The Reality of Spiritual Disciplines<\\/span><\\/h2>\\n Spiritual disciplines were never intended to be a cosmic checklist of goodness to earn Almighty God\\u2019s attention. Instead, they are equivalent to the ways we spend quality time with a love interest or a child. When a couple is dating, they talk on the phone, text, share meals together, find quiet places to talk more intimately, and engage in physical displays of affection. Each person longs for the presence of the other. A parent seeking to build a relationship with a child invites the child into his or her world. They ride in the car. The parent listens to the child\\u2019s observations and teaches about deciduous trees or why yield signs are yellow. They tell each other stories, hug, and laugh.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n The \\u201cloud time\\u201d doesn\\u2019t fit either of those analogies. It is more like calling in a trick play during a ball game while the crowd is deafening or opening up the Presidential \\u201cfootball\\u201d to get the nuclear launch codes.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n The Classic Formula of a Quiet Time<\\/span><\\/h2>\\n When I have a quiet time, I\\u2019m most often in my bedroom closet, on the floor, wrapped in a blanket, wearing my <\\/span>bone-conducting headphones<\\/span><\\/a>, and listening to <\\/span>this playlist<\\/span><\\/a>.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n Over my lifetime, I\\u2019ve learned these aspects of quiet time. Your list may vary wildly.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n \\nFind a quiet and comfortable place where I will be undisturbed<\\/span><\\/li>\\nTake a few moments to escape all of the noise of life\\u2014work, family, distractions, the cell phone game I\\u2019m addicted to, etc.<\\/span><\\/li>\\nTurn on soft instrumental music.<\\/span><\\/li>\\nPray and ask the Lord to show me who He is.<\\/span><\\/li>\\nRead (or listen to) two days in my daily Bible because I\\u2019m behind.<\\/span><\\/li>\\nUse pens or special highlighters to mark the text. Perhaps even use symbols from my custom Kay Arthur Bible legend to indicate themes such as spiritual growth, sin, or the attributes of God.<\\/span><\\/li>\\nJournal about what I\\u2019ve read indicating the author, context, intent, and more.<\\/span><\\/li>\\nAnswer the question, \\u201cSo what?\\u201d about the text. \\u201cIf this is true, how should I respond?\\u201d<\\/span><\\/li>\\nClose with prayer following the <\\/span> ACTS model<\\/span><\\/a>*** *\* , being sure to spend more time on the Adoration, Confession, and Thanksgiving portions rather than the Supplication section. Include in my requests of the Lord a list from friends and family so that I\\u2019m praying for others more than yourself.<\\/span><\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n *\* It\\u2019s a decent list. But more often than not, I don\\u2019t leave my closet feeling closer to the Lord. I leave feeling like I\\u2019ve done my duty. Sure, He meets me there, especially in prayer, but I often feel His presence <\\/span>more<\\/span><\\/i> when I\\u2019m deep in thought on my commute or out of nowhere when I least expect it. However, I am convinced those moments wouldn\\u2019t occur, if I wasn\\u2019t regularly and purposefully going to Him in quiet time.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n *\* ***In contrast, I know <\\/span>for a fact<\\/span><\\/i> He\\u2019s always present during my \\u201cloud times.\\u201d\\u00a0<\\/span><\\/p>\\n The Background of a Loud Time<\\/span><\\/h2>\\n***** *\* *****Think about the Psalms for a moment. What immediately comes to mind? Is it something like \\u201cThe Lord is my shepherd\\u201d or \\u201cHis delight is in the law of the Lord\\u201d? The following phrases\\u2014and hundreds more like them\\u2014are in the psalter, too.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n \\n\\u201cIf only you would slay the wicked, O God. Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!\\u201d<\\/span><\\/li>\\n\\u201cWhy do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?\\u201d<\\/span><\\/li>\\n \\u201cKill them not, lest my people forget; make them totter by your power and bring them down.\\u201d<\\/span><\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n***** *\* David screams in prayer at God about the injustices he faces. He cries out to Him in fear about his enemies and oppressors. He howls in anguish about his doubts and struggles.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n *\* *****And we should follow this example, too. But the loud time isn\\u2019t just the screaming and wailing. It\\u2019s also what comes after.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n Loud Times are Not Imprecatory Psalms<\\/span><\\/h2>\\n******* *\* There are 14 Psalms where the writer cuts loose. David cranks the volume to eleven in Psalms 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, and 69, and 109. Asaph adds his own distortion on the guitar in Psalms 79 and 83. An unattributed writer gets in the action in Psalm 137. These are called the imprecatory psalms where the writer intentionally gets rude, angry, and hostile about his enemies. They are insults and almost curses.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n *\* I always smile when I hear a well-meaning Christian pastor or Bible teacher encourage the congregation to \\u201cpray the Scriptures.\\u201d My sinister brain goes, \\u201cOkay, I\\u2019ll pray the Scriptures for that person who irritates me. \\u2018May his days be few; may another take his office! May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!\\u2019\\u201d<\\/span><\\/p>\\n *\* Let me be clear: what I do in those moments isn\\u2019t a loud time. I am twisting the Word of God to scratch an itch.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n *\* *******The imprecatory psalms may be a part of a loud time, but if we leave ourselves in anger alone, we will miss God.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n When We Need to Practice a Loud Time<\\/span><\\/h2>\\n******* *\* When is life the hardest and least logical for you? When do you find yourself exhausted and your patience extinguished? When does the enemy whisper treason in your ear? What are you most apt to doubt God? In those moments, consider a loud time.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n *\* *******In the last year, men in my band of brothers have experienced the following in addition to the regular rhythms of life:<\\/span><\\/p>\\n \\nLoss of two jobs within the span of six months<\\/span><\\/li>\\nSurgery that didn\\u2019t heal quickly. Lots of pain and little sleep.<\\/span><\\/li>\\nThe death of a parent.<\\/span><\\/li>\\nLosing a long season of sobriety.<\\/span><\\/li>\\nMoving a parent into the home who has deteriorating dementia. (His daily life includes cleaning up after bodily functions.)<\\/span><\\/li>\\n Estranged adult children.<\\/span><\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n******* *\* *******\\u00a0Experiences like these call for loud times. When in the last year, did you go through deep waters?<\\/span><\\/p>\\n How to Practice the Spiritual Discipline of Loud Time<\\/span><\\/h2>\\n The same formula present in some of the imprecatory psalms is also present in other psalms. For my example, I will use a favorite of many: Psalm 139. I\\u2019m sure I had read this psalm, but when Michael W. Smith <\\/span>recited it from memory during his \\u201cBig Picture\\u201d tour<\\/span><\\/a>, I knew I needed to memorize it, too. Imagine my shock when I realized Smitty had left out a big portion of the prayer. He left out David\\u2019s loud time.\\u00a0<\\/span><\\/p>\\n Psalm 139<\\/b><\\/h3>\\n\\nPraising and thanking God for His attributes (vv. 1\\u20136)<\\/span><\\/li>\\nAcknowledging what God has done for you (vv. 7\\u201318)<\\/span><\\/li>\\nLetting God know your full pain and dissatisfaction with life (vv. 19\\u201322)<\\/span><\\/li>\\nPraying for the Lord to work inside you (vv. 23, 24)<\\/span><\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n**** Read it quickly for yourself<\\/span><\\/a>. David lays out a great model for when we are ragged, torn, in the dark, and hurting.<\\/span><\\/p>\\n

{"id":318,"date":"2024-01-19T21:07:13","date_gmt":"2024-01-20T02:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/messagemediummessenger\/?p=318"},"modified":"2024-04-16T15:59:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T19:59:01","slug":"king-davids-neglected-spiritual-discipline-the-loud-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/messagemediummessenger\/2024\/01\/king-davids-neglected-spiritual-discipline-the-loud-time\/","title":{"rendered":"King David\u2019s Neglected Spiritual Discipline: The Loud Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

"Man <\/p>\n

A \u201cWorship Experiment\u201d Article<\/em><\/p>\n

Spiritual disciplines are essential to spiritual growth. Most can and should be practiced daily or weekly, but one discipline is dangerous and volatile. It\u2019s rarely included in the literature on the topic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you been taught how to have a <\/span>quiet<\/span><\/i> time? Quiet times are beautiful. They connect us with God. They are the rom-com movie of your spiritual life. They are the fireplace in your spiritual home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, however, in our spiritual lives, we need to chop wood to ear-splitting heavy metal music. Sometimes, we need to throw buckets of paint against a canvas without caring about the oversplash. Sometimes we need a <\/span>loud<\/span><\/i> time with God. In this article, let\u2019s compare and contrast the two and go over some \u201chow-tos.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Reality of Spiritual Disciplines<\/span><\/h2>\n Spiritual disciplines were never intended to be a cosmic checklist of goodness to earn Almighty God\u2019s attention. Instead, they are equivalent to the ways we spend quality time with a love interest or a child. When a couple is dating, they talk on the phone, text, share meals together, find quiet places to talk more intimately, and engage in physical displays of affection. Each person longs for the presence of the other. A parent seeking to build a relationship with a child invites the child into his or her world. They ride in the car. The parent listens to the child\u2019s observations and teaches about deciduous trees or why yield signs are yellow. They tell each other stories, hug, and laugh.<\/span><\/p>\n The \u201cloud time\u201d doesn\u2019t fit either of those analogies. It is more like calling in a trick play during a ball game while the crowd is deafening or opening up the Presidential \u201cfootball\u201d to get the nuclear launch codes.<\/span><\/p>\n The Classic Formula of a Quiet Time<\/span><\/h2>\n When I have a quiet time, I\u2019m most often in my bedroom closet, on the floor, wrapped in a blanket, wearing my <\/span>bone-conducting headphones<\/span><\/a>, and listening to <\/span>this playlist<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Over my lifetime, I\u2019ve learned these aspects of quiet time. Your list may vary wildly.<\/span><\/p>\n \nFind a quiet and comfortable place where I will be undisturbed<\/span><\/li>\nTake a few moments to escape all of the noise of life\u2014work, family, distractions, the cell phone game I\u2019m addicted to, etc.<\/span><\/li>\nTurn on soft instrumental music.<\/span><\/li>\nPray and ask the Lord to show me who He is.<\/span><\/li>\nRead (or listen to) two days in my daily Bible because I\u2019m behind.<\/span><\/li>\nUse pens or special highlighters to mark the text. Perhaps even use symbols from my custom Kay Arthur Bible legend to indicate themes such as spiritual growth, sin, or the attributes of God.<\/span><\/li>\nJournal about what I\u2019ve read indicating the author, context, intent, and more.<\/span><\/li>\nAnswer the question, \u201cSo what?\u201d about the text. \u201cIf this is true, how should I respond?\u201d<\/span><\/li>\nClose with prayer following the <\/span> ACTS model<\/span><\/a>* , being sure to spend more time on the Adoration, Confession, and Thanksgiving portions rather than the Supplication section. Include in my requests of the Lord a list from friends and family so that I\u2019m praying for others more than yourself.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n It\u2019s a decent list. But more often than not, I don\u2019t leave my closet feeling closer to the Lord. I leave feeling like I\u2019ve done my duty. Sure, He meets me there, especially in prayer, but I often feel His presence <\/span>more<\/span><\/i> when I\u2019m deep in thought on my commute or out of nowhere when I least expect it. However, I am convinced those moments wouldn\u2019t occur, if I wasn\u2019t regularly and purposefully going to Him in quiet time.<\/span><\/p>\n In contrast, I know <\/span>for a fact<\/span><\/i> He\u2019s always present during my \u201cloud times.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Background of a Loud Time<\/span><\/h2>\n ***Think about the Psalms for a moment. What immediately comes to mind? Is it something like \u201cThe Lord is my shepherd\u201d or \u201cHis delight is in the law of the Lord\u201d? The following phrases\u2014and hundreds more like them\u2014are in the psalter, too.<\/span><\/p>\n \n\u201cIf only you would slay the wicked, O God. Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n\u201cWhy do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n \u201cKill them not, lest my people forget; make them totter by your power and bring them down.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n* David screams in prayer at God about the injustices he faces. He cries out to Him in fear about his enemies and oppressors. He howls in anguish about his doubts and struggles.<\/span><\/p>\n And we should follow this example, too. But the loud time isn\u2019t just the screaming and wailing. It\u2019s also what comes after.<\/span><\/p>\n Loud Times are Not Imprecatory Psalms<\/span><\/h2>\n There are 14 Psalms where the writer cuts loose. David cranks the volume to eleven in Psalms 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, and 69, and 109. Asaph adds his own distortion on the guitar in Psalms 79 and 83. An unattributed writer gets in the action in Psalm 137. These are called the imprecatory psalms where the writer intentionally gets rude, angry, and hostile about his enemies. They are insults and almost curses.<\/span><\/p>\n I always smile when I hear a well-meaning Christian pastor or Bible teacher encourage the congregation to \u201cpray the Scriptures.\u201d My sinister brain goes, \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll pray the Scriptures for that person who irritates me. \u2018May his days be few; may another take his office! May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Let me be clear: what I do in those moments isn\u2019t a loud time. I am twisting the Word of God to scratch an itch.<\/span><\/p>\n The imprecatory psalms may be a part of a loud time, but if we leave ourselves in anger alone, we will miss God.<\/span><\/p>\n When We Need to Practice a Loud Time<\/span><\/h2>\n When is life the hardest and least logical for you? When do you find yourself exhausted and your patience extinguished? When does the enemy whisper treason in your ear? What are you most apt to doubt God? In those moments, consider a loud time.<\/span><\/p>\n *In the last year, men in my band of brothers have experienced the following in addition to the regular rhythms of life:<\/span><\/p>\n \nLoss of two jobs within the span of six months<\/span><\/li>\nSurgery that didn\u2019t heal quickly. Lots of pain and little sleep.<\/span><\/li>\nThe death of a parent.<\/span><\/li>\nLosing a long season of sobriety.<\/span><\/li>\nMoving a parent into the home who has deteriorating dementia. (His daily life includes cleaning up after bodily functions.)<\/span><\/li>\n Estranged adult children.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n*** *\u00a0Experiences like these call for loud times. When in the last year, did you go through deep waters?<\/span><\/p>\n How to Practice the Spiritual Discipline of Loud Time<\/span><\/h2>\n The same formula present in some of the imprecatory psalms is also present in other psalms. For my example, I will use a favorite of many: Psalm 139. I\u2019m sure I had read this psalm, but when Michael W. Smith <\/span>recited it from memory during his \u201cBig Picture\u201d tour<\/span><\/a>, I knew I needed to memorize it, too. Imagine my shock when I realized Smitty had left out a big portion of the prayer. He left out David\u2019s loud time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Psalm 139<\/b><\/h3>\n\nPraising and thanking God for His attributes (vv. 1\u20136)<\/span><\/li>\nAcknowledging what God has done for you (vv. 7\u201318)<\/span><\/li>\nLetting God know your full pain and dissatisfaction with life (vv. 19\u201322)<\/span><\/li>\nPraying for the Lord to work inside you (vv. 23, 24)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Read it quickly for yourself<\/span><\/a>. David lays out a great model for when we are ragged, torn, in the dark, and hurting.<\/span><\/p>\n**