We’ve got rhythm – but is it the right kind?

Our God is a God of seasons, a God of rhythm. But in the modern world, our daily rhythms increasingly run counter to those of the natural world: strawberries and central heating in the winter, apples and air conditioning in the summer. At dusk, I turn on the lights and extend the day. These modern “innovations” all make it possible to ignore God’s patterns.

For many of us, the essential rhythms necessary for a healthy spiritual life have also been severely disrupted. We have become so accustomed to letting the culture control the pace and flow of our lives that we are convinced these artificial rhythms are normal. We no longer fast during Lent but go on obsessive spring diets instead. Life flows to the rhythms of sales at the mall or to hockey playoffs, rather than to our connection to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Pressure to plug-in

The growing pressure we all face to be plugged into our work 24/7 is even more disruptive to God’s rhythms in our lives. Our culture tells us there is never time to slow down, take a break, or simply turn off. It sells us “time-saving” innovations that only serve to crank up the pace. Jet travel rapidly zips us across continents. Cell phones and e-mail instantly link us to friends and colleagues half a world away at any time of day or night. The 24-hour e-commerce and ATM machines reinforce the frantic beat.

Even on our days off or vacation we feel we can no longer disconnect. How many of us still check our e-mail every day no matter where we are or what we are doing?

In our frenzied efforts to remain plugged in, we drown out all other rhythms and retain little or no space for our spiritual life.

So, what are the essential rhythms God intended to pace our lives? We need look no further than the life of Christ, who in offering us abundant life also models the rhythms of such a life.

Jesus modelled four basic rhythms that I believe are still meant to set the pace and pattern for our lives.

Prayer

Christ’s intimate relationship with God and dedicated prayer life provided the focus for everything else he did. Jesus sought God’s direction and lived his life according to God’s instructions. Daily prayer to reconnect us to God and renew our spiritual energy, pausing in our decision-making to listen to God, and taking time for prayer retreats will enrich our lives and bring us into a more intimate relationship with God. How much less stress would we suffer if we gave this kind of priority to prayer?

Community

Jesus’ second priority was community. He spent more time developing a community of followers than he did preaching. He could often be found in a crowd with his 12 disciples, teaching and reaching out with compassion.

But Jesus and his disciples didn’t only work together. They enjoyed good food and fellowship and celebrated the Jewish feasts. Wherever Jesus went there was a party. Making time for friends and family; encouraging co-workers, neighbors, and fellow believers; enjoying the celebrations of our faith: God intends all of these to be part of the spiritual rhythm of our lives.

Work

The third rhythm that paced Jesus’ life was work, but the goal of his work was less about putting bread on the table than about serving God’s kingdom purposes. Jesus wants us, as God’s representatives, to ask, “What is it that you want me to accomplish today that will further the purposes of your kingdom in our world?” We don’t all need to become pastors or missionaries, however. Think about how we could encourage a colleague at work, or offer a helping hand to an elderly person in our neighbourhood.

Rest

Jesus believed not only in work but also in rest, recognizing it as a necessary rhythm of life. He encouraged his followers, saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Regular sleep and the practice of Sabbath are both ways to reconnect to God’s rhythm of rest and refreshment.

A young pastor in Denver told me that a member of his congregation recently asked him why he was always so busy. Thinking his parishioner wanted an account of his time, the pastor started listing all the activities that kept him constantly on the run – church, committee meetings, hospital visits, family, and friends.

“No, no,” the man interrupted, “that’s not what I meant. Why are you so busy? Don’t you think God wants you to model a different way of life?” The question stopped him short and soon had him rethinking his priorities and the shape he’d allowed his life to take.

The rhythm of life Jesus modelled is not just something for the dark, distant past. It’s a guide for our lives today. People are looking for evidence that Jesus’ disciples invest their time and energy in a different range of priorities than the culture around them. They are looking for a faith with a different rhythm to life – a rhythm that is fulfilling and not exhausting.

This article was first published in the January/February 2004 issue of PRISM magazine and is used with permission. It is adapted from the author’s book GodSpace (Barclay Press, 2006).

Christine Sine lives in Seattle, Wash. with her husband Tom. Go to the Sines’ Mustard Seed Associates website for more information.