The Loss Of Normal

Losing our normal, hurts. We had rhythms. We had reasonably certain expectations.

How should we, as worshiping Christians, grieve our loss of normalcy?

Be Sad
As modern Christians, we stink at lament. Gripe we get, but lament? Not so much. Stay with the sad, on and off. Let the grief have its work in you. Write and lead songs that express our longing. (Advent is built on that longing!)

More than one out of every three Psalms is a lament. How does that compare to PCO’s top songs? Maybe one out of every thousand?

To lament includes four steps: Turn to God. Bring your complaint. Ask boldly for help. Choose to trust. (Thank you Mark for this: www.desiringgod.org/articles/dare-to-hope-in-god)

Listen Up
Silence your heart and take the space needed to be quiet. It’d be difficult to hear until the noise gets turned down. Noise gets turned down when you stop and are silent.

I like to time my silence. Well, what I mean is I like to set a timer, say 2-10 minutes each day, to do nothing but clear my mind and direct passing thoughts to the LORD.

Read more scripture than the news. Keep an appropriate balance. Thirty minutes in a news feed or a news show gives your mind and soul way more than most of us can process well. Turn it down. Turn His word up.

Expect It
When something terrible surprises us, it feels even worse. I’m the last guy you’ll find making gloomy predictions.

But our Master has clearly told us to expect days like 2020. “And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!” (John 16:33 The Passion Translation)

Sing New Songs
I mean that mostly metaphorically. Write the current story. Create your next rhythm. Walk on. Sing a new dawn.

God has (and is) profoundly shaking up all our dailies. Pay attention and begin to hum what you’re hearing Him hum.

As you observe the rubble and ash of your heart and life, look for shoots of green. What excites you, even just a little? Water that.

And let’s do all this together, shall we?

-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)

The Loss Of Normal (Nº 261)