Methodology for Remembering

As a follower of Jesus, as a preacher, and as a missional leader, I am always trying to find ways to help myself and others be able to think more deeply about their life in Jesus. I am finding that our culture, and therefore many people in this culture find it difficult to reflect deeply about their faith journey. It can be hard to be introspective; harder to be self-evaluative; even harder to make changes that God is prompting us to make.

How do you create space to think about your greatest pursuit? How do you discipline yourself to be aware of God's presence, to be mindful of His Word that instructs and guides and transforms us? Or do you think that that kind of life with Jesus just kind of happens? I think it is of critical importance that we take this part of our lives seriously and devote energy to developing a "methodology for remembering." We are bombarded with so much information today. We are inundated with images all day long. And every one of them is vying for our attention. How will you, in the middle of all the noise, learn to recognize the voice, the presence of God? God frequently shows up in the moment, doesn't He? We see something, read something, experience something, and then....poof......its gone, never to be recaptured. How can we process something that disappears from our memory? This is one of the reasons, by the way, that we take time in lifeGroup to answer questions like: "Where this past week have you experienced the presence of God?" or "What has God been teaching you in His Word this week?" I think I'm beginning to understand why frequently those questions are met with silence. We haven't actually thought about it much! Imagine if you would capture those God-given insights, those God-directed thoughts somehow, and be able to reflect on them with others later? Even better, can you imagine reflecting on those thoughts in real time with others as they were happening? If you don't capture it, you will more than likely lose it. And, if you lose it, it won't become transformational. “If learning doesn’t become conviction and action, it remains only information instead of resulting in transformation.” -- Scott Rische
I have always taken notes. I carry with me a moleskin, and write down anything that strikes a chord with me. Anything that tugs at my heart or challenges my thinking, or clarifies a vague thought I've had; any experience that moves me, sight that stirs me, goes in one of those little books. Then, periodically, in my schedule, I take time to just go through my little books. I ask God how He might want me to use this in my life or how He might want me to share it with someone.

Lately, I have been using twitter in much the same way. What if we would use twitter as we listen to sermons, as we attend lifeGroups, as we go to Bible class, as we spend time in the Word? Before you dismiss it, check out this link from TIME magazine!