Embracing Slowness: The Spiritual Battle Against Hurry

 

Summary

In our fast-paced world, the concept of hurry has become a pervasive issue, often unnoticed yet deeply impactful on our spiritual lives. Today, I had the privilege of discussing this with John Mark Comer, a fellow pastor and author, who has extensively explored the theme of hurry in his book, "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry." We delved into how hurry is not just a symptom but a root cause of many spiritual ailments, such as a lack of love, irritability, and chronic anxiety. Dallas Willard, a significant influence on both of us, famously stated that "hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life." This profound insight challenges us to reconsider our priorities and the pace at which we live.

John Mark shared his personal journey from being a stressed-out pastor to embracing a slower, more intentional way of living. He emphasized that love, as taught by Jesus, is incompatible with hurry. Love requires time, patience, and presence, which are often sacrificed in our hurried lifestyles. The Japanese theologian Kosuke Koyama's concept of a "three-mile-an-hour God" beautifully illustrates this idea, suggesting that God's pace is one of love, not haste.

We also touched on the importance of self-awareness and mindfulness in combating hurry. Recognizing when we are hurried and gently bringing ourselves back to a state of calm can be transformative. This practice aligns with the ancient Christian tradition of embodied spirituality, where the body is seen as an ally in spiritual growth. Simple acts like deep breathing and slowing down can help us cultivate the presence of God in our lives.

Ultimately, the call is to ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives, not as a one-time act but as a continual practice. When we find ourselves rushing, we should pause, breathe, and return to a slower, more deliberate pace. This is not just about reducing stress but about aligning our lives with the rhythm of love and grace that God embodies.

Key Takeaways:

- Hurry as a Spiritual Enemy: Hurry is not merely a symptom but a root cause of spiritual issues like irritability and anxiety. It stands in direct opposition to the love and presence that Jesus calls us to embody. Recognizing hurry as a spiritual enemy can help us prioritize slowing down and being present. [02:35]

- The Pace of Love: Love, as defined by Jesus, requires time and patience, which are incompatible with hurry. Embracing a slower pace allows us to cultivate deeper relationships and a more profound connection with God. This perspective challenges the cultural norm of equating speed with efficiency. [04:30]

- Embodied Spirituality: Viewing our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit encourages us to engage in practices that align our physical selves with our spiritual goals. Simple acts like deep breathing and mindfulness can help us slow down and experience God's presence more fully. [09:43]

- Self-Awareness and Mindfulness: Developing self-awareness is crucial in recognizing when we are hurried. By gently bringing ourselves back to a state of calm, we can break the cycle of hurry and cultivate a more peaceful, intentional way of living. [08:12]

- Continual Practice of Slowing Down: Eliminating hurry is not a one-time act but a continual practice. When we find ourselves rushing, we should pause, breathe, and return to a slower pace, aligning our lives with the rhythm of love and grace. [10:51]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:15] - Introduction to John Mark Comer
- [00:41] - The Problem of Hurry
- [01:15] - Why Hurry Matters
- [02:02] - Dallas Willard's Influence
- [02:35] - Hurry as a Spiritual Enemy
- [03:19] - The Tuning Fork Analogy
- [04:17] - Love and Hurry are Incompatible
- [04:43] - The Three-Mile-an-Hour God
- [05:31] - Nature's Time Scale
- [06:10] - Historical Perspectives on Time
- [07:19] - Practical Steps to Eliminate Hurry
- [08:01] - The Role of Self-Awareness
- [09:11] - Embodied Spirituality
- [10:29] - Practicing Slowness
- [10:51] - Final Encouragement

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
2. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NIV) - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."
3. Psalm 46:10 (NIV) - "He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'"

Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, how does John Mark Comer describe the impact of hurry on his life as a pastor? [01:26]
2. What analogy does John Mark Comer use to describe the realization of hurry as a spiritual enemy? [03:19]
3. How does the concept of a "three-mile-an-hour God" relate to the pace of love as discussed in the sermon? [04:30]
4. What practices are suggested in the sermon to help combat hurry and cultivate the presence of God? [09:11]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the idea of "hurry as a spiritual enemy" challenge the cultural norm of equating speed with efficiency? [02:35]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that love and hurry are incompatible, and how does this relate to Jesus' teachings on love? [04:17]
3. How does the practice of self-awareness and mindfulness contribute to breaking the cycle of hurry, according to the sermon? [08:12]
4. What does the sermon imply about the role of embodied spirituality in aligning our physical selves with our spiritual goals? [09:43]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your daily routine. Are there specific areas where hurry is impacting your spiritual life? How can you begin to address these areas this week? [02:35]
2. Consider a relationship in your life that could benefit from a slower, more intentional pace. What practical steps can you take to cultivate patience and presence in that relationship? [04:30]
3. Identify a moment in your day when you feel most hurried. What simple practice, such as deep breathing or pausing, can you implement to bring yourself back to a state of calm? [09:11]
4. How can you incorporate the concept of a "three-mile-an-hour God" into your understanding of God's work in your life and the world around you? [04:43]
5. Think about a recent situation where you felt overwhelmed by tasks. How might practicing self-awareness and mindfulness have changed your response? [08:12]
6. What is one specific way you can practice embodied spirituality this week, viewing your body as an ally in your spiritual growth? [09:43]
7. How can you make the practice of slowing down a continual part of your life, rather than a one-time act? What reminders or habits can you put in place to help with this? [10:51]

Devotional

Day 1: Recognizing Hurry as a Spiritual Adversary
Hurry is not just a symptom of a busy life; it is a profound spiritual adversary that undermines our ability to live in love and peace. It often manifests as irritability, anxiety, and a lack of presence, which are contrary to the life Jesus calls us to lead. By identifying hurry as a spiritual enemy, we can begin to prioritize slowing down and being present in our daily lives. This recognition is the first step in aligning our lives with the love and presence that God desires for us. [02:35]

Isaiah 30:15 (ESV): "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find hurry causing spiritual unrest? How can you intentionally slow down today to experience God's peace?


Day 2: Embracing the Pace of Love
Love, as taught by Jesus, requires time, patience, and presence—qualities that are incompatible with a hurried lifestyle. By embracing a slower pace, we can cultivate deeper relationships and a more profound connection with God. This perspective challenges the cultural norm of equating speed with efficiency and invites us to live in a way that prioritizes love over haste. [04:30]

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (ESV): "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful."

Reflection: How can you adjust your schedule today to allow more time for patience and presence in your interactions with others?


Day 3: Practicing Embodied Spirituality
Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and engaging in practices that align our physical selves with our spiritual goals can help us slow down and experience God's presence more fully. Simple acts like deep breathing and mindfulness can transform our hurried lives into ones of peace and intentionality. By viewing our bodies as allies in spiritual growth, we can cultivate a deeper awareness of God's presence in our daily lives. [09:43]

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV): "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

Reflection: What physical practices can you incorporate into your day to help you slow down and become more aware of God's presence?


Day 4: Cultivating Self-Awareness and Mindfulness
Developing self-awareness is crucial in recognizing when we are hurried. By gently bringing ourselves back to a state of calm, we can break the cycle of hurry and cultivate a more peaceful, intentional way of living. This practice of mindfulness allows us to be more present in our daily lives and more attuned to the voice of God. [08:12]

Psalm 46:10 (ESV): "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Reflection: Take a moment today to pause and reflect on your current state of mind. How can you practice mindfulness to bring yourself back to a place of calm and presence?


Day 5: Committing to a Continual Practice of Slowing Down
Eliminating hurry is not a one-time act but a continual practice. When we find ourselves rushing, we should pause, breathe, and return to a slower pace, aligning our lives with the rhythm of love and grace. This ongoing commitment to slowing down allows us to live more fully in the presence of God and experience the peace that comes from a life aligned with His will. [10:51]

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV): "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to slow down and align your life with the rhythm of God's love and grace?

Quotes


i was autobiographically i was basically a quintessential stressed out mega church pastor having an early midlife crisis and i yeah you're way too young for that uh yeah yeah no or not and i had come to willard's kind of corpus of writings and they had already had a tremendous impact on me and just kind of raising the horizon of possibility for human personhood to jesus original vision but i was still fairly stuck in my kind of day-to-day life [00:01:29]

hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life yeah if you haven't heard many many years ago i've gone to a church in chicago i was real busy and asked ellis what do i need to do to stay spiritually healthy and alive long pause you must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life from your life yeah and and he called hurry the great enemy of spiritual life in our day [00:02:21]

and so it was like this tuning fork kind of reality where i think it put the finger on the pulse of not the symptom but the root and the symptoms in my life were a lack of love and shorthand irritability exhaustion chronic anxiety but the root ouch anybody yeah or at least or at least one of the core roots was hurry [00:03:50]

maybe if this is a one thought for the day thing maybe the very simple idea is if in jesus teachings and vision the most important thing in life is becoming a person of agape of love as defined by jesus hurry and love are as you would say incompatible [00:04:10]

and he has this beautiful like short two-page meditation where he just says that god has a speed and it's a speed of love and love is a slow speed there's an internal speed as a pace to agape and the reason that god doesn't go quickly in our lives or in human history or in evolution or in the universe is because god is love and love has a speed to it [00:04:48]

you just realize the there's a whole other time scale to nature to trees to rocks you know and and what if there's a different time scale to growing a soul to soul making that requires a different speed [00:05:48]

so for people who are facing a day-to-day and uh you find yourself tempted to feel overwhelmed rushed you have too many things to do you're worried about them dallas had a little note on his refrigerator his wife jane said when he died it was on there and he had different words in addition to a hurry that were connected with a hurley brewery and harried and you find yourself feeling that way let's take a breath right now [00:07:08]

you know it's it's the simplest things are always the hardest things but you know so much i think of spiritual formation comes at some point down to self-awareness and the ability to kind of see yourself and see how you are in the world and so i think it's sometimes it's just a matter and i don't have this down like by the way never write a book on ruthlessly eliminating hurry [00:07:56]

and i think with hurry which is a form of like christian mindfulness when you notice that you're hurried or harried or stressed or rushing don't berate yourself or judge yourself of course the whole world around us is designed to hurry you and designed to make everything as fast as it possibly can be so it's just a matter of noticing that and then coming back off into your breath [00:08:48]

to a more ancient kind of orthodox historic view of christianity which they would call it embodied spirituality and viewing your body in biblical language as the temple of the holy spirit and really trying to this is why i think westerners like can't comprehend fasting for example because it's not cartesian you don't do fasting with your mind you're like not eating your way into maturity [00:09:38]

so i think like trying to as willard would say let your body become an ally you know rather than an enemy and gently work with your body to cultivate the presence of god through just breathing in god's spirit and it really is possible [00:10:14]

don't be in a hurry to turn off your cell phone don't be in a hurry to do whatever you have to do next today ruthlessly eliminate hurry and when you forget just stop and eliminate it again [00:10:49]

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Transcript
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