The frenetic pace of life has theological consequences. Many friends reported feeling that their self-worth was connected to productivity, not to God’s grace. They (and I include myself in this group) are quite capable of saying out loud, “I am God’s beloved child, worthy of love.” But deep within, another voice held sway. If they felt they had not worked sufficiently that day, if they had not checked enough items off their list or made progress in some measurable way, they felt like failures.
We cannot rush the growth of the seed that lands in good soil or the yeast leavening the dough. It happens in God’s own time. God’s plan for us, rather than a list of tasks, is to be like the seed and the yeast: to do our work in God’s time, and to experience restful joy all our days. Balance in work, ample time for play, and care for the neighbor made possible by shared rhythms of community—this is Sabbath living. This is Slow Faith.
This message is excerpted from “Why slow faith” by Liv Larson Andrews from the June 25, 2015, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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