Rob Ribbe - Director

Today we hear from Rob Ribbe who is on sabbatical in South Carolina until April.  He took a break from his books and computer screen to share his thoughts on one of HoneyRock's unique core values: Disciplined Reflection.  If you want to keep up on the Ribbe's adventure down south, you can do so through their blog:  http://ribbesinsouthcarolina.blogspot.com

Have you ever gone to a movie that stirred you up, that raised big questions, made you weep, or totally ticked you off?  Were you with a group of friends?  Did talk about the movie?  For how long? 

It seems like most of us approach movies at the theater or shows on TV as a way to turn off our brains, just "relax" or pass the time.  Once the show is over we move on to the next thing.  If we take the time to talk about it, it is usually for a short period of time and involves deciding if it was a "good'" movie or not.  How about Sunday morning?  How often do you take an hour or so to reflect on or talk with others about what you just heard and how it relates to life?  Is your conversation about as long as it takes to evaluate the sermon or service?

I wonder sometimes if this isn't how we generally approach life. We bounce from one thing to another, seldom taking time between events to ponder what happened, what was significant, or how we were Jesus in that place with those people.

I had a sincere friend ask me recently, "How was your week?"  I answered with a short phrase like "fine, not bad, okay."  As soon as I said it, I realized how unthinking that response was.  I then asked him how he determined what a good week was.  He gave me a very thoughtful, God-centered answer that listed a few criteria that were significantly different from how I would have answered the question.   (I'll save his answers for another time because they were really good!)

Disciplined reflection brings depth and purpose to our lives.  During HoneyRock programs most participants (including leaders) live through an almost continuous stream of experiences that have much to teach us and show us.  It is our goal to take time in the midst of all the activity to press the pause button and ask what happened, why it was significant, and what it can teach us about living more healthy, God-honoring lives.

This year I have been given the gift by Wheaton and the HoneyRock team to have a sabbatical.  I write from South Carolina.  I've only been gone a month (though it seems like much longer than that) and am taking this time away from the busyness and responsibilities of life in the Northwoods to truly and deeply reflect on life, family, ministry.  So far God is teaching me a ton!  (This too I'll save for another time).  It just re-enforces to me the importance and power of disciplined reflection, in God's presence and under the Holy Spirit's guidance, as a life-giving spiritual discipline.  Barriers to disciplined reflection seem to be busyness and fear.  Reflection is not efficient--it doesn't get a task done.  It also requires us to think deeply and share with others from the heart.  It is really a bummer to miss out on the many fantastic God-moments that happen each day because we don't take time to pause and ponder.  We also miss the opportunity to give to and receive from each other the encouragement of seeing God at work.  Give it a shot today and see what God says.  I bet it will be good!