1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:03,720 I don't know what we're doing, but. 2 00:00:04,870 --> 00:00:07,500 That's a good intro. Course, there's the cold intro. 3 00:00:07,790 --> 00:00:10,340 Hey friend, welcome to another episode of this Sunday. 4 00:00:10,350 --> 00:00:14,260 Sit down and I'm gonna talk a little slower so that you can 5 00:00:14,270 --> 00:00:17,660 put me on 1.5 and listen to us quickly. 6 00:00:17,670 --> 00:00:20,360 Did we get complaints? No no, no no no. 7 00:00:20,370 --> 00:00:22,060 I just know that there are people out there listening at 8 00:00:22,070 --> 00:00:26,480 1.5 so shout out to all my 1.5 listeners because that's how I 9 00:00:26,490 --> 00:00:28,850 listen to books. Some people are like I often get 10 00:00:28,860 --> 00:00:34,560 asked how do I read as much as I do and the trick is to listen on 11 00:00:34,570 --> 00:00:37,360 audible at 1.15 times. Speed. 12 00:00:37,370 --> 00:00:38,640 That's the. Key Yep, Yep. 13 00:00:38,650 --> 00:00:40,910 And it keeps my brain engaged. Yep. 14 00:00:40,950 --> 00:00:44,960 So we hope that you're having a great start to your advent in 15 00:00:44,970 --> 00:00:47,660 the name of not 1.5 times in your life. 16 00:00:47,670 --> 00:00:51,250 We are trying to encourage you to slow down and we are trying 17 00:00:51,260 --> 00:00:54,230 to encourage ourselves to also do that. 18 00:00:54,310 --> 00:00:56,720 So I know we we made candles this weekend. 19 00:00:56,730 --> 00:00:59,740 We did not together, no, not together with our families. 20 00:00:59,750 --> 00:01:04,180 Our families and I took to heart because we talked about that 21 00:01:04,190 --> 00:01:07,120 last last Monday, we talked about that and and that was one 22 00:01:07,130 --> 00:01:08,700 of the practices we had outlined. 23 00:01:08,810 --> 00:01:11,810 And so, yeah, we got these little candle kits that are kind 24 00:01:11,820 --> 00:01:14,940 of kind of meant for kids, but also, you know, we're doing it 25 00:01:14,950 --> 00:01:19,910 with kids. So works and we made our own 26 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:21,990 years were more liturgically accurate. 27 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,010 Mine my my family went rogue on some of the colours. 28 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:30,130 I love that which I I was a little bit antsy about, but. 29 00:01:30,190 --> 00:01:34,310 We stuck to the purple, the pink and the white and we managed. 30 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:38,490 So we got one like really short tiny candle and then one really 31 00:01:38,500 --> 00:01:41,950 tall candle and then one medium wider one like we we managed to 32 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:45,770 figure it. Out my so so my daughter kind of 33 00:01:45,780 --> 00:01:48,310 went off vibes of like, you know when we talk about the different 34 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:49,840 weeks. So she's like, well, anyway, I 35 00:01:49,850 --> 00:01:52,570 feel like yellow is a joyful colour, so we're gonna go with 36 00:01:52,580 --> 00:01:53,700 that. And I was like, you know what? 37 00:01:53,710 --> 00:01:57,340 I I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't deny. 38 00:01:57,350 --> 00:02:00,900 That see, it's way better than what we did, which is why, why 39 00:02:00,910 --> 00:02:04,660 are we making it purple, dad? Because that's the colour it's 40 00:02:04,670 --> 00:02:08,690 always being. Yeah, I gave a little bit better 41 00:02:08,699 --> 00:02:12,770 of an yeah, of a, of a, of a, you know, example or reason why 42 00:02:12,820 --> 00:02:15,430 the liturgical colours are what they are. 43 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,360 Yeah, but. Yeah, I know, I know. 44 00:02:17,370 --> 00:02:19,070 Essentially, that was the answer. 45 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,470 Well, this is the way it's been. Which, you know, is. 46 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,970 I love that answer. As churches, we give that answer 47 00:02:24,980 --> 00:02:29,470 far too many times. And, and sometimes that's OK, 48 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,720 and other times it's, you know, a poor excuse or poor reason to 49 00:02:33,780 --> 00:02:37,250 to keep something the way it is. But I digress. 50 00:02:37,460 --> 00:02:39,320 Otherwise we could get on a train. 51 00:02:39,330 --> 00:02:41,980 We don't want to get on. But I did have we had a really 52 00:02:41,990 --> 00:02:43,140 beautiful moment like it was out. 53 00:02:43,150 --> 00:02:46,780 We had dinner last night. We we then made the made the 54 00:02:46,790 --> 00:02:53,860 candles and then we lit we lit the one the hope candle and we 55 00:02:54,150 --> 00:02:56,600 kind of turned off as many lights as we could with still 56 00:02:56,610 --> 00:03:00,520 being able to read because we read the the advent devotional 57 00:03:00,590 --> 00:03:03,010 together as a family. I told her, I told our daughter, 58 00:03:03,020 --> 00:03:06,670 who's almost 10, and I was like, she she may not understand or 59 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,010 grasp all of it. There's some big words in there, 60 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,970 but we're going to do that together as a family. 61 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:13,670 Yeah. Yeah, I love it. 62 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,730 I love it. So we did the exact same thing 63 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,620 in the afternoon. We made candles in the afternoon 64 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:20,630 and put them on the dining room table. 65 00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:24,930 And then at the beginning of dinner, as we were just kind of 66 00:03:24,940 --> 00:03:29,710 all sitting down to eat, we set the table and then lit the 67 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,720 candle red. Anna, actually my my oldest 68 00:03:33,730 --> 00:03:37,930 daughter read from Isaiah. And then we left. 69 00:03:37,940 --> 00:03:41,220 Let the candle burn during dinner because that's about as 70 00:03:41,230 --> 00:03:42,710 long as I want. Like they're small. 71 00:03:42,770 --> 00:03:46,450 And small candies wax, which they burn quickly, melts. 72 00:03:46,460 --> 00:03:49,600 Yeah. But yeah, so we just had it, We 73 00:03:49,610 --> 00:03:54,880 had it on during dinner and like 1 is not a statistically 74 00:03:54,890 --> 00:03:58,750 significant number, I'm told. But like it, it shifted. 75 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:03,270 It felt like it shifted dinner for us it we were able to slow 76 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,390 down and talk a little bit more intentionally about our day and 77 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:10,060 our day together. And you know, my kids were 78 00:04:10,070 --> 00:04:14,750 asking questions about like, what does that mean in the verse 79 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,510 or like how do we understand what's going on? 80 00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:19,300 What, what like, why are we doing this? 81 00:04:19,310 --> 00:04:24,910 And those are, those are great, beautiful slowdown moments and 82 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:26,670 they're easy to miss and rush through. 83 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,110 So one for one I've I appreciate it. 84 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,550 Well, we'll find out next week. Maybe we'll check in and see how 85 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,390 things are going. But I know for me, like this has 86 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:41,470 been I, I think for me and I, I think that you can probably 87 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:47,350 relate to this in your own ways, but like there has to be such an 88 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:52,090 intentionality to, and I'm just even like slowing down my 89 00:04:52,100 --> 00:04:54,490 cadence. As I say this, I'm slowing down 90 00:04:54,700 --> 00:04:59,700 because, and what I mean by that is I was definitely feeling some 91 00:04:59,710 --> 00:05:04,640 like anxiety and sort of like hurriedness in my spirit going 92 00:05:04,650 --> 00:05:07,720 into this past, you know, weekend and whatnot. 93 00:05:07,730 --> 00:05:11,860 Like we had not only the usual plans to like for our Sunday 94 00:05:11,870 --> 00:05:14,560 service and getting all the things ready, but we had, we had 95 00:05:14,570 --> 00:05:18,460 a funeral on Saturday that you and I were both a part of. 96 00:05:19,070 --> 00:05:24,340 You know, I, I had a bit of a, a pet related emergency that I was 97 00:05:24,350 --> 00:05:30,310 dealing with, like, and just feeling the like, just feeling 98 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,920 this, this pole of like, Oh my gosh, I'm gonna get sucked into 99 00:05:33,930 --> 00:05:40,390 it like a vortex of anxiety. And, and, and, and just the 100 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,290 exact opposite of what I want for, for this season. 101 00:05:43,300 --> 00:05:46,270 And what the exact opposite of what we were describing last 102 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:47,030 week. Yeah. 103 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:50,470 And so I don't know what that's been like for you, but that's 104 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:54,650 that's kind of what I've been trying to do and somewhat 105 00:05:54,660 --> 00:05:56,870 successfully. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you, you had a 106 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,230 lot going on this weekend and I think that's. 107 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:05,710 So we got a comment on one of our posts and the the comment 108 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,480 said a number of different really good things. 109 00:06:08,490 --> 00:06:14,120 Just it kind of expressing this. Yeah, all, all in on the idea of 110 00:06:14,130 --> 00:06:16,610 slowing down. But how do we balance the 111 00:06:16,620 --> 00:06:19,880 reality of life? Like how do we balance the fact 112 00:06:19,890 --> 00:06:25,230 that, you know, if, if we're a, you know, if you're in a home 113 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:27,920 with two parents who are working, like that's, that's 114 00:06:27,930 --> 00:06:30,690 busy, That's a hard season to manage right? 115 00:06:30,700 --> 00:06:33,670 Where if you both need to be working, which is kind of 116 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:36,350 everybody right now, most, most people like that's the reality 117 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,840 of life. That's that's much more 118 00:06:39,850 --> 00:06:42,360 difficult to slow down. Or what do you do for like a 119 00:06:42,370 --> 00:06:46,920 single parent who's working, trying to trying to work a job 120 00:06:46,930 --> 00:06:49,170 and a half just to make ends meet. 121 00:06:49,180 --> 00:06:53,760 Like, you know, I think in, in the one, on the one hand, it is 122 00:06:54,110 --> 00:07:00,060 like we do have to step back and recognize, um, it, it, it's a 123 00:07:00,070 --> 00:07:04,960 gift and like a privilege even to be able to talk about slowing 124 00:07:04,970 --> 00:07:07,310 down and OK, what are we going to remove from our lives? 125 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,640 Like some people are not able to do that. 126 00:07:09,730 --> 00:07:15,120 And I left a comment back because like I, I feel that too. 127 00:07:15,130 --> 00:07:21,120 Like I just, I feel the the, you know, the stress of people's 128 00:07:21,130 --> 00:07:22,090 lives. Yeah. 129 00:07:22,100 --> 00:07:25,630 You know, it's one thing to say, yeah, ideally we it's good for 130 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:29,020 you to slow down and it's good for you to stop doing some 131 00:07:29,030 --> 00:07:30,620 things. And it's good for you to take 132 00:07:30,630 --> 00:07:32,600 more time and be in more intentional. 133 00:07:33,940 --> 00:07:36,630 It's one thing to say that and then it's another thing to have 134 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:41,020 that really push against the the difficulty of life. 135 00:07:41,070 --> 00:07:45,140 And for many people, all I left on that comment was, Yep, 136 00:07:45,190 --> 00:07:48,360 feeling the same things. This is what I love about 137 00:07:48,370 --> 00:07:54,100 community, which is that some of us have more bandwidth, some of 138 00:07:54,110 --> 00:07:56,780 us have less, have less. Some of us have maybe a bit more 139 00:07:56,790 --> 00:07:59,640 energy to be creative, some of us have less. 140 00:07:59,890 --> 00:08:03,840 And you know, just a really simple thing. 141 00:08:03,850 --> 00:08:08,580 This week, an example of that in a, I'll say simple but profound 142 00:08:08,630 --> 00:08:15,050 way or significant way. I had like every plan and 143 00:08:15,060 --> 00:08:18,750 intention to get our prayer room completely set up and ready to 144 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:23,790 go with all the stations. I got 1 station complete because 145 00:08:23,860 --> 00:08:26,800 there was, there's you know, Sunday to be ready for and the 146 00:08:26,810 --> 00:08:28,490 funeral to be ready for on Saturday. 147 00:08:28,500 --> 00:08:32,200 And all of those pieces on top of, you know, first week of 148 00:08:32,210 --> 00:08:36,360 Advent is always kind of crazy. So had somebody come along and 149 00:08:36,370 --> 00:08:39,330 say, hey, walked into the prayer room and said I'll take care of 150 00:08:39,340 --> 00:08:41,390 this for you this week. It needs some. 151 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:45,130 It needs some help. I love that so much. 152 00:08:45,180 --> 00:08:49,470 And I as do I like here's the ego pieces like no, no, I can do 153 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:50,230 it. I can do it. 154 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:52,030 I can take care of it. I'll I'll make it better. 155 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:56,910 I'll make it look better than it does now, but like the, the 156 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:01,470 community accountability, like surrender, um, shoulder to 157 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,710 shoulder side of things. The much healthier side says, 158 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:09,990 actually, you're better gifted at this than I am anyways, and I 159 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:11,510 love that you're offering to do this. 160 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:13,510 Thank you. I need the help. 161 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,070 Absolutely. And like I say, like that, 162 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,500 that's a, a it, it was a significant thing for me this 163 00:09:20,510 --> 00:09:22,410 week. That's not like a life or death 164 00:09:22,420 --> 00:09:24,630 thing. That's not a food on the table 165 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:26,920 or not thing. That's that's, you know, not a 166 00:09:27,090 --> 00:09:30,420 sick kid or not or like, like there are there are other things 167 00:09:30,430 --> 00:09:32,330 that this is not. Yeah. 168 00:09:32,370 --> 00:09:35,320 But what it is, is I think a good example of the fact that 169 00:09:35,470 --> 00:09:40,020 we, every single one of us needs to settle into a community and a 170 00:09:40,030 --> 00:09:43,240 community rhythm. And as much as we're trying to 171 00:09:43,250 --> 00:09:46,050 cultivate individual personal practices and personal rhythms, 172 00:09:46,060 --> 00:09:47,860 what we're really trying to cultivate is together. 173 00:09:47,870 --> 00:09:52,320 A rhythm as a church, yes. So that when you've got like a 174 00:09:52,330 --> 00:09:56,780 funeral and a Sunday service and a pet emergency and, and, and 175 00:09:57,470 --> 00:10:00,120 you go, OK, we got you covered, right? 176 00:10:00,290 --> 00:10:02,940 And here are some other ways that we can help out. 177 00:10:03,070 --> 00:10:06,890 And you can't slow down. So let us do some things for 178 00:10:06,900 --> 00:10:07,400 you. Yeah. 179 00:10:07,410 --> 00:10:10,300 Another really good example is with a whole group of people go 180 00:10:10,310 --> 00:10:13,880 to a house this weekend and do a whole lot of prep work for a 181 00:10:13,890 --> 00:10:17,230 family who who needs it. Yeah. 182 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:20,370 And, you know, without their permission And without going 183 00:10:20,380 --> 00:10:24,910 into further detail, you know, I think it was a beautiful example 184 00:10:24,980 --> 00:10:29,130 of a church rallying around a family in a significant time of 185 00:10:29,140 --> 00:10:32,870 need and a significant time of change within that need. 186 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,910 And here's the thing. You and I got a text message 187 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:39,070 about it just simply saying like, I think this was one of my 188 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,990 favorite days being a part of this church ever. 189 00:10:42,060 --> 00:10:44,950 And it wasn't on the property. It wasn't on the property, and 190 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,030 you and I weren't there. Yeah. 191 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:50,050 And that's not to say you and I should feel guilty for not being 192 00:10:50,060 --> 00:10:51,610 there. No, what I'm saying is like, the 193 00:10:51,620 --> 00:10:53,910 church was being the church, The community was being the 194 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,750 community for a family who can't slow down right now. 195 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:01,090 And so a group of people who could take a day and not do 196 00:11:01,100 --> 00:11:04,620 other things said we're going to do these things on your behalf. 197 00:11:04,670 --> 00:11:09,010 It's one of the most beautiful things that the body of Christ 198 00:11:09,020 --> 00:11:10,890 can, can do and be. Yeah. 199 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,310 Absolutely. So I just to just to like, 200 00:11:13,420 --> 00:11:17,470 summarize it like one of my hopes for our church is that 201 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,030 with all of these practices, what we're doing is creating 202 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:21,710 space for those things to happen. 203 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,630 Because as we as individuals or as families or as households 204 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:30,140 learn to create more space. What that does allow is for us 205 00:11:30,150 --> 00:11:32,560 to have the space to see a need and go, oh, you know what? 206 00:11:32,570 --> 00:11:34,280 I can step into that. I can do that. 207 00:11:34,740 --> 00:11:37,240 That's one thing that I can take care of so that you don't have 208 00:11:37,250 --> 00:11:40,500 to shoulder it. And that just helps kind of 209 00:11:40,510 --> 00:11:44,170 raise the burden off people who are like, yeah, you know what, I 210 00:11:44,180 --> 00:11:46,200 would love to slow down. I'd love to make candles with my 211 00:11:46,210 --> 00:11:47,520 kids. But I'm working 2 jobs. 212 00:11:47,530 --> 00:11:50,980 And after they go to bed, I'm online doing like my second job 213 00:11:50,990 --> 00:11:53,980 remotely. And, you know, it's enough if I 214 00:11:53,990 --> 00:11:58,080 can get my work in and spend some time with my kids and put 215 00:11:58,090 --> 00:12:00,120 them to bed and have meals on the table. 216 00:12:00,130 --> 00:12:03,790 And, you know, like this is this, like you said, this is the 217 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,480 beautiful thing about how the church is meant to live. 218 00:12:08,070 --> 00:12:12,360 So that's my hope for us is as we individually figure it out, 219 00:12:12,550 --> 00:12:14,540 what that is going to change is that we're actually 220 00:12:14,550 --> 00:12:18,220 collectively, communally, corporately as a church, 221 00:12:18,270 --> 00:12:21,570 changing the way we are. And together, because you can 222 00:12:21,580 --> 00:12:25,220 imagine that, yeah. And it ends up being able to be, 223 00:12:25,530 --> 00:12:29,460 we end up being able to fill in the gaps for one another in 224 00:12:29,470 --> 00:12:34,200 seasons of of particular intensity for others, but maybe 225 00:12:34,210 --> 00:12:36,690 lightness for others. And it and it not to say it's 226 00:12:36,700 --> 00:12:39,370 all just going to eat it out, but just to say that like, like 227 00:12:39,380 --> 00:12:43,940 God, God can enable his people to be at work in other people's 228 00:12:43,950 --> 00:12:47,000 lives for those seasons. And it's, yeah, it's a beautiful 229 00:12:47,010 --> 00:12:48,360 thing. Hmm. 230 00:12:48,860 --> 00:12:53,010 So it kind of actually ties in a little bit to where we were this 231 00:12:53,020 --> 00:12:57,710 past Sunday. We opted into Advents Week 1. 232 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,870 You were in Matthew chapter one kind of looking particularly at 233 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:08,180 the story of Joseph. And then as we look at this 234 00:13:08,190 --> 00:13:11,520 story of, of, you know, this unexpected kind of moment for 235 00:13:11,530 --> 00:13:16,800 him as the Angel comes and delivers this kind of bomb on 236 00:13:16,810 --> 00:13:20,220 Joseph, this is going to change his life, change his world. 237 00:13:20,490 --> 00:13:22,960 It was it was unexpected. It was confusing. 238 00:13:22,970 --> 00:13:28,520 It was extremely disruptive to, you know, he's thought I'm I'm 239 00:13:28,530 --> 00:13:31,180 betrothed to this woman, Mary, and we're going to get married 240 00:13:31,190 --> 00:13:33,380 and maybe we'll have some kids and it's going to be great, you 241 00:13:33,390 --> 00:13:36,000 know, and all of a sudden it's like, Nope. 242 00:13:36,330 --> 00:13:38,380 Well, God's got other plans right? 243 00:13:39,940 --> 00:13:44,610 And so kind of connected to that, like how maybe this is a 244 00:13:44,620 --> 00:13:47,260 question for you is just like, how do you respond? 245 00:13:47,890 --> 00:13:50,620 How do you respond when you get like, obviously we're not gonna 246 00:13:50,630 --> 00:13:53,360 have a disruption like that. Yeah, that's kind of a, you 247 00:13:53,370 --> 00:13:58,220 know, once in a once in a universe kind of disruption. 248 00:13:58,530 --> 00:14:01,420 But like we have, we all have disruptions, we all have moments 249 00:14:01,430 --> 00:14:04,840 of of sort of unexpected issues coming up. 250 00:14:04,850 --> 00:14:06,810 Like what? How do you, how do you tackle? 251 00:14:06,820 --> 00:14:10,160 How do you respond? Yeah, sometimes better than 252 00:14:10,170 --> 00:14:13,520 others. I think that's yeah, that's a 253 00:14:13,530 --> 00:14:18,680 challenge. So, OK, I, I think there's, 254 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:21,650 there's a couple different kinds of disruptions, right? 255 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:23,530 Like there's everyday disruptions. 256 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:28,620 And you know, I, I think when, when I'm like personally, when 257 00:14:28,630 --> 00:14:31,310 I'm at my best, I'm able to move from one thing to another. 258 00:14:31,580 --> 00:14:34,430 When I'm at my worst, I have a really hard time shifting from 259 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,870 like OK, one task is disrupted now by another task. 260 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:47,120 I think the, the thing that I hope for myself to do, because 261 00:14:47,130 --> 00:14:49,690 I, I think it's different to start talking about God 262 00:14:49,700 --> 00:14:51,970 disrupting you. Yeah, right. 263 00:14:51,980 --> 00:14:54,520 Like, yeah. So the first thing is, how do 264 00:14:54,530 --> 00:14:57,310 you start to discern whether it's God disrupting you or just 265 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,130 a disruption? Yeah, and that's a good starting 266 00:15:00,140 --> 00:15:00,520 point. Yeah. 267 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,950 Is it a good disruption? Is it a helpful disruption? 268 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:05,630 Is it one that I should be paying attention to? 269 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:08,170 Is it not? Like how do you how do you start 270 00:15:08,180 --> 00:15:16,300 to figure out where a disruption is God speaking? 271 00:15:16,370 --> 00:15:20,000 So here's Joseph, like the way we have it in Matthew, Joseph in 272 00:15:20,010 --> 00:15:24,660 a dream is visited by an Angel who says very specifically, hey, 273 00:15:24,710 --> 00:15:28,540 I know that way. I know you've been thinking and 274 00:15:28,630 --> 00:15:31,560 you could do that. I'm gonna challenge you here. 275 00:15:32,210 --> 00:15:36,070 Don't do that. Instead, go do the thing you 276 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,120 know, I think at the end of the day to be right and good, which 277 00:15:39,130 --> 00:15:45,480 is go take Mary home, marry her. And using Mary Mary. 278 00:15:45,550 --> 00:15:48,940 Yep. And then and, and you know, the 279 00:15:48,950 --> 00:15:52,530 son that she's going to give birth to will be the savior of 280 00:15:52,540 --> 00:15:56,310 the world. Like it's it's a very big God 281 00:15:56,980 --> 00:16:01,930 moment type style disruption. Yeah, yeah. 282 00:16:01,980 --> 00:16:07,930 So, you know, I think we all just respond differently to 283 00:16:07,940 --> 00:16:13,570 little disruptions. The thing that I would say is in 284 00:16:13,580 --> 00:16:20,340 my life would I have come to realize is that while God does 285 00:16:20,350 --> 00:16:26,620 disrupt us like this on occasion, these types of 286 00:16:26,690 --> 00:16:29,960 disruptions, and I'm pointing at my Bible here. 287 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,500 It's Matthew chapter. One the math each other like so 288 00:16:32,570 --> 00:16:36,530 you know God speaking to Joseph in a dream. 289 00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:42,460 That level of disruption is not the only way that God is going 290 00:16:42,470 --> 00:16:46,830 to disrupt your life. And far more often, those 291 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:51,630 smaller disruptions are actually opportunities for you to listen 292 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:53,970 to what God is doing. Yeah, because even if they're 293 00:16:53,980 --> 00:16:58,410 not these God sized disruptions, which probably don't happen, if 294 00:16:58,420 --> 00:17:01,430 we do have them in our life, it's often not only a few times 295 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,420 in a lifetime, you know, like maybe a few like seasons where 296 00:17:04,430 --> 00:17:07,470 it's like God kind of arrests us and it's like, OK, I'm trying to 297 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:10,240 grab your attention here. Yeah, more often than not is the 298 00:17:10,250 --> 00:17:12,619 small things. And, and I think how we 299 00:17:12,750 --> 00:17:18,040 cultivate responses to the small things over time can kind of 300 00:17:18,450 --> 00:17:21,500 potentially help us in those big moments where God is truly 301 00:17:21,550 --> 00:17:25,050 shifting something or dropping an earth shattering bomb on us. 302 00:17:25,060 --> 00:17:26,440 Or whatever. Yeah, absolutely. 303 00:17:26,450 --> 00:17:29,140 Yeah. So we were talking like not on 304 00:17:29,190 --> 00:17:34,340 recording last week, a little bit around this question that I 305 00:17:35,110 --> 00:17:38,810 that I heard somebody suggest that church is all churches ask. 306 00:17:38,890 --> 00:17:42,290 And I really like it in interviews and I don't remember 307 00:17:42,300 --> 00:17:44,490 where I heard it first. This is not this is not my 308 00:17:44,500 --> 00:17:47,160 thought, but maybe we're talking about on the podcast. 309 00:17:47,170 --> 00:17:51,210 But when was the last time you said yes to God as being a 310 00:17:51,250 --> 00:17:54,890 somewhat of a gauge on where your spiritual health and 311 00:17:54,900 --> 00:17:58,550 hearing like your ability to hear God is actually sitting. 312 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:04,290 So like, if you can think back over your last days and weeks 313 00:18:04,300 --> 00:18:07,590 and months and try to ask yourself that question, when was 314 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:11,180 the last time I said yes to God? I think that's the invitation in 315 00:18:11,190 --> 00:18:12,290 the disruption. Yeah. 316 00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:17,970 So in as our as disruptions come into our lives, I think one of 317 00:18:17,980 --> 00:18:21,730 the things that I hope I do is simply turn to a posture of 318 00:18:21,740 --> 00:18:24,710 prayer and asking God that God is a is like, is this, is this 319 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:26,970 something that you are wanting me to say yes to? 320 00:18:27,630 --> 00:18:32,200 And then, OK, how am I like, how are you inviting me to respond 321 00:18:32,270 --> 00:18:35,960 in in this moment? And is this gonna be something 322 00:18:35,970 --> 00:18:39,820 that is, you know, is this something that is gonna be 323 00:18:39,830 --> 00:18:46,920 pulling me or pushing me closer or further away from God into 324 00:18:46,930 --> 00:18:49,610 these moments? Like, I think it's good even in 325 00:18:49,620 --> 00:18:51,430 some ways, just to listen to how you're feeling. 326 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:57,090 So for me, disrupted #1 is this a disruption, God that you want 327 00:18:57,100 --> 00:19:00,110 me to say yes to? Yeah, because if it is, game on, 328 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:05,180 and if it's not, move on. But you know, there's some more 329 00:19:05,230 --> 00:19:07,570 obviously there's that it takes more than just like a quick 330 00:19:07,580 --> 00:19:09,390 question, OK, not not right. Great. 331 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:10,770 No, no answer. Yes answer. 332 00:19:10,780 --> 00:19:13,100 OK. Like, I think that what you were 333 00:19:13,110 --> 00:19:17,050 trying to do is just cultivate a, a, a habit and a practice of 334 00:19:17,060 --> 00:19:19,670 like responding in prayer and just being open to what, what 335 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:26,110 God is doing or not doing. And uh, yeah, worship night last 336 00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:31,530 week, I think definitely. Let me take you just completely 337 00:19:31,540 --> 00:19:35,110 through very quickly a disruption. 338 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:41,150 So I had this so so we had this worship night at the church and 339 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:45,090 beautiful, very different than a Sunday morning, but just so 340 00:19:45,100 --> 00:19:50,810 anointed, I think in terms of God's presence and power, people 341 00:19:50,820 --> 00:19:53,300 showing up to worship and saying to pray. 342 00:19:53,860 --> 00:19:59,670 So partway through I started sensing Hey from God, go and 343 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:01,700 anoint this. Go and anoint this person. 344 00:20:03,030 --> 00:20:06,020 And so that's language that makes sense to me. 345 00:20:06,090 --> 00:20:09,910 Um, now in, in the New Testament, writers talk about 346 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,520 when somebody is sick, you gather a group of elders 347 00:20:12,530 --> 00:20:14,900 together and you go in and you know this person for healing. 348 00:20:14,910 --> 00:20:18,720 And we're like, Yep, kind of not 100% sure exactly what's 349 00:20:18,730 --> 00:20:20,360 happening as we do it when we do it. 350 00:20:20,430 --> 00:20:22,580 But it's one of those things that I look at scripture and I 351 00:20:22,590 --> 00:20:25,380 go, it says very clearly and very specifically to do it 352 00:20:25,390 --> 00:20:27,020 boldly. So I'm like, game on. 353 00:20:27,030 --> 00:20:32,430 We're going to do it. And at that same moment, so 354 00:20:32,500 --> 00:20:36,950 sensing this from God, one of my kids runs back into the 355 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:41,600 sanctuary and sits down beside me and then actually like lies 356 00:20:41,610 --> 00:20:45,670 down and wasn't feeling great and is now like snuggled up just 357 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,780 kind of listening to the music. And I'm like, well, this is 358 00:20:47,790 --> 00:20:50,780 fantastic. Like in here just listening to 359 00:20:50,790 --> 00:20:55,710 music, but also a little bit of a disruption because I had had 360 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,680 this very clear sense from God go and anoint this person. 361 00:20:58,870 --> 00:21:03,420 And so my kid looks, you know, this couple minutes go by and 362 00:21:03,430 --> 00:21:07,240 I'm, I'm not sensing any different change like in the 363 00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:10,730 like, go and do this thing. And like, so now like, do I make 364 00:21:10,740 --> 00:21:12,730 my kid go back? She's not feeling good. 365 00:21:13,790 --> 00:21:17,140 Do I say, like, sorry, kid? Like, yeah, like, I gotta go and 366 00:21:17,150 --> 00:21:19,800 do this thing and I'm gonna leave you here or go back to, 367 00:21:19,810 --> 00:21:22,590 you know, the kid zone where all the other kids were playing, 368 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:24,320 like. Like that's how pastors, kids 369 00:21:24,330 --> 00:21:26,160 grow resentments toward the church. 370 00:21:26,170 --> 00:21:27,380 Yeah. You know, like, so like that, 371 00:21:27,390 --> 00:21:28,700 there's a little bit of attention there. 372 00:21:28,710 --> 00:21:31,400 And this is not a significant thing, but it, it is. 373 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:37,640 So a minute more goes by. My kid looks up at me and I had 374 00:21:37,650 --> 00:21:40,700 the oil, the vial in my hand. And she goes, that, what's that 375 00:21:40,710 --> 00:21:43,570 in your hand? And I said this, it's a, it's a 376 00:21:43,580 --> 00:21:47,610 vial of oil. And when when people are sick, 377 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,190 one of the things that the Bible tells us to do is to anoint 378 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,040 their head with oil and to pray for them. 379 00:21:53,650 --> 00:21:55,220 And she goes, I don't understand. 380 00:21:55,290 --> 00:21:57,580 And I said, come with me, I'll show you. 381 00:21:58,070 --> 00:22:01,980 And so she came and we anointed this individual. 382 00:22:02,070 --> 00:22:05,450 And here's my kid, seven years old, putting her hand on on this 383 00:22:05,510 --> 00:22:09,350 this person and praying for him. What a beautiful moment. 384 00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:14,480 And that's that's remarkable. So, so like, that's not a yeah, 385 00:22:14,490 --> 00:22:18,640 go Grant, no that and in no way is that a story of me being a 386 00:22:18,650 --> 00:22:20,980 successful parent. But you but you somehow were 387 00:22:20,990 --> 00:22:25,810 able to do both of the things that you were being called to in 388 00:22:25,820 --> 00:22:29,080 that moment that that hey, like it wouldn't have been right for 389 00:22:29,090 --> 00:22:32,460 you to just like, sorry, kid, I got ministry calls, you know, I 390 00:22:32,470 --> 00:22:37,780 got to do the thing that, you know, but inviting, inviting her 391 00:22:37,790 --> 00:22:41,670 into that moment. And also like I, I kind of have 392 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:44,770 to believe that it was, you know, a God, a God thing that 393 00:22:44,910 --> 00:22:47,530 that she had the you know, the thought of like, Hey, I'm gonna 394 00:22:47,540 --> 00:22:50,250 what what is that that, you know, like, because it it, it 395 00:22:50,260 --> 00:22:53,370 provides an opportunity, right? And, and so maybe that's like 396 00:22:53,380 --> 00:22:56,400 something that I'm sort of in inferring from that is, is like 397 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:05,730 like seeing disruption as as an opportunity for, for God to do 398 00:23:05,780 --> 00:23:09,170 good things, right. Sometimes the disruption is just 399 00:23:09,180 --> 00:23:10,840 a disruption. Sometimes, you know, like this 400 00:23:10,850 --> 00:23:12,780 is a busy place. Sometimes here the weekend, we 401 00:23:12,790 --> 00:23:14,960 get lots of like just intermittent disruptions 402 00:23:14,970 --> 00:23:16,970 throughout our day. And sometimes those are just 403 00:23:16,980 --> 00:23:20,240 annoying when we're trying to like buckle down and get some 404 00:23:20,250 --> 00:23:22,850 stuff done. But it's also just life. 405 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:27,090 But like, these are not those sorts of disruptions, but sort 406 00:23:27,100 --> 00:23:29,180 of these what you're describing here. 407 00:23:29,190 --> 00:23:35,080 Like what is God trying to teach us or teach you? 408 00:23:35,090 --> 00:23:38,340 Teach your child like, man, yeah, that's that's that's 409 00:23:38,350 --> 00:23:40,600 powerful. Yeah, so I think it's a posture 410 00:23:40,610 --> 00:23:42,720 thing, right? Because it's so easy. 411 00:23:42,730 --> 00:23:45,200 I know my like I'm, it's so easy for me to get frustrated, like, 412 00:23:45,210 --> 00:23:48,110 Oh no, I was supposed to do this thing and I'm not able to get 413 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:49,880 this thing done. And that's going to change this 414 00:23:49,890 --> 00:23:51,920 thing over here. And you just start going down 415 00:23:51,930 --> 00:23:56,390 that trail. And I think the invitation is 416 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,710 just to stay as open as possible and say, God, like, what? 417 00:23:58,780 --> 00:23:59,830 OK, yeah. What? 418 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:01,710 How do you need me to be in this moment? 419 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:03,870 Is it just a good starting? Point. 420 00:24:03,940 --> 00:24:09,480 Yeah, Yeah, I think, I think for me, I in, in my disruption, 421 00:24:09,490 --> 00:24:15,120 which was in this case a pet emergency, Yep, Which I don't, I 422 00:24:15,130 --> 00:24:19,760 won't, I won't get into all the details, but one thing that I 423 00:24:21,230 --> 00:24:27,880 had to do was really just say, OK, God, what do I need to let 424 00:24:27,890 --> 00:24:33,460 go of here? Um, and, and I, and I don't, I 425 00:24:33,470 --> 00:24:39,550 don't attribute that necessarily to like, you know, being totally 426 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:43,100 altruistic and to like I, I don't think it's, again, it's 427 00:24:43,110 --> 00:24:45,670 not like a pat me patting myself on the back in a moment, but 428 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:49,470 it's just like, OK, what is the right thing to do here? 429 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,370 And God, how can you help me let go of of some stuff, right. 430 00:24:55,050 --> 00:24:59,330 And, and like that's, I don't always do that well, but, but 431 00:24:59,340 --> 00:25:02,300 that was kind of where my posture was this past weekend of 432 00:25:02,310 --> 00:25:06,470 like, OK, OK, God, I think I need to let go of some stuff. 433 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:08,210 And, and God, would you help me to do that. 434 00:25:08,220 --> 00:25:12,640 And, and, and so like, that's, that's something that I was just 435 00:25:12,650 --> 00:25:17,250 thinking about as, as, as I was reflecting on, on how I respond, 436 00:25:17,260 --> 00:25:20,480 because I don't always respond. I can often get anxious and 437 00:25:20,490 --> 00:25:29,180 frazzled and sort of go into just like, um, not control. 438 00:25:29,530 --> 00:25:31,380 I'm not a, I don't think, I don't see myself as a 439 00:25:31,390 --> 00:25:34,200 particularly controlling person, but I can be sort of just like, 440 00:25:34,390 --> 00:25:36,380 OK, we're just going to get things done. 441 00:25:36,450 --> 00:25:39,200 And until these distractions are all dealt with, you know, like 442 00:25:39,210 --> 00:25:40,880 that's sort of my posture at times. 443 00:25:42,410 --> 00:25:47,770 And and I my sense this weekend was more like, Nope, you just, 444 00:25:47,830 --> 00:25:51,530 you just maybe just let go. That's like, OK, I'll try that. 445 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:54,130 Yeah, yeah. See how it works out. 446 00:25:54,260 --> 00:25:56,850 Yeah, so far so good. So far so good. 447 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:00,150 Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, it it is difficult. 448 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,210 And I think the thing that I hope people here is we do this 449 00:26:03,220 --> 00:26:06,930 well. We do this well sometimes, and 450 00:26:06,940 --> 00:26:09,330 we do it not as well other times. 451 00:26:09,380 --> 00:26:12,770 Yeah. And one of the challenges is to 452 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:19,160 slow again, like, I'm going to sound like a broken record, like 453 00:26:19,170 --> 00:26:23,190 you, you need to live a different pace in order to do 454 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,510 what you've done, which is to say, OK, now what do I need to 455 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:27,700 do? Like, what do I need to let go 456 00:26:27,710 --> 00:26:29,560 of? We're going to do the right 457 00:26:29,570 --> 00:26:31,080 thing because we believe it's the right thing. 458 00:26:31,130 --> 00:26:32,530 Yeah. And you call us to do the right 459 00:26:32,540 --> 00:26:35,260 thing. My cat's still alive by the. 460 00:26:35,270 --> 00:26:38,040 Way they also worked out well, Yeah, Healthwise. 461 00:26:38,110 --> 00:26:40,260 Yeah, yeah. But yeah. 462 00:26:40,310 --> 00:26:44,850 So, so, so. It is like you can imagine a 463 00:26:44,860 --> 00:26:49,690 pace of life that prevents you from even having those initial 464 00:26:49,700 --> 00:26:51,760 conversations. We're like, well, this is what 465 00:26:51,770 --> 00:26:56,370 we're gonna do because it's not in your case, like not sure in 466 00:26:56,380 --> 00:26:59,650 your situation, but in any situation, we're not even gonna 467 00:26:59,660 --> 00:27:04,150 entertain the idea that this is a possibility because I have too 468 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,930 much going on. So this is what I pointed out 469 00:27:06,940 --> 00:27:09,760 about Joseph is like Joseph made-up his mind. 470 00:27:10,490 --> 00:27:13,090 Hmm. He's made-up his mind and God 471 00:27:13,100 --> 00:27:16,550 changes it. Yeah, which, as a simple 472 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,610 definition goes, is a great way to start talking about 473 00:27:19,620 --> 00:27:24,030 repentance. But he had he had made-up as I'm 474 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:27,010 actually going to read it because it's it's a good like 475 00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:31,090 it's just a good reminder that you need to live a different 476 00:27:31,100 --> 00:27:35,790 pace in order to really like, I think allow God to change your 477 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:40,050 mind on things. So unwilling to put her to 478 00:27:40,060 --> 00:27:43,400 shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 479 00:27:43,870 --> 00:27:47,200 Others mind. Other translations had had it in 480 00:27:47,210 --> 00:27:50,030 mind this. Is the thing that I'm gonna. 481 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,700 Do Yep. And this is like, I'm gonna try 482 00:27:52,710 --> 00:27:55,430 to do it graciously or generously as possible. 483 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:57,540 Like at the end of the day, the outcome is still the same. 484 00:27:57,550 --> 00:28:00,960 She's a single mom on her own, which is not like that's a 485 00:28:00,970 --> 00:28:05,740 social death and for many probably of a literal death in 486 00:28:05,810 --> 00:28:08,840 in certain situations and circumstances, but at very 487 00:28:08,850 --> 00:28:10,890 minimum social death, the outcome is the same. 488 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,590 He had it in mind. He'd resolved, He made-up his 489 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:18,650 mind and God changed it. And I go that changes the pace 490 00:28:18,660 --> 00:28:22,290 of life that you start to live at when God does those things 491 00:28:22,300 --> 00:28:24,220 and when you allow them to change your mind on something. 492 00:28:24,230 --> 00:28:30,360 OK, I had it in mind to do this. Yeah, I'm going to allow you to 493 00:28:30,430 --> 00:28:36,900 change my pace, my speed of life, my day, my schedule, my 494 00:28:36,910 --> 00:28:42,360 control, my desire, my want, my whatever it is so that you can 495 00:28:42,370 --> 00:28:47,110 do something and listen like there's a theologian side of me. 496 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:48,780 So God's gonna do what he's gonna do anyways. 497 00:28:50,830 --> 00:28:57,200 But the invitation is to respond and to be open to in, in, in in 498 00:28:57,210 --> 00:28:59,800 many ways, I think to be curious about what God is doing. 499 00:28:59,810 --> 00:29:05,860 So curiosity, hmm. And there is, I mean, there is a 500 00:29:07,870 --> 00:29:10,700 sacrifice that Joseph had to make in that moment. 501 00:29:10,750 --> 00:29:13,980 Like I think in the in the sense of of like man like that even 502 00:29:14,190 --> 00:29:18,360 for for Mary, it would be far worse for for her to have been 503 00:29:18,370 --> 00:29:24,370 left alone that Joseph certainly had to be counting the cost of 504 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:30,410 taking Mary to be his wife while pregnant with. 505 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:35,070 I mean, they others aren't gonna know it's the son of God, right? 506 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:39,950 So like there's a, there is a certain weightiness to the 507 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:43,840 decision that he had to make and, and he chose the path not 508 00:29:43,850 --> 00:29:49,790 of self salvation, but of, of, of doing the right thing. 509 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,010 I'm doing the one what God called him to do. 510 00:29:52,340 --> 00:29:55,210 And, and so like, I don't know, like just talk and talk for a 511 00:29:55,220 --> 00:29:56,980 moment. I mean, this is the last thing 512 00:29:56,990 --> 00:30:01,580 we talked about just about, about sacrifice, about with some 513 00:30:01,590 --> 00:30:07,490 things that we could be doing. You and I, our church, whoever, 514 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:12,050 that that might get us to that place where we can be open and 515 00:30:12,060 --> 00:30:18,290 receptive to God's disruptions. And also just maybe that there's 516 00:30:18,300 --> 00:30:20,860 some things we need to sacrifice and let go of that God might 517 00:30:20,870 --> 00:30:23,450 just be calling us to because it's the the right thing to do. 518 00:30:23,500 --> 00:30:25,810 Hmm. Yeah, yeah. 519 00:30:25,820 --> 00:30:27,810 Difficult question. Love it. 520 00:30:27,900 --> 00:30:30,410 So yeah. How can we sacrifice? 521 00:30:30,420 --> 00:30:34,870 I think, Well, let, let me, let me start here. 522 00:30:36,180 --> 00:30:40,850 Connie and I, my wife and I did, um, years ago, before we were 523 00:30:40,860 --> 00:30:43,250 born or before we were born, before our kids were born. 524 00:30:43,300 --> 00:30:46,030 Goodness, before kids were born we did this. 525 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:50,020 So admittedly this is easier to do when you are like fully 526 00:30:50,070 --> 00:30:54,380 autonomous, only responsible for yourself and like espouse, 527 00:30:54,390 --> 00:30:57,900 right? But harder to do with kids. 528 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,600 We did this challenge. Connie came home with this idea 529 00:31:02,610 --> 00:31:06,550 and at first I was like this is no part of me wants to do this 530 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:10,540 why why? But she been doing a lot of 531 00:31:10,550 --> 00:31:14,270 reading and writing in the arena of food security and insecurity 532 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:19,180 and supply and demand. The reality that we have. 533 00:31:19,220 --> 00:31:22,370 I don't know how many times the amount of food required to feed 534 00:31:22,380 --> 00:31:26,230 every single human on earth and don't it's, it's a distribution 535 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:28,730 issue, right? Not a, not a production issue 536 00:31:28,740 --> 00:31:32,880 and all the things. So say one thing that we're 537 00:31:32,890 --> 00:31:34,970 going to do. So we're going to, we're going 538 00:31:34,980 --> 00:31:39,970 to not buy anything, no food until we eat everything in our 539 00:31:39,980 --> 00:31:44,190 house, everything that we've stored up in our freezer, 540 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:46,350 everything that we've stored up in our pantries. 541 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:50,370 The last can of beans that's dented like, you know, on the 542 00:31:50,380 --> 00:31:54,490 side because it's fallen out of the cupboard 27 times and it's 543 00:31:54,500 --> 00:31:57,610 got like dents all over it. The can opener can barely open 544 00:31:57,620 --> 00:31:58,370 it. Exactly. 545 00:31:58,380 --> 00:32:01,030 You just keep chucking to the back, right? 546 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:04,770 Like the dried beans from three years ago that you've got to 547 00:32:04,780 --> 00:32:09,320 soak for three days before you can eat them or even cook them. 548 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:13,410 And, and at first I was like, this idea stinks. 549 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:15,570 This sucks. This is going to be like the 550 00:32:15,580 --> 00:32:18,410 worst month ever. And it was like, it was our 551 00:32:18,420 --> 00:32:20,910 first year of marriage and we were trying to just figure 552 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,130 everything out. She comes with this idea and I'm 553 00:32:23,140 --> 00:32:29,360 like, I guess fine, I guess. So I'll try it and still like 10 554 00:32:29,370 --> 00:32:32,530 years later, it's it. It will be something that I 555 00:32:32,540 --> 00:32:37,040 remember us doing until probably until I die. 556 00:32:37,050 --> 00:32:43,700 Like it was really fun. And again, like, it's just, I 557 00:32:43,710 --> 00:32:46,100 mean, even to acknowledge the fact that it's a privilege to 558 00:32:46,110 --> 00:32:49,810 have food stored, right. Yeah, yeah. 559 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:54,590 Like, I've got, we've got, I mean, the average household has, 560 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:57,270 and I'm not going to remember all the stats. 561 00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:01,730 So you can Fact Check all of this, but it's multiple weeks, 562 00:33:01,740 --> 00:33:03,450 if not months. I think it's multiple months 563 00:33:03,460 --> 00:33:07,930 worth of food in their home just stashed away and mostly 564 00:33:07,940 --> 00:33:10,370 forgotten. So one of the things that it 565 00:33:10,380 --> 00:33:14,270 taught me is, um, and like I, I love Connie for this because she 566 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:19,670 is such a better person than me and like, she's like full on. 567 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:23,180 Hope she listens. Like, so probably not so many, 568 00:33:23,220 --> 00:33:26,870 so many good ideas, but like she loved it and it was like this 569 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,870 creative outlet for just like trying all these crazy different 570 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,390 recipes of like, let's add this and this and this. 571 00:33:32,460 --> 00:33:36,410 We're eating the weirdest things, but it was a blast. 572 00:33:37,340 --> 00:33:40,440 OK, so this is like a smaller version of that that, you know, 573 00:33:40,450 --> 00:33:44,560 my wife was traveling for work last week and and I just timed 574 00:33:44,570 --> 00:33:47,150 it not allow for like a grocery grocery store. 575 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:49,590 I mean, I could have done an online order, but I just wasn't 576 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:51,860 thinking that. So I just like, I was making do 577 00:33:51,910 --> 00:33:55,240 with what we had in the home. And so like, and I've been on a 578 00:33:55,310 --> 00:33:58,410 on a, on a bean kick. You know, I think there's a, 579 00:33:58,420 --> 00:33:59,700 that's a bit of a trend right now. 580 00:33:59,710 --> 00:34:02,370 Just it's, they're cheap and they're yeah, fiber and protein 581 00:34:02,380 --> 00:34:05,560 and all the things, right. So, so I was like, I'm gonna 582 00:34:05,570 --> 00:34:09,360 find a lot of ways to use this big case of black beans that I 583 00:34:09,370 --> 00:34:12,810 got from Costco, you know, and I made like my own, like, you 584 00:34:12,820 --> 00:34:17,199 know, like BBQ beans and did like cheesy beans on toast and 585 00:34:17,210 --> 00:34:18,290 things like that. You know what? 586 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:19,969 It was good. Beans are the food of the 587 00:34:19,980 --> 00:34:20,860 future. Man, they are. 588 00:34:20,870 --> 00:34:23,170 They need to be. Yeah, absolutely they need. 589 00:34:23,179 --> 00:34:25,210 To I thought you were gonna talk about that soup that you made 590 00:34:25,219 --> 00:34:26,469 and I'm like. You know, had that. 591 00:34:26,540 --> 00:34:27,909 But the soup, Yeah, there was nothing. 592 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:30,030 I was like, I was like, OK, I've got, I've got this butternut 593 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:31,250 squash. I've got this. 594 00:34:31,340 --> 00:34:34,130 I've got this cauliflower I need to use up, otherwise it's gonna 595 00:34:34,139 --> 00:34:35,650 go to waste. So I'm gonna make a soup. 596 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,360 Yeah. OK, but I had that soup this 597 00:34:38,370 --> 00:34:40,409 year with This month was not that soup. 598 00:34:40,690 --> 00:34:42,880 That was getting. Up but but you get the idea. 599 00:34:42,889 --> 00:34:47,719 So, so again, like the goal isn't like ohhh, shoot, now I 600 00:34:47,730 --> 00:34:51,120 gotta do this crazy challenge, right? 601 00:34:51,850 --> 00:34:58,380 What it taught me was we consume goods without really considering 602 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:02,050 what we have or don't have and what we need or don't need. 603 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:05,790 Yeah. So it changed the way I think on 604 00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:08,550 good days, on bad days, doesn't on good days. 605 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:13,450 It changed the way I think about our consumable goods, food, 606 00:35:13,500 --> 00:35:17,570 clothing, the things we bring into the house or not. 607 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:21,470 So it, it changed because, hey, like you start to realize, Oh my 608 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:26,910 goodness, like this is a we have a lot of fun mixing, like just 609 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,020 throwing stuff into a pan and seeing what happens. 610 00:35:29,030 --> 00:35:32,280 Yeah, we ate some terrible meals, but we also ate. 611 00:35:32,290 --> 00:35:34,310 Some don't romanticize it too much, but we. 612 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:38,130 But we also ate some really good meals and it just like it. 613 00:35:38,180 --> 00:35:39,870 It puts you in a different frame of mind. 614 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:43,800 It taught me that, hey, I'm gonna be more, I'll be more 615 00:35:43,810 --> 00:35:47,560 grateful when I shop. I'm even more grateful when I'm 616 00:35:47,570 --> 00:35:50,070 following a recipe to a tea, which is something that I really 617 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:51,710 like doing. Like I love like when I can get 618 00:35:51,720 --> 00:35:54,580 a recipe out and like it's probably the only area of my 619 00:35:54,590 --> 00:35:59,500 life where I'm if it says to put some like a tube, a teaspoon and 620 00:35:59,510 --> 00:36:02,640 1/2 in, like I'm weighing it out, like I just give me the 621 00:36:02,650 --> 00:36:06,080 grams, not the anyways. So I like, I love doing that. 622 00:36:06,090 --> 00:36:09,840 And it just taught me to let go of some of those things and to 623 00:36:09,850 --> 00:36:12,190 be more conscientious about what I am consuming, what I'm 624 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:16,920 throwing away portions not. And that's great for food. 625 00:36:16,930 --> 00:36:19,190 You know, you might be able to do that for food, you might not. 626 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:21,160 You know, some people have healthy relationships to food. 627 00:36:21,170 --> 00:36:23,000 Some people have unhealthy relationships to food. 628 00:36:23,010 --> 00:36:24,920 So like you've got to figure that out for you. 629 00:36:24,930 --> 00:36:27,090 I can't dictate that for you listener. 630 00:36:27,300 --> 00:36:30,910 But what it did was I now buy clothing differently as well 631 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:35,770 because it's I I consider, I consider it differently. 632 00:36:35,780 --> 00:36:39,970 And again, on the poorer days, I'm like OK, Black Friday sale, 633 00:36:39,980 --> 00:36:41,170 great. I'm gonna like what? 634 00:36:41,180 --> 00:36:46,420 I'm gonna buy 7 T-shirts that are all the same and on good 635 00:36:46,430 --> 00:36:50,470 days I'm like no I'm going to slow down and before I buy 636 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:53,250 anything I'm going to dig everything out and I'm going to 637 00:36:53,260 --> 00:36:56,410 wear it all once and whatever doesn't get worn is going to get 638 00:36:56,420 --> 00:36:59,110 donated or thrown out or like maybe it just needs to go to the 639 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:06,200 bin but the garbage. But it it changed the way I look 640 00:37:06,210 --> 00:37:10,410 at how we consume things. And so we're talking about 641 00:37:10,420 --> 00:37:12,500 sacrifice just to bring it all back home. 642 00:37:13,300 --> 00:37:20,990 Um, I think that we can romanticize or overcommit to 643 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,960 these big challenges, which might be good. 644 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:29,500 The only thing I've ever learned in the big challenges that stuck 645 00:37:29,510 --> 00:37:32,070 with me is how to think differently about the small 646 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:34,250 everyday things. That's the benefit really. 647 00:37:34,330 --> 00:37:37,830 Like, you know, you do a long, fast, fine, good, whatever. 648 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:40,500 Great, just changes the way you think about day-to-day. 649 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:43,230 You know, you do this month of food thing, whatever you wanna 650 00:37:43,240 --> 00:37:46,630 call it, eat your freezer. The only thing that's really 651 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:48,970 going to change is hopefully like how you purchase and how 652 00:37:48,980 --> 00:37:52,700 you a lot food like day-to-day and week to week and how you 653 00:37:52,710 --> 00:37:54,770 consider it like it's going to change those small things. 654 00:37:54,780 --> 00:37:57,510 Or something like, you know, we've talked a lot about 655 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:02,260 technology and, and some of the, I'm just dangers of just the 656 00:38:02,270 --> 00:38:05,300 constant scrolling and doom scrolling and all the things 657 00:38:05,310 --> 00:38:09,130 like, and we had challenged some folks over the summer to like, 658 00:38:09,140 --> 00:38:11,300 you know, really eliminate all that. 659 00:38:11,510 --> 00:38:15,570 And I know that it changed some things for me, not everything, 660 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,070 but a lot of things. And, and so I think that's the 661 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:19,790 hope, right? Is that like when you do the big 662 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:24,220 thing you sacrifice for the season, you can then start to 663 00:38:24,260 --> 00:38:28,530 work through some of your patterns and, and adjust and, 664 00:38:28,540 --> 00:38:35,310 and cultivate a life that is more balanced. 665 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:36,640 I don't. I like that word balance, but 666 00:38:36,650 --> 00:38:42,860 like a life that is, that is more less prone to some of the 667 00:38:42,870 --> 00:38:45,340 extreme proclivities that we may have. 668 00:38:45,430 --> 00:38:48,900 Yeah, yeah. So Joseph had to sacrifice. 669 00:38:48,970 --> 00:38:52,380 What did he have to sacrifice? Probably most of his social 670 00:38:52,390 --> 00:38:53,530 capital. Yeah. 671 00:38:54,110 --> 00:38:59,070 Right, you know, would would have been one of the things that 672 00:38:59,220 --> 00:39:04,740 first to go out the door in, in some way, probably his own 673 00:39:04,750 --> 00:39:11,900 religious, um, like ritual purity and the way he related to 674 00:39:11,910 --> 00:39:16,010 his, his religious community would have been sacrificed the 675 00:39:16,020 --> 00:39:18,780 way he related to his social community, which were the same, 676 00:39:18,790 --> 00:39:23,480 but socially, religiously, like he's, he's laying down his own 677 00:39:23,490 --> 00:39:27,340 status to do this. So I think that that would be 678 00:39:27,350 --> 00:39:30,370 the way I'd want to challenge our our folks, right. 679 00:39:31,190 --> 00:39:37,420 Is is there an area of your life where you can lay down call it 680 00:39:37,430 --> 00:39:41,240 status, call it privilege, call it ability, whatever that piece 681 00:39:41,250 --> 00:39:43,140 is that just your pride? Yep. 682 00:39:43,590 --> 00:39:49,120 What is something that can you can allow into your life that 683 00:39:49,130 --> 00:39:52,960 challenges those things to go. Yeah, it might you know, maybe 684 00:39:52,970 --> 00:39:54,260 you want to do a similar food thing. 685 00:39:54,270 --> 00:39:55,700 Maybe you want to do a similar clothing thing. 686 00:39:55,710 --> 00:39:59,360 Maybe you want to do this like whatever tech thing but. 687 00:40:00,740 --> 00:40:04,410 I think that it starts to starts to look like changing the way 688 00:40:04,420 --> 00:40:07,890 you relate to others. So Joseph doesn't lay it. 689 00:40:07,900 --> 00:40:11,710 He doesn't sacrifice for his own sake, no sacrifices for the sake 690 00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:14,350 of Mary. Who you could, I think you'd 691 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:16,810 argue things this earlier. Mary had more on the line, you 692 00:40:16,820 --> 00:40:18,950 know, Mary. And so, like, I don't want to, 693 00:40:19,970 --> 00:40:23,150 you know, like I think we we should look at Joseph and Joseph 694 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:25,330 has, there's some, there's some parts of his story that are 695 00:40:25,340 --> 00:40:29,270 fascinating and and worth, worth emulating in some ways. 696 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:32,940 But I think it's just worth noting that Mary had more on the 697 00:40:32,950 --> 00:40:35,350 line. Absolutely, Yeah. 698 00:40:35,460 --> 00:40:39,410 So, you know, really practically maybe you're like, I am going to 699 00:40:39,420 --> 00:40:42,830 do that food thing. And I would say, OK, so 700 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,950 Christmas or January. January might be better. 701 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:49,260 But luckily. So let's put, let me put it this 702 00:40:49,270 --> 00:40:53,770 way, January is one of the lowest food like supply months 703 00:40:53,780 --> 00:40:56,790 for the food bank. Yeah, they always need things 704 00:40:57,040 --> 00:40:59,030 because what happens is everybody's like, we're gonna be 705 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:01,730 super generous leading up to Christmas and then like the 706 00:41:01,740 --> 00:41:03,830 bottom falls out. It's all gone for the food. 707 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:07,350 Yeah, everything's gone and you need to replenish your stores. 708 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,060 So, OK, simple. I say simple. 709 00:41:10,140 --> 00:41:12,450 I say that cautiously. One way that you could 710 00:41:12,460 --> 00:41:16,130 sacrifice, I think for the sake of another would be to say 711 00:41:16,140 --> 00:41:20,080 either everything we buy that is a luxury item, we're going to 712 00:41:20,090 --> 00:41:26,590 buy 2 can give one away. Or as we don't need to purchase 713 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:32,070 as much ourselves, instead we're going to use that remaining 714 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:34,340 funds to purchase for somebody else. 715 00:41:34,350 --> 00:41:35,690 Yeah. So that's great. 716 00:41:35,700 --> 00:41:38,350 Yeah. Just a practical way to end, I 717 00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:41,010 think, in terms of what it might look like for us to start to 718 00:41:41,020 --> 00:41:43,530 sacrifice for others. Yeah. 719 00:41:43,540 --> 00:41:47,290 And so as we think about sacrifice not just being a means 720 00:41:47,300 --> 00:41:52,420 to an end for ourselves, but as as a way to honor God and to 721 00:41:52,430 --> 00:41:57,320 bless others and to like that, that's a great reframing. 722 00:41:57,490 --> 00:42:01,100 I because I think that there's a lot of a lot of our world, I 723 00:42:01,110 --> 00:42:03,820 think can sort of have this, this attitude. 724 00:42:03,870 --> 00:42:07,130 I'm just going to be refining myself and it's really for for 725 00:42:07,140 --> 00:42:11,020 my own sake, right. And so, so I hope that, you 726 00:42:11,030 --> 00:42:13,660 know, we can consider some of these things and, and even over 727 00:42:13,670 --> 00:42:17,960 the month of December, how we might live, how we might live 728 00:42:17,970 --> 00:42:19,340 differently. That's been our kind of our 729 00:42:19,350 --> 00:42:23,660 theme over over Advent. I mean, it's just started, but 730 00:42:23,670 --> 00:42:28,540 it's what we've been encouraging ourselves and you all toward. 731 00:42:28,730 --> 00:42:31,260 And so we're gonna keep talking about this. 732 00:42:31,270 --> 00:42:35,130 We're gonna keep bringing to mind the ways in which this 733 00:42:35,140 --> 00:42:39,880 advents and Christmas God is calling us to do something 734 00:42:39,890 --> 00:42:41,840 different and to be different people. 735 00:42:41,890 --> 00:42:45,160 So I, and again, we'd love to hear some of your stories that 736 00:42:45,170 --> 00:42:48,830 if there's something that you are contemplating, something 737 00:42:48,840 --> 00:42:51,880 that you are working through, some way that God's shown up in 738 00:42:51,890 --> 00:42:54,110 your life in light of all this, we'd love to hear that. 739 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:56,650 And you can send that to our questions at 740 00:42:56,660 --> 00:43:00,350 courtrightchurch.org e-mail and with permission, we'd love to 741 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:01,890 share some of those if any of those come up. 742 00:43:01,900 --> 00:43:05,950 So we'll leave it there for now and we hope to see you again and 743 00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:06,710 have a great week.