Adjusting Your Tempo
Pastor Jason Sunday morning in worship, I encouraged you to think about the tempo of your life. Is the pace of activity in your life too fast, too slow, or just about right?
It would be easy to simple think about being busy or idle, but the truth is our feelings about life have more to do with tempo at any given moment than whether we are busy or not. Sometimes I can be busy and feel energized. And, in contrast, I can be well rested but restless.
If you begin paying more attention to the tempo of your life, you can learn to embrace the rhythms of busy-ness and idleness. You can learn find your best tempo no matter what song your life sings on any given day, week or month. Jesus promises to be your conductor if you will come to him for relief from the weary tempos of life.
But how? How do we practically come to Jesus? How do we listen with Jesus to the tempo of our lives? And how do we respond to Jesus’ nudging to speed up or slow down?
Well, here are a few practical tips to use this week as your work on paying attention to your tempo and following Jesus’ baton. As you read through these I hope you enjoy the musical terms. After all, you cannot follow the conductor if you don’t understand the musical directions!
-
Be more conscious of you – listen to your thoughts and feelings
-
Be more conscious of Jesus – prayerfully talk to Jesus about the thoughts and feelings you are becoming more conscious of and listen for Jesus to speak through your heart, your surrounding, your friends, a pastor, or scripture
-
Accelerando and Ritardando – These are the musical terms for speeding up and slowing down; different days or tasks require different speeds so speed up and slow down as needed
-
Appreciate different tempos – pay attention to the different tempos required by different tasks in your life; acknowledge and accept the pace at which those activities must be conducted; try not to resist different tempos but learn to enjoy them
-
Ad Lib – literally “as you desire;” be creative with your tempo in order to transform tiresome tasks into pleasurable experiences
-
Mix It Up – don’t just live at one tempo, but be intentional about adjusting your tempo; the same repeated tempo is boring, dull, monotonous, and weary!
-
Caesura – a pause in a musical composition; sometimes you need a break no matter what your tempo is; a brief break does not throw off your tempo but allows you to pause to enjoy a beautiful moment before moving on
-
Rubato – Allow your tempo to flow freely; sometimes you need to let go of rigid tempos
-
Duet (or trio) – find people who are in sync with their life tempo and spend time learning from them for awhile; Jesus just may speak through them!
I pray that these musical expressions and ideas will help you pay attention to your life and follow Jesus as he conducts the beautiful song that is your life.
Miss Sunday’s sermon? Read it now! Un-busy: Tempo
This Week:
Wednesday, March 13th, 1:30 pm Prayer & Inspiration
Wednesday, March 13th, No Choir
Thursday, March 14th, 3:00 pm Ladles of Love, Meal preparation
Thursday, March 14th, 4:00 pm Ladles of Love, Meal delivery
**We need more volunteers for delivery. Please come to the church at 3:45 pm to help
Sunday, March 17th, 11:00 am Worship; Baptism Class Continues (10:00 am & 4:00 pm)
Upcoming Events:
March 23rd, 10:00 am – 12 noon Rise Against Hunger, Service Opportunity, Meal Prep, Shrine Center
March 24th, 12 noon, Fundraising/Fellowship Lunch, Bring your favorite Casserole
March 26th, AM/PM Sanctuary Clean-up/Work-day
March 31st, 5:00 pm, Organ Concert featuring Dr. Andrew Scanlon on our 1923 Skinner Organ
April 13th, afternoon (time TBA), Easter Egg Hunt/Fellowship at the home of Joanie & Jason Williams
April 26th, Lunch: BBQ