inspiration

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In a recent sermon, I told a story about having difficulty lighting a candle. Later someone asked me how I found those metaphors for my sermons. I was reminded of a conversation with musician some time when she explained that she wrote songs from what she saw all around her; she could look around a room and write a song about something she saw.

I try to find inspiration from what I see around me. A big part of my work is seeing the world differently. I'm not always good at practicing it, but my intention is to pay attention to my life in such a way that I ask, "What spiritual meaning may be drawn from this?" Another way to go about life is to constantly ask "Is that good or bad?" or "Do I like that or not?" Those questions put us in a place of judgement and constant judgement. I know from experience.

Questions like, "What spiritual meaning may be drawn from this?" puts me in a posture of learner, and makes me curious about the world around me. So, when I'm trying to light a candle, but the wick is all smashed down, the initial experience  may be frustrating, but it is not bad. It's an opportunity to learn something. Maybe I'll even work it into a sermon, or a song, or a blog. 


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