BROADWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH • COLUMBIA, MISSOURI THE WORSHIP OF GOD • APRIL 18, 2021

The Scripture Psalm 4

Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.

How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? Selah

But know that the LORD has set apart the faithful for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.

When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Selah Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.

There are many who say, “O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O LORD!”

You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound. I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O LORD, make me lie down in safety.

The Message What the World Needs Clear Minds Mark Briley

Jack Handey was a comedian and writer for for a number of years. He is most known for a segment of short quips that would appear on the show just before going to commercial break. You’d hear the voiceover coming as a scene of a 1 gentle stream flowed through a meadow or something like that. The voice would say, “And now, deep thoughts, by .”1 They would be random like, “Do you know what happens when you slice a golf ball in half? Someone gets mad at you. I found this out the hard way.” And then it would just be over. Commercial.

Another one said, “If you’re being chased by an angry bull, and then you notice you’re also being chased by a swarm of bees, it doesn’t really change things. Just keep on running.” Deep thoughts.

Once in a while, I’ll catch one my kids in deep thought. I’ll say, “Whatcha thinking about?” and the first response is often, “Just thinking.”

And we do… and we are. Isn’t your mind just overflowing these days? We’ve been doing a lot of thinking. That’s always true, I suppose. But these days of transition and discernment and crisis management have us grabbing our frontal lobes with both hands, trying to wring it out like a sponge. It can be heavy. And, at times, we don’t like being alone with our thoughts. A recent report summarized 11 studies finding that people did not enjoy spending even as few as six minutes in a room by themselves with nothing to do but think. Any mundane external activity was preferred. We know we are all wired differently, and this study acknowledges that such is true, but… it’s fascinating.

The Wired Word reported on this same research, explaining that “participants in the study ranged in age from 18 to 77. They were told to entertain themselves alone in a room just with their thoughts or to think about hiking or some activity they enjoy. No matter the age, the participants showed no fondness for being alone with their thoughts.”

But here’s the literally shocking part. In one phase of the study, participants were given the option of administering a mild shock to themselves by pressing a button. Before starting their time alone, they all received a sample of the shock, and most said they would pay to avoid being shocked again. But, when placed in a room alone with their thoughts and no other distractions, 67% of males and 25% of females gave themselves at least one electric shock during the 15-minute period. Amazing… especially after the same people said they’d pay good money to not experience that shock again. They’d rather be painfully shocked than be alone with their thoughts.2

What would you do? Could you spend 15 minutes alone with your thoughts? It’s interesting, and I think it says a lot about our struggles; especially in this time as we’re

1 www.deepthoughtsbyjackhandey.com 2 "Most people don't enjoy sitting quietly with their thoughts, study shows." The Wired Word for the Week of July 20, 2014. thewiredword.com. 2 slowly emerging out of a pandemic’d world. We’re plugging our minds every day with social media, any number of news outlets, or doing whatever we can to numb ourselves from all we’ve fed our minds all day long.

Death by suicide is as high as it’s been since World War II. The gap between polarizing groups has increased significantly as every side says of the other: “Don’t trust,” but “Oppose with venom” those who are not on your side. Where we once could see individuals as uniquely designed and complex, appreciating the layers and respecting commonalities and differences alike, there is now tendency to box people in as one thing or the other, relegating them to one single description: “them.”

We used to not judge another until we’d walked in their shoes. Now, we’re more apt to follow the Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey version of that saying: “Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes."

Does that sound about right? We’ve got a society of cluttered minds, full of toxicity that is quick to poison what was once a more kind and civil world.

If you claim Christ, what does this mean for you? What about our church? Welcome to week two of our stewardship series entitled, “What the World Needs Now.” Last week we claimed generous hearts as a clear need of today’s society. What else does the world need now? Clear minds.

It has been said that our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. What are you thinking about these days? Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. What we think shapes who we are. If you’re caught up on something… consumed with something in particular… that is driving you around today. Is your thinking driving you in a positive, healthy direction, or are you going the wrong way around the roundabout in your mind?

The Apostle Paul shares one of my favorite thoughts about how to direct our thinking. And he writes it from jail! You feel like the pandemic has been confining. Paul’s in an orange jump suit when he finishes his email to the church at Philippi saying, “Whatever is true, think on those things. Whatever is honorable, think on those things. Whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, whatever is excellent, and praiseworthy, think on these things.”

This is a discipline worth working at right now. It harkens back to King David, the psalmist that offers our focal text for today. The 4th Psalm. And that line? “O that we might see some good!” This could have been the title for a pandemic theme song. One struggle and setback after another can do a great deal of damage to the mentality of 3 individuals and collective groups. You begin to wonder if even “some good” will ever be seen again. History suggests that we do come through, and out of, such seasons. Don’t throw away today in despair that which will look like a minor deal in hindsight a few weeks down the road. It is often those who can take in the broad horizon of the experience and imagine life in a new world with a clear mind that tend to guide the rest of us into the “Great Next.” Clear minds see a way and offer the best of themselves to what the world needs now. That’s what we’re aiming for as Christians in this poignant time and place at the mission outpost we call Broadway Christian Church.

A clear mind can be tough to come by when people are in your ear with opposing agendas; especially when they are people you love and respect. I’ve seen more people, more marriages, more families torn about during the pandemic than ever before in my ministry. The stress of it all seems to amplify whatever struggle already existed, and implosions and explosions are happening left and right, as these cluttered minds and battered souls have reached avalanche proportions. We’ve wrestled with the needed role of the Church to help get people back together – to clear some heads – to be reminded of a grace-filled perspective that gets us focused on the good we can do, not the negative score keeping we seem to be focused on right now.

I knew a couple who was struggling relationally. He was often frustrated with her and she was tired of his negativity. She didn’t think he recognized how negative his thinking was so she just started shouting “Negative!” every time he said something that fit that category. Made for an interesting afternoon that we spent together! I’m not sure it had the impact she wanted, but there it was.

For those that spend time around you the most, if they were given freedom to shout “Negative!” (or Positive) throughout the course of your day as you spouted off or spoke about things, what would you hear? We all have our off moments, but if the world needs some clear and positive minds right now that bring us forward. How are we doing? “O, that we’d see some good!” King David cries.

What we find is that hurt people, hurt people. Do you know this to be true? My buddy, Dave, shared a helpful word this week from contemplative and mindfulness author, Lori Deschene,3 that said, “Be the person who breaks the cycle. If you were judged, choose understanding. If you were rejected, choose acceptance. If you were shamed, choose compassion. Be the person you needed when you were hurting, not the person who hurt you. Vow to be better than what broke you – to heal instead of becoming bitter so you can act from your heart, not your pain.”

3 https://tinybuddha.com/about 4

A challenging word but maybe one worthy of the challenge. So much hinders having a clear mind… bitterness may be near the top. David shares in this psalm that “When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your bed and be silent.” We know there is a time to be silent and a time to speak, but this word from David is of the count-to-ten variety before you respond to any given situation. We tend to react these days more than we do respond. “Don’t sin,” David says… “Don’t lash out in your reaction when a healthy response is the only thing that can bring about the change we desire.”

We are quickly offended. Some use this idea of an overly-offended society by saying whatever they want, and you just need to get over it. Others are so sensitive that you can’t hardly get through a single conversation without offending. Being offended is inevitable. Living offended is a choice. A clear mind can begin to discern the difference, and you will move in the direction of your strongest thought. If you’re looking to be offended, you will be. If you are looking to understand, you’re much more likely to find common understanding. As we re-emerge as a church with a new vision to make a difference in our city, we’ve got to find a way to be honest with each other, growing in our understanding, so we can meet the most needs and do so effectively. It’s one of Covey’s habits of highly effective people. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

David writes this psalm under the weight of a distressing time. And as up and down as David can be when we follow him in Scripture, he often finds this common word that says, “Just wait expectantly for God to come through… to be with us in the thick of it.” Waiting expectantly often comes with clearing your mind, reminding yourself that God has been there before all of this, will be here with us through this present moment, and God will be here in all that is ahead of us yet.

I admit that I’ve had to step back from things now and again during this pandemic to get a clearer mind, not always successfully. It’s easy to get sucked into a vacuum of fear or to have an era of confidence (dare I say arrogance) when it comes to navigating this season. And we get buried in it.

Sharing some mutual lament with a buddy this week, he says, “Hey… just 332 days until next Spring Break!” Lord, help us!

To function with a clear mind, you’ve got to have some space cleared on your calendar. One of the things I love about the wisdom of this particular psalm is that you’ll find the word “Selah” twice within these few short verses. The word is found in the Hebrew Bible (the First or Old Testament as we think of it) 74 times in all… 71 times in the Psalms, and Habakkuk likes the Hebrew word enough to use it three times. Selah”” is simply an invitation to pause and is often used as musical direction; what we might call a musical rest. Or as one of our beloved teammates raised their 5 coffee mug during a meeting this week, the mug revealed a rest on the musical score with the instruction below it that simply and bluntly said, “Shut up.”

Now, I know we aren’t supposed to say that to each other… but you get the idea. In the middle of David’s distressing situation, he inserts two separate Selahs – time outs, rest – space he needed to clear his heart and mind so that God might fill it with something better than what he could come up with on his own under distress. You and me? We need a Selah.

Stan Purdum4 is a long-distance cyclist who has written several books on cycling. He describes his bike as “a marvelous thought machine.” He says the activity of spinning the wheels down a low-traffic road seems to keep the “need to be active” part of him occupied, so that his thinking process is less hampered. There’s a kind of “silence” in that activity for him. He gets home after a ride finding that he’s solved a problem in his life or decided a course of action, and even deeper than that he says, “Sometimes I can’t describe it as anything short of a spiritual encounter.” Biking is a Selah for Stan.

If we’re going to be better for each other… and a clear-headed disciple for Jesus… a church that is steady, consistent, able to speak into the hard and mundane moments of our lives, we need to commit to this effort. What’s your Selah? “O that we might see some good!” What’s that space that will bring that clarity for you? Be willing to be in that space for a bit… without having to shock yourself out of distraction or boredom. I heard a mom tell her child who came to her complaining saying, “I’m bored, mom.” She didn’t miss a beat. She said, “You’re too creative to be bored.”

Find your Selah, stay in that space, and get some clarity. There’s too much creative beauty in you to NOT carve out space to let it surface. In your clarity, we all get better.

As our stewardship team was thinking through what the world needs now, a clear mind became a clear necessity. You may be searching right now. People seem to be spiritually hungry right now. You may be looking for a small group, or a service team, or a Selah group to connect with… like our Trails and Tacos group that hiked and consumed tacos just yesterday. How will you clear your mind and grow in the Spirit?

Most of you have met John DeLaporte virtually already… people watch via YouTube and then meet in person and say, “I feel like I know you.” That’s awesome. John joined our team in November as our director of youth ministries and faith formation. Not only is he passionate about creating brave spaces, meaningful spaces, for our young people, he’s also passionate about faith formation at every age, and new groups are launching often with a strategic plan to roll out more in the coming months.

4 www.stanpurdum.com 6

Our recent Women’s Retreat led by Terry Overfelt and friends sent 60-plus women fired up to engage new opportunities to clear their minds.

Our new teammate Adonica Coleman, serving as our director of community engagement – is priming our faith family with opportunities to grow in the ways we exist, serve, and transform lives in our community.

I reminisced with Crystal Harrison, our All God’s Children director, as we excitedly hired her into the role on a Tuesday last March, and I called her on the following Saturday saying, “Yeah… maybe don’t come in tomorrow.” The world shut down. But she may be the most positive person I know. She can’t wait for all that is ahead and has upwards of nine or ten college students eager to be interns in the program this next year to help serve differently-abled children, individuals, and families in our church.

“O that we would see some good!” And we are! You’re too creative to be bored, friends. You’re too valued to diminish your worth. There’s too much positive to be bogged down in the negative. What can we do together? How can we grow together? Don’t be afraid to think some deep thoughts. Find your Selah. Use this season to get clear… and then get engaged. Help us become together, what the world needs now.

Thanks be to God.

Song of Response “Bless Us with Clear Minds” Words and Music by Ed Varnum

1. Lord Jesus, move us past the clutter that can blind, knowing you are with us in this place and time. We’re disciples, learning, serving; bless us with clear minds.

refrain Yes, bless us with clear minds to see the many needs; the hurting we’re to visit, the hungry we’re to feed. As we hear your call, O Christ, and as the Spirit leads, Bless us with clear minds. Bless us with clear minds.

2. Moving forth with vision, give us focus, make us swift to speak the truth to power and, those in need, to lift, united in God’s Spirit, each serving as God gifts.

refrain Yes, bless us with clear minds to see the many needs; 7

the hurting we’re to visit, the hungry we’re to feed. As we hear your call, O Christ, and as the Spirit leads, bless us with clear minds. Bless us with clear minds.

3. The greatest gift is your love. We’ll leave no one behind! Love lives in forgiveness. Love is patient, love is kind. Show us your path of love, O Christ! Bless us with clear minds!

refrain Yes, bless us with clear minds to see the many needs; the hurting we’re to visit, the hungry we’re to feed. As we hear your call, O Christ, and as the Spirit leads, bless us with clear minds. Bless us with clear minds. Bless us with clear minds. Bless us with clear minds.

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