LAST SUNDAY'S SERMON NOTES
Read Peter's preaching notes....
“Distracted Living”
Luke 10:38-42
1/20/19
Highway safety experts used to talk about dangers of drunk driving
serious, but now another equally dangerous problem: “distracted driving”
NHTSA: “any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system”
latest statistics, killed 3,450 and injured 391,000 each year: 25% of all crashes
esp texting while driving: 6 times more likely to cause accident than drunk driving
probably not 1st time heard about this problem
but may not have heard about one even more serious than distracted driving:
Distracted living: going through life w/out really paying attention to what’s going on
or more precisely, paying attention to the wrong things
in general, we like to keep ourselves busy
yes, times when want to curl up on couch w/ cheese doodles & binge watch
but even then, still doing something: watching movie or TV show
when’s last time you chose to spend any amount of time just sitting, thinking?
aware of what is around you?
standing in line or waiting for repairman to show up doesn’t count!
if like me, have to think pretty long & hard to remember time
one of worst things we can imagine is “wasting time”
always have list of things we want to get done
have learned one of toughest things for elderly is can’t do what used to do
feel useless: because underlying belief that in order to be useful, must be doing
Seems to be issue esp in US, w/ our can-do attitude
desire to be productive is part of what makes our nation great
but can sometimes get in the way
take mission trips to accomplish something: build something, teach someone
want something to show for time we’ve spent
story of Mexican orphanage just across border, near beach
popular for youth mission trips: gets painted nine times in one summer
often miss the mark because don’t take time to learn, to partner, to listen
don’t even realize what not doing
often/usually, it is our presence that matters most
Contrast this w/ Tim Fretheim, one of speakers I heard at Denver conference
chaplain at forensic psychiatric hospital in Canada
“intentional loitering:” allow them to set agenda, become host
“being w/:” enjoy person for their own sake, no attempt to fix or help
presence, attention, mystery, delight, participation, partner, enjoyment, glory
Familiar story of day Jesus went to home of sisters Martha & Mary
Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to listen to what he was teaching
while Martha busy doing the chores: work of hosting great leader like Jesus
finally fed up, Martha complains to Jesus
“don’t you care that sister left me to do all the work? Tell her to help me!”
sometimes Martha given bad name
more concerned about housework than Lord of universe sitting in living room
but nothing in story to suggest she didn’t care about Jesus, didn’t want to sit w/
was “distracted:” had attention pulled away to other concerns
couldn’t afford to spend time w/ Jesus because had meal to prepare
guest to care for: may be son of God, but still needed meal in front of him
bed to lie in if spending the night, who knows what else
can’t blame her for being annoyed as sister
completely oblivious to work that needed to be done
Nothing at all to indicate that what she was doing was trivial and unimportant
distracted from the Lord by service she was doing for him
what we also do so often: distracted not by football or favorite TV show
distracted from enjoying presence of Lord by service we are doing for him
in & of themselves, good: but not when distract from presence of Lord
Martha had Lord in her living room; we have him in our heart
In midst of Martha’s frenzied activity, and our frantic lives controlled by to-do lists,
Jesus speaks word of grace
only one thing is necessary: the good portion that Mary has chosen
reminds me of favorite quote from Eisenhower
“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
we deal w/ so many concerns that are urgent: demand that we act right away
never seem to have time for the important matters of life
and most important of all: awareness of & enjoyment of Lord
For several decades now, concept of “mindfulness” has gained attention
put simply: be aware of what you are doing while you are doing it
not to evaluate or judge, but simply to be aware of
when eating meal, how often shovel food into mouth w/out paying attention?
focused on TV, dinner conversation, what going to do when done, what just did
mindfulness: be aware of texture of food as chew between teeth
flavor on tongue, when swallow, feel go down esophagus into stomach
if can’t pay attention to food while eating it, how can we ever pay attention to Lord?
The one necessary thing that Mary chose, most important part of life we overlook,
difficult to catch because distractions like Martha’s are all around us
why Lord gave us a gift called Sabbath: day each week to rest from labors
to trust that for one day God can handle all the urgent tasks that call out to us
instead, enjoy presence of Lord
Compare Martha to the Sabbath-breaker of Numbers 15
he was doing practical work: needed to get done, just as Martha was
but both missed what was most important of all
invitation for us all
Luke 10:38-42
1/20/19
Highway safety experts used to talk about dangers of drunk driving
serious, but now another equally dangerous problem: “distracted driving”
NHTSA: “any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system”
latest statistics, killed 3,450 and injured 391,000 each year: 25% of all crashes
esp texting while driving: 6 times more likely to cause accident than drunk driving
probably not 1st time heard about this problem
but may not have heard about one even more serious than distracted driving:
Distracted living: going through life w/out really paying attention to what’s going on
or more precisely, paying attention to the wrong things
in general, we like to keep ourselves busy
yes, times when want to curl up on couch w/ cheese doodles & binge watch
but even then, still doing something: watching movie or TV show
when’s last time you chose to spend any amount of time just sitting, thinking?
aware of what is around you?
standing in line or waiting for repairman to show up doesn’t count!
if like me, have to think pretty long & hard to remember time
one of worst things we can imagine is “wasting time”
always have list of things we want to get done
have learned one of toughest things for elderly is can’t do what used to do
feel useless: because underlying belief that in order to be useful, must be doing
Seems to be issue esp in US, w/ our can-do attitude
desire to be productive is part of what makes our nation great
but can sometimes get in the way
take mission trips to accomplish something: build something, teach someone
want something to show for time we’ve spent
story of Mexican orphanage just across border, near beach
popular for youth mission trips: gets painted nine times in one summer
often miss the mark because don’t take time to learn, to partner, to listen
don’t even realize what not doing
often/usually, it is our presence that matters most
Contrast this w/ Tim Fretheim, one of speakers I heard at Denver conference
chaplain at forensic psychiatric hospital in Canada
“intentional loitering:” allow them to set agenda, become host
“being w/:” enjoy person for their own sake, no attempt to fix or help
presence, attention, mystery, delight, participation, partner, enjoyment, glory
Familiar story of day Jesus went to home of sisters Martha & Mary
Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to listen to what he was teaching
while Martha busy doing the chores: work of hosting great leader like Jesus
finally fed up, Martha complains to Jesus
“don’t you care that sister left me to do all the work? Tell her to help me!”
sometimes Martha given bad name
more concerned about housework than Lord of universe sitting in living room
but nothing in story to suggest she didn’t care about Jesus, didn’t want to sit w/
was “distracted:” had attention pulled away to other concerns
couldn’t afford to spend time w/ Jesus because had meal to prepare
guest to care for: may be son of God, but still needed meal in front of him
bed to lie in if spending the night, who knows what else
can’t blame her for being annoyed as sister
completely oblivious to work that needed to be done
Nothing at all to indicate that what she was doing was trivial and unimportant
distracted from the Lord by service she was doing for him
what we also do so often: distracted not by football or favorite TV show
distracted from enjoying presence of Lord by service we are doing for him
in & of themselves, good: but not when distract from presence of Lord
Martha had Lord in her living room; we have him in our heart
In midst of Martha’s frenzied activity, and our frantic lives controlled by to-do lists,
Jesus speaks word of grace
only one thing is necessary: the good portion that Mary has chosen
reminds me of favorite quote from Eisenhower
“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
we deal w/ so many concerns that are urgent: demand that we act right away
never seem to have time for the important matters of life
and most important of all: awareness of & enjoyment of Lord
For several decades now, concept of “mindfulness” has gained attention
put simply: be aware of what you are doing while you are doing it
not to evaluate or judge, but simply to be aware of
when eating meal, how often shovel food into mouth w/out paying attention?
focused on TV, dinner conversation, what going to do when done, what just did
mindfulness: be aware of texture of food as chew between teeth
flavor on tongue, when swallow, feel go down esophagus into stomach
if can’t pay attention to food while eating it, how can we ever pay attention to Lord?
The one necessary thing that Mary chose, most important part of life we overlook,
difficult to catch because distractions like Martha’s are all around us
why Lord gave us a gift called Sabbath: day each week to rest from labors
to trust that for one day God can handle all the urgent tasks that call out to us
instead, enjoy presence of Lord
Compare Martha to the Sabbath-breaker of Numbers 15
he was doing practical work: needed to get done, just as Martha was
but both missed what was most important of all
invitation for us all
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com