Creating Sacred Times and Places

 
In Psalm 84 we hear the desire of a worshiper to be in the presence of others worshiping God in the temple. The lives of ancient Israel were organized by the Lord into certain weekly, monthly, and annual rhythms that helped them to connect with both the Lord and others in particular ways. As they engaged in these rhythms they had a built-in system that helped them to cultivate both love for God and neighbor, thereby fulfilling the two greatest commandments in the law. With many of our normal rhythms thrown off right now, we can still be intentional to create sacred times and spaces to help us remember the Lord and others during this season. Below are some possible ways to approach that:

1. Pick a time and place to pray and read Scripture each morning. 
2. Pick a specific time of the day each day to pray for a different person and/or family. 
3. Pick a specific time each day or week to call or text or email someone just to check in. 
4. Pick a specific time and place each day to pray with your spouse and/or kids. 
5. Think about a particular outdoor space that helps you connect with the Lord and make a plan to spend some time there. It could be your back porch, a favorite fishing spot, or a familiar hiking trail. Or it could be around a particular activity like biking or running or golfing or gardening. 
6. Plan for your family to eat at least one meal a day altogether. As you do, invite everyone to share something specific about their day.

Though we cannot experience the presence of the Lord through physically gathering right now, we can still be intentional with our time and space in a way that reminds us of the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. Perhaps pick one of the ideas above and try it out this week!
 
For another creative way to build “sacred time/space” into your day, check out the “pause” app from John Eldredge: https://www.pauseapp.com/.