Fall playlist

Looking for some new tunes to rest your soul and uplift your spirit?  Check out this list of songs suggested by women from our Warehouse community:

You Have Redeemed My Soul - Enter the Worship Circle
10,000 reasons - Matt Redman

Nothing Holding Me Back - Bryan and Katie Torwalt

Highland Country - Over the Rhine

Jesus I come - Shelly Moore Band

Holy Spirit - Bryan and Katie Torwalt

Abide With Me - Indelible Grace

Your Great Name - Natalie Grant

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us - Page CXVI

Great Are You Lord - All Sons and Daughters

Cherry Blossoms - Andy Squyres

What's song are you playing on repeat lately?  Leave a comment and let us know!

Discipline & Rest: Service

Service has looked like many different things to me at different points in my life.  I grew up in a family where serving and caring for others was highly valued.  At a young age I feel like God placed in my heart a desire to serve and take care of others.  In the fourth and fifth grade I spent my lunch recess playing with handicapped children.  My home growing up was a safe place for many of my friends and often became the place to hang out.  From time to time we had different family members living with us and eventually my parents ended up adopting two of my cousins.  I have watched my mom give her life to caring for others.  I did not grow up in a home where Christ was our center or motivation for serving others, so I have watched my mom pour her life into others and find her worth and value in doing so.  I have watched her service to others take away from her service to her immediate family and herself, resulting in a lot of damage and pain. 

 

With that as my backdrop, once I became a Christian my pull to serve and care for others heightened.  Service is one of those broad terms that really can look different in many ways.  I found myself serving on different levels: serving at a summer camp, serving the homeless, serving in childcare, serving people in my home, serving as a social worker, serving as a caretaker for two wonderful elderly women... I only write these things out to show how easy it is to get caught up in something good. 

 

Serving others and caring for others has come natural to me and has been very fulfilling. BUT there has also been a dark side to service.  I have hidden behind it and made it who I am; it has become a comfort and identity for me.  I have found myself poorly serving the ones that matter most to me, my sweet family.  In so many ways I have found myself becoming like my mother.  Many life lessons have come out of serving others, lessons of the heart.  Lessons that have tied me back to the very one who really served us all without any requirement for a return behavior or action.  Jesus gave himself fully, selflessly, he was secure with his father.  Often my security comes from the acceptance of others instead of the acceptance of my heavenly father.  I have found with service and really with any spiritual practice there has to be something I draw from.  If my well is not God, so much of my junk and baggage and need for others becomes tied up in it.  But when I am drawing on God daily, my vision is not so blurred when it comes to serving others and, actually, my view of service is broadened.  Serving can happen in the simplest of ways: wholeheartedly praying for others, sharing food, jumping on the trampoline with my little ones, stopping and listening to someone and truly caring, telling my husband I am proud of him, not busying myself so I can serve well...

 

I will always battle with the balance of serving others and have to make sure I am returning to my source of spiritual nourishment.  It will mean turning to scripture and reminding myself of who I am in Christ and not to look to my service to fulfill me.  I love that God has put a desire in my heart to care for others and I look forward to the many ways it will shape me and grow me.

Richard Foster, in his book, Celebration of Disciplines, says, "When we set out on a consciously chosen course of action that accents the good of others and is, for the most part, a hidden work, a deep change occurs in our spirits."  Our good Father not only desires that we serve for the sake of blessing and loving and caring for others.  He longs to transform our spirits, to make us more like him. 

Perhaps you are feeling drawn to the discipline of service.   Consider engaging the people in your life through one of these types of service (from Celebration of Disciplines):

-the service of hiddenness, doing things unknown by others

-the service of small things, assistance in daily matters

-the service of guarding the reputation of others

-the service of common courtesy, striving for kind interactions

-the service of ungrudging hospitality

-the service of listening intently

-the service of bearing each other's burdens

-the service of bringing someone a word from God

Do you sense God's invitation?  Is someone in your life coming to mind?  He will empower you to serve not in your own strength or from your own resources, but by his Spirit.  He longs to engage your heart, to fill you daily with himself so that you are overflowing with care and compassion for others.  

Written by: Shelly Jones

Cowgirl Social // November 2nd

Saturday, November 2nd @ 4pm / Redbarn at Larkspur 

If the explosion of all things pumpkin at Trader Joe’s and Starbucks hasn’t put you in the mood for Fall then perhaps this will! Come connect with other Warehouse women on a beautiful, festive fall evening.

We'll split into groups and rotate through three activities, each lasting 30 minutes: trail rides, hayrides and games.  Around 6 p.m. we'll all come back together for drinks & homemade chili by the bonfire, and a marshmallow roast.  The cost of this event is $30 per person if riding or $15 per person if horses aren’t your thing and you just want to come for the food and company!  

Each portion of this evening provides the chance to meet other women, enjoy conversation, and bask in the beauty of a Carolina autumn evening.  This night is also the perfect opportunity to include friends!  What a great, low pressure way to invite our neighbors, co-workers and friends to join in the community of Warehouse.

The lovely Amber Greenawalt is organizing this event. Contact Amber via facebook or email her (amber@greenawaltfamily.com) to reserve your spot.  Please provide a firm RSVP by Thursday, October 31st so the good folks at Redbarn can purchase food and get everything ready for us!

The nitty gritty: 
Leave your Chacos at home. For safety, everyone (riding horses or not) must wear closed toe shoes.  Horseback riders must wear long pants. No outside alcoholic beverages.  Redbarn will provide the libations. Don't forget your $30 or $15, cash only please!

Redbarn at Larkspur is located about 8 miles south of Ballantyne at 6717 Charlotte Hwy Lancaster SC 29720. 

List o' links

Feeling a bit like Alexander today?

Worn out from trying to know the unknowable?

Say yes to Christ's whispered invitation to your soul.

Stop and look all around you.

Breathe in, breathe out, repeat.  


Jen Hatmaker's got her favorite things...and so do we.  Look for more compilations of recommended music, books, blogs and outings from women within our community!

Discipline & Rest: The path before me

I glance at path laid out before me, not knowing where it will lead, peering up at the glorious sunny day and breathing in the fragrant, dewy grass.  In the garden behind Avondale Presbyterian Church, there’s labyrinth that mirrors the famous one painted on the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France.  It’s Wednesday morning. The only day of the week where I have 3 hours of alone time – no kids, no work (well, always housework, but it can wait), nowhere to be.  This is the day I’m attempting to set aside for practicing disciplines of silence, solitude, worship, meditation, and prayer. 

I pick up a guide from the box beside the labyrinth, tentative about stepping on to the first cobblestone. “You will show me the path of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence.” Psalm 16:11.  Yes, you will show me where I am on the path; you will be with me as I walk. 

As I enter in, I’m breathing deeply, noticing my surroundings, until I find that I must look at where my feet are going to make sure I stay on the path.  The first portion inward has short twists and turns that beg my attention.  Hmmm, this is interesting… I’m journeying inward and there seems to be a lot of detail to this path.  I’m feeling anxious. My first tendency is to want to skip and jump across this part to the longer stretches of path that wind around the outermost part of the circle.

God gently nudges me, “This inner work is hard. There are habits and patterns in your life that need attention. You often skip this part to more exciting things, but I’m with you in the everyday.  The mundane. In the details and the inner workings of your heart.  It’s just as important and I want to transform you there.”  He goes on, “See how you’re circling back around, orbiting around the same spot? These patterns and issues will creep back up unless you pay attention to them and invite me in.” The whole time I’m walking and pondering this, the center of the labyrinth, the very core of it, stays in my peripheral vision. I’m circling it – “Jesus you are always right there, right at the core. You dwell in me. You are there as I examine my idolatries, as I confess my sins, as I notice my addictions, as I do the inner work.”

I make my way beyond the center to the outer ring and find myself in the most divine shade given by beautiful green trees above my head.  The grass here is greener, a cool breeze blow, it feels like a covering…”You hide me in the shadow of your wings. You make me lie down in green pastures, you lead me beside still waters, you restore my soul.” In this place I sensed God saying, “As you venture out, I will restore you, I will shepherd you, I will replenish you.”  I stood there for a very long time.  “Write this promise on my heart, Lord.”

I walked for quite a while that morning. There’s something about walking and listening that feels dynamic to me.  There’s momentum and movement. A sense that I’m not stuck and that God has me on a path and that path is going somewhere.  God gave me questions to ponder. He reminded me of his presence. He used the analogy of the path to give me a deeper understanding of where we are in relationship with each other right now.  I made a commitment to invite God into those intricate spaces of my life that need more attention, pruning and transformation.  I thanked Him for his continual presence with me as I venture out and use my unique and creative gifts to serve him.  In walking the labyrinth that day, I truly experienced that part of the verse we used in our last women’s retreat -- “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

written by: Laura Strahl

Discipline and rest: Centering Prayer

Before we launch into all of the disciplines listed in the last post about how rest and discipline go hand in hand, I wanted to share about the practice of Centering Prayer.

If you attended En Route last week, you heard about the church calendar, and specifically, the time we are in now: Ordinary Time. Steph Vander Lugt shared how the color for this season of the church calendar is green to signify growth. It’s not the extraordinary time of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, etc, but a time of growing deeper in our faith and preparing to celebrate the busier seasons paramount to our faith.

So, in the nature of Ordinary Time, centering prayer seems like a wonderful way to be with God in the ordinary. And, in full disclosure, I’m new at this type of prayer, but it’s been really helpful and connecting for me to slow down and rest in and beside God.

I will quote from the bulletin of a prayer service that I attended recently as it gives a beautiful, simple explanation of what centering prayer is:

Centering Prayer is a method of prayer, which prepares us to receive the gifts of contemplative prayer. Centering Prayer consists of responding to the Spirit of Christ by consenting to God’s presence and action within. Centering Prayer facilitates a movement from more active modes of prayer - verbal, discursive or affective prayer - to receptive prayer of resting in God. Centering Prayer is meant to enrich and complement other forms of prayer, not exclude them or replace them.

I have heard Roxanne Morgan explain that Centering Prayer is somewhat like sitting beside someone you love and just enjoying being with them in silence. It is a stilling of ALL of oneself to receive and realize the fullness of Christ within (Col. 1:27) It is prayer CENTERED in Christ alone, yielding and consenting to him.

Here are some directions from the book “Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening” by Cynthia Bourgeault:

“It’s very, very simple. You sit, either in a chair or on a prayer stool or mat, and allow your heart to open toward the invisible but always present Origin of all that exists. Whenever a thought comes into your mind, you simply let the thought go and return to that open, silent attending upon the depths. Not because thinking is bad, but because it pulls you back to the surface of yourself. You use a short word or phrase, known as a “sacred word,” such as “abba” (Jesus’ own word for God) or “peace” or “be still” to help you let go of the thought promptly and cleanly. You do this practice for twenty minutes, a bit longer if you’d like, then you simply get up and move on with your life.”

I will testify that this is harder than it sounds! It’s hard to still your mind, stop letting your mind race, and simply be with the Lord. Bourgeault states in her book that the hardest part is agreeing to not think. For me, one very significant piece has been learning that I am not who I am because of my actions, my thoughts, my desires or hopes; I am just me… something deeper than all these things. And that rest in God and rest with God simply means letting this very inmost part of me connect with Him. I am trusting God delights in this and longs for more of it.

If you are interested in learning more, here are a few resources:

• “A Taste of Silence” by Carl Arico.
• “Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening” by Cynthia Bourgeault
• Contemplative Outreach of Charlotte (http://www.cpcharlotte.org/) is hosting an introduction to Centering Prayer workshop on November 2nd. See website for details.
• “Open Mind, Open Heart” by F. Thomas Keating, a classic by one of the modern day "founders."
• Join a Contemplative Practices small group at Warehouse 242! . It is one of the practices we try out/ introduce in these groups.

As we continue through our year of learning more about resting with the Lord, I hope you will consider trying Centering Prayer. If you find yourself especially intrigued or moved by what you have read here, consider participating in one of our short term Contemplative Practices groups that will be offered in the spring. For more information about those groups, email libba@warehouse242.org

written by: Jennifer Coggins

En Route: October 2nd

Women of Warehouse,
Our next En Route is tomorrow evening, Wednesday, October 2nd. 
Doors open at 6:30pm.  

Our hope for En Route this year is to build upon the theme of Rest. Believing that true soul rest comes from a life lived with Christ, we want to explore how we can create pause, quiet and space for Jesus in our typically busy, noisy lives. Over the year we intend to look to the Church calendar to imagine what can it look like to order our days and the seasons of the year with intentionality and focus on Christ.

At October’s En Route we are excited to be hearing from Steph Vander Lugt as we learn a bit about the church calendar and the season we are in that is referred to as “Ordinary Time.” Ordinary times looks, well, ordinary. But it is actually a season of growth. How are we growing? How in our busy ordinary days do we act intentionally to move towards growth in our lives?

Childcare available upon request. Please email women@warehouse242.org to inquire