Month: May 2020

Surviving A Dry Spiritual Season

by Matthew Stidham, posted in Christianity, Prayer

I have had several folks ask me about getting through a “dry season” in their spiritual lives. They feel as though God is distant, and their prayers seemingly bounce off the ceiling unheard by our Father. With all that’s going on in our world right now, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and far from God. And if that’s where you find yourself, you are not alone. The Bible is full of those who had amazing highs, and devastating lows in their spiritual walk (David and Paul come to mind immediately). You are safe, and you are loved in a “dry season”, but we don’t want to stay in that place!

Spiritual formation practices using Scripture and the traditions of the Church can help us survive a dry spiritual season, and come out stronger on the other side.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 NIV

Paul knew a thing or two about difficult seasons. At times he was so overjoyed about the work and mission Christ has set before him. At other times he was completely depressed with feelings of abandonment. To the church in Thessolonica facing severe persecution, he reminds them to pray continually.

The Didache (a 1st century Christian treatise) also calls on followers of Christ to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times per day. This is a truly transformative practice! I’ve mentioned to several of you that I have begun reciting the Lord’s Prayer every time I wash my hands throughout the day. Stoplights are also a good opportunity to recite this.

Some choose to pray the Psalms, or the “Jesus Creed” (Mark’s account of the Greatest Command). Whenever that feeling of frustration, or overwhelm sneaks in, once again repeat these words, audibly or silently. However you choose to do it, having the words on your mind and heart is what counts. These practices transform us from the inside out, and move our hearts and minds into closer relationship with God.

I leave you with the words of Scott McKnight on reciting the prayers of Scripture:

“Nearly everybody goes through spiritual dryness in their prayers. But remember this: we pray even when we don’t feel like it, we pray when we don’t want to, we pray even when the words don’t seem to make sense. Why? Because in those prayers the Spirit of God is interceding for us, and taking our times of dryness and sending arrows of communication into the throne room of God where Christ becomes our intercessor, and the Spirit interceding with us in our hearts.”

Scott McKnight, Kingdom Roots Podcast – KR32

Your Words Matter

by Matthew Stidham, posted in Scripture

For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

1 John 1:11 NIV


As you have hopefully heard by this point, we will once again have a time of worship at our building this Sunday (May 10th).

With that announcement comes lots of feelings, questions, worries, and opinions. Let me start by affirming whatever you are feeling as normal during this time. Our world is dealing with lots of unknown variables, and truthfully the only One who understands it all is the Father. We all are doing the best we know how with the information we have.

I want us all to remember, especially now, that followers of Jesus are called to be different than the world around us. We are to be a calming presence in the storm, not the source of the chaos. You have been called to make peace “as far as it depends on you.”

Please remember that you represent Jesus in your comments and your actions. When non-believers see you and your actions, they assume that’s how Jesus would act. Please be a good representative of our Lord, especially now as the world looks for answers. Let’s show them Jesus! To that end, I leave you with the words of John.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:7-12 NIV