Where can you reduce clutter in your life?
I associate the word clutter with disorder. I’m a fairly organized person. Clutter is a distraction to me. When things begin to look cluttered in my home, I tidy things up.
Our pastor for family ministries preached on Sunday because the senior pastor had just returned from a mission trip. Skyler had asked the senior pastor if he could use the sermon to introduce us to the practice of Lectio Divina.
Skyler began by explaining how valuable this practice is for hearing what God wants you to hear. Use silence to reflect on God’s word and to open yourself up to his voice.
The scripture for our sermon was the Parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13. I’ve read this parable many times, and it has been the subject of many sermons. Skyler read the parable to us a few times with increasing amounts of silence between the readings.
The first time, we just listened. After another reading, we were to pray and ask God if there was a word or phrase He wanted us to hear. The word that stuck out to me was thorns.
Thorns choke the word, making it unfruitful. I read the word but allow distractions to keep me from really hearing it.
Sometimes, we have to hear a message a few times before it finally sinks in. I’m hearing God tell me to tidy up my spiritual life. Prune out the thorns. Be still. Be silent. Hear my voice.
Lectio
Meditatio
Oratio
Contemplation
Read
Reflect
Respond
Rest
Innermost Being 