If the last 11 months has taught us anything I think a slower pace of life is one of them. When things came to a screeching halt last March, due to the coronavirus pandemic, my schedule slowed way down. The slow down was not immediate – quite the opposite. In the first two weeks following lock down requirements, I was working easily 65+ hours each week. While my commute had slowed down, my problem solving synapses were running full steam ahead.

But by May things seemed to have found a new normal and all the adjustments that needed to be made had been made. The slower pace of life and workflow were in place. It’s not that I was doing less – quite often I was doing more – but without a commute and other time sucking events, I was able to do more in less time. The slower pace of life trend continues, but I fear what could happen, especially in the church as the desire to “return to normal” increases. And I am not the only one thinking about the implications.

I think this is true in the sense Jesus’s phrase is true—not as an absolute statement but as a phrase that is meant to catch our attention and provoke some self-examination.

Tim Challies

Tim Challies wrote an article back in the fall I stumbled upon a few weeks ago. It resonated with my rumination on how a return to pre-pandemic in church culture could impact one of the largest lessons we’ve learned through the pandemic…a slower pace of life is not a bad thing. Challies writes “The Local Church was Made to Serve the Christian, Not the Christian the Local Church“. At face value it sounds counterintuitive, but I believe Challies is on to a deeper cultural issue not only within the church but outside it as well. How many people have we seen experiencing “burnout” over the last decade?

READ THE ARTICLE

Anyway, I am always interested from hearing from my readers. So what did you agree with, struggle with, or flat out dislike about Challies’ take? As always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day.