doing church, being with friends, taking care of the house, writing on facebook and other people’s blogs I am making sure someone, somewhere is looking. It’s the ego Pete was talking about.
However, when all that is stripped, and no one is looking but me and God, I am forced to see who and what I really am…..my true character. It’s in the quiet, the stillness that I allow my soul to breathe and find that it’s aching for connection to the one thing that can actually give me worth.

By: Distracted « Stacked Actors

Distracted « Stacked Actors — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:11:56 +0000

[...] Pete’s sermon on Sunday threw a monkey wrench into the machine. For a while now, the knob has been turned past warp speed and has been set on “out of control.” I took notice and hopefully can make some things work better. [...]

By: ncarnes

ncarnes — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:25:24 +0000

…Sorry I meant “Experience the Environment” page on your church website (not website on your website)

By: ncarnes

ncarnes — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:19:23 +0000

First of all I was just checking out the “Experience the Environment” website on your church website…cool stuff!

Secondly, yes I suffer from bouts of “hurry sickness” but have recently been doing a self examination of all I ‘choose’ to do on top of all that I ‘have’ to do. With the new addition of our third child, I am looking at areas I need to change. I like what your wife said earlier about teaching that pace to your children…I’ve never looked at it that way, great stuff!

By: krista

krista — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:05:24 +0000

absolutely. after finally getting to sit and listen to it at 6 PM after “hurrying” all morning, i wished i could have heard the message 3 times. i like to be busy. i don’t like having nothing to do. downtime is a dirty word in my vocabulary. however, all the hurry is what’s keeping God out. something’s gotta change.