Reboot
Most of us have experienced the frustrations of technology - spotty internet, satellite TV struggling to find a signal, computers stuck on the "loading" spiral, and cell phones glitching. The fix is almost universal—unplug, turn it off, and force a hard shutdown.
Busyness, distraction, searching for fulfillment, and idolizing comfort all create noise so those things that truly give us life can't get through. We remain in a constant state of "loading." But our technology struggles show us a truth applicable to our lives.
Almost everything will work again if it is unplugged, including you.
The traditional church calendar encourages us to practice a hard shutdown from time to time. Seasons in the church year, particularly Lent and Advent, remind us that even when everything seems to be moving along well, forces are at work in the background interfering with our ability to function as designed.
Time to focus on our spiritual lives, to become more introspective, should not be dismissed. Giving intentional time to consider not only if we are functioning but also how we are functioning and if our function is keeping with our design is necessary.
The fullness of life is good and gives us meaning and purpose. It permits us to experience the breadth of all that God has for our lives. But there is more. More than consumption or being consumed. More than remaining in a constant state of being "plugged in." Being "unplugged" is part of the experience.
The Psalms remind us: "Be still and know that I am God."
Psalm 46:10
There is no shame in disconnecting for a period. It doesn't infer laziness. It is not permanent. It is a normal, even necessary, part of life at times. A "hard shutdown" to reset, refocus, and restore our default settings as God intended them to be is part of how we function well.
Be intentional about utilizing the seasons of the Church calendar as intended. Recognize the rhythms in other aspects of our lives, even our technology, and allow those to guide our conduct.
Yes, unplugging is often inconvenient, whether for technological or personal reasons, but it helps us reset and restore, functioning once again as intended. It works.
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Dan Kreiss, RPC’s Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach, brings with him a heart for service and a diverse array of experiences in the mission field. Be sure to subscribe to the Mission Outreach Blog to read and follow along as he documents his personal journey and shares his vision for RPC’s mission outreach commitment. Along with providing meaningful resources, this blog will help jumpstart the important conversations our church community must be having about missional living.
Dan Kreiss
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss is the Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach at RPC. Dan is particularly passionate about encouraging the church to reflect the diversity found in its surrounding community in regard to age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status.