As many of you may know, I recently started to attend classes at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in order to obtain my Master of Divinity (MDiv). At the start of the semester, I was overwhelmed at the thought of attending seminary. Was I going to be good enough? Do I have what it takes? But, God reminded me that God is in control, God is good, and that as the Psalmist writes in chapter 46 verse 10, I need to be still. I don’t know about you, BUT I have a REALLY hard time being still. Often times, we are everywhere and nowhere all at the same time, and slowing down is not often an action that we take without significant prompting. It often takes something drastic to get our attention.
Over the last few weeks, I have been learning more about how I interact with God and about my own spiritual formation, taking an inventory of my own spiritual life, evaluating where I need to make some improvements. One groundbreaking idea I’ve heard over the last weeks is the thought that the hardest part of our spiritual lives is the idea of letting go of the idea that we are doing the work and being receptive to what God is doing. Rather than continuing to try to be “good enough,” I need to stop, pause, and listen. I need to practice Psalm 46:10 and be still before Christ and be receptive to the things that He is doing in, around, and through me.
How about you? Are you like me, rushing from place to place, from work to school to Friday night Quaker Valley football games? I invite you in those moments of rush and panic to stop, pause, and listen. Be receptive to what God IS doing in your life. You might be amazed at what you begin to notice. Blessings, dear friends!
Mitch Hortert, Administrative Council Chair