Thought-Provoking

Spiritual Training Cycle: Unity (wk. 7/13)

Reading: Psalm 46:1-11

How many of you have ever heard of the sickness wellness fitness continuum? The concept was first introduced to me at a seminar lecture in 2013. Essentially, this continuum can be used to chart and track physical health. By using measurements such as blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol, muscle mass, etc., a person’s health can be plotted on the continuum and followed over time. Not surprisingly, the fitter a person becomes, the further away they move from developing chronic disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. What most intrigued me though was the revelation that fitness is both a journey and a destination. People pursue fitness, move away from sickness, but they can continually pursue new levels of fitness. For me, the concept was thought-provoking.

Thought-provoking. Two simple words that when combined mean stimulating careful consideration or attention. Movie makers, writers, professors, even Cliff Clavin from the sit-com Cheers all want to be thought-provoking. They want to make you stop and really consider things. So let me try and do the same. Here’s my thought-provoking statement –

What you think about shapes who you become.

Are you going to the gym tomorrow or not? Well, if there are burpees, you might spend more time than you want thinking about a recovery day and end up skipping. What about thinking of others versus thinking of yourself? When we spend more time thinking about the needs of others, we put them first. But if it’s all about us, then life will be all about us. What you think about shapes who you become.

Which is important in our prayer life. Prayer is our way of communicating with God. Just like we talk with our friends and loved ones, we talk with God the same way, but through prayer. What do you think about when you talk to God? Do you dream about a life with no debt or where your kids are all happily married? Do you think of your needs like gas and groceries and electricity? Or maybe you think about your desires like the perfect job or the perfect post on social media. But how much time do you spend letting God provide those thoughts? This is the spiritual exercise of contemplative prayer. First used by the ancients and then by followers of Jesus for thousands of years, contemplative prayer expresses or involves prolonged thoughts – but not your thoughts, God’s thoughts.

Instead of opening our mouths and confessing or asking or yielding, we open our hearts and sit into God’s presence. We clear our mind, settle in, and enjoy time with God where we are silent. Like any good relationship, simply being in the presence of the other person deepens the level of intimacy, and contemplative prayer deepens our connection to God in the same way. If you’re new to this spiritual exercise, let me invite you to start small with two to three minutes of meditation to clear your mind, then five to seven minutes enjoying the presence of God. If you find your mind wondering, use your breath to recenter and refocus. Connect to God in a deeper way and watch how He provokes your thoughts through contemplative prayer.

Questions for Reflection:

Have you ever tried to just sit still with God? What was your experience like?

Where would contemplative prayer best fit into the rhythm of your typical day?

Conversations

Spiritual Training Cycle: Unity (wk. 6/13)

Reading: Matthew 6:5-13

There’s something unique about watching a coach and an athlete. I was out of town recently and dropped in to train at another CrossFit gym. Instead of being focused on my own athletes, I got to sit back and watch another coach focus on hers. It didn’t take long to see that she shares the same goal with her athletes as I do. It’s all about relationship. I coach about 40-50 athletes each week, and I have a special bond with each of them. Over time, we build trust with one another. They come to know that I care about them, that I want them to achieve great things in life, and that they are supported by me in their pursuit of fitness. I help athletes grow in three primary ways: coaching, correction, and conversations.

Conversations form the fabric of a relationship.

Sometimes our conversations focus on getting to know one another, especially when an athlete is new. I like to find out where they’re from and hear about their dreams and goals. I also like to hear about their past athletic experiences or if they’ve got any previous injuries. As we grow together in our relationship, conversations shift to learning to trust each other. We’ll start to talk about vulnerabilities or fears or doubts. I’ll share some of mine with them, so they know I struggle too. We’re all working on something! And then as the relationship grows, we grow together. I know when to push and when to back off. We can both give each other feedback and it’s well received. None of this would happen without conversations because they form the fabric of a relationship.

The same is true in our relationship with God. Only instead of calling them conversations, we call them prayers. Prayer is our way of communicating with God. Just like we talk with our friends and loved ones, we talk with God the same way, but through prayer. I bet for many of you, your first introduction to prayer was before a meal. See, I know you! That was my first introduction too. When we used to visit my grandparents on Sundays, they would pray before the meal. Then one day, out of nowhere, my grandpa announces to the table that his grandson will be praying. I was like seven years old and scared out of my mind. Even though I had heard these so-called prayers, I committed none of them to memory. Instead, I often prayed during the prayer that it would end so I could eat. Grandma’s fried chicken you know. Luckily, on the wall just behind the table hung a little sign. And while everyone else closed their eyes and bowed their heads, I strained hard to look over grandpa’s head and uttered the words I saw: good bread, good meat, good gosh, let’s eat. And I threw a little amen in at the end!

I’m laughing as I reflect on that moment, and I think God probably smiled as well. But you know what it was? It was the beginning. And even though I wouldn’t pray much more over the next 32 years, God was patiently waiting for me to start a conversation with Him. And when I did, it was much like the conversations athletes have with me. I told God about my dreams and my goals. I told Him about my past and what I regret and what I’ve learned. I asked Him for help to overcome my fears and doubts. I even asked Him to teach me why I feel so messed up sometimes. Although my conversations with God have changed over time, I still talk to Him every day. I’ll leave you with a really practical question. What kind of relationship do you have with people you don’t talk to? The answer is none. If your goal is a deep and meaningful connection to God, stop waiting for the right words, the right moment, or the right meal. Open you heart and start with some conversations.

Reflection Questions

What kinds of conversations do you have with God most often?

What gives you confidence that God hears your prayers?

Breathe at the Top

By Coach Nick Vuicich

Spiritual Training Cycle: Unity (wk. 5/13)

Luke 5:12-16

I hate Fran. Can we still be friends?

I don’t hate Fran because it is difficult. I hate Fran because I always forget to breathe at the right time. “Breathe at the top” is all the coach tells me for 45 thrusters. And I need the reminder, because I constantly forget to breathe when it is easiest and most efficient.

When I became a coach, we spent a lot of time talking about breathing. Breathing is important as our muscles need oxygen to work but breathing also regulates our heart rate. When you breathe is also important. Breathing is best when the load is at its lightest, because you’ll need it when the load is at its heaviest. There are a couple of reasons for this: 1) it is easier for your lungs to expand. 2) Holding your breath under tension creates a more stable core. It is best to take a breath at the top of the movement.

Prayer works like this also. Almost everyone prays, even atheists. That’s amazing. But when you pray also matters. Most of us tend to pray when things are the hardest. Pressure is building. We got bad news from the doctor. Our marriages are in trouble. We tend to pray most when we are under the most tension. And God honors those prayers. But these are Hail Mary prayers and very few games are won with Hail Mary passes. When we pray at the top, that is when tension is lighter, our prayers feel different and they’re more effective.

When we only pray under tension, we tend to feel guilty about it. This affects our prayer life and attitude towards God. Praying at the top, before the tension comes, allows prayer to change our attitudes and our perspective. Praying for your marriage when things are good has a bigger impact than when you’re sleeping in separate rooms. Praying in the morning before the email, commute, meetings, and annoying co-worker is more effective at reducing stress than trying to pray in the midst of it.

We need to develop the habit of praying at the top. Because praying when tension is at its lightest prepares us for when it’s at its heaviest.

Praying when tension is at its lightest prepares us for when it's at its heaviest.

Praying at the Top

I want to help you develop the habit of praying at the top.

1) Think differently about prayer. Prayer is not just about asking God for things. Prayer is engaging in a relationship with God. It’s about telling God the most important things going on in your life. It’s about venting and griping. It’s even about sharing your weird self with God. Prayer is also about listening, being still, and crying when things are too much.

2) Create a moment that belongs to prayer. Prayer is easy to avoid, even for pastors. If you’re going to create a habit of prayer, you have to create a time, place, or moment that is regularly dedicated to prayer. I work from home. Between coffee and touching my computer goes prayer. Sometimes it is for 5 minutes sometimes 30. But before I get to work – I pray. Prayer could be during a morning shower, coffee before the littles start stirring, or the first part of a morning commute. If you do not dedicate space to prayer, you will never develop the habit of prayer.

3) Have a plan. You may not stick to it, but having a plan is critical to success in any endeavor – especially prayer. Talking to God can feel overwhelming. Sometimes our minds go blank. Other times they won’t shut down. That is why having a plan is crucial. Great news – there are lots of plans out there. I like to read 3-6 verses and then pray about what stood out. Others like the ACTS model (Adoration – Confession – Thanksgiving – Supplication (fancy word for asking for stuff)). Sometimes I pray on my fingers, the first three are for my daughter, wife and myself. Then I assign the last two to other things that are important at the time. I touch each finger as I pray. You can also use the Bible App to help you pray. They now have prayer prompts. The exact plan doesn’t matter, just that you have one. I encourage you to try them out and find what fits you.

Questions for Reflection:

When has prayer felt easy and refreshing to you? What made that situation different?

What intimidates you about a regular prayer life? What excites you?

Who in your life inspires you to pray more? Schedule time with them and hear their thoughts on prayer.