A Free Will Baptist chaplain encourages readers to "encounter the Holy" on the way to a new beginning.

Plane on a Stick

by Chaplain (Lt. Col) Tim Sturgill

Plane on a stick…that’s what we call the static display of airplanes you see at most Air Force bases located somewhere near the front gate or at a memorial park. The planes are placed on a concrete or steel structure that holds them up as if in flight. Aircrafts that once roared and soared through the sky at supersonic speed fly no more. They are stuck on a stick, no longer dynamic. They are static—impressive to look at but earthbound.

God, the immutable, yet dynamic God, designed my life to roar and soar. He never intended for me to retire from the good works of the gospel. I may retire from the Air Force someday, but I must never become static in my Christian experience. Psalm 92:14 makes it clear that we are to live a dynamic Christian life until the end. “They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.”

God, the immutable God, the dynamic God, always has something up His sleeve. He is always moving. Even in moments when He appears to be silent, He is always working. The question for me is, am I aware of His movement in my life, ministry, and community? Am I tuned in to what God is doing? Isaiah 43:19 says, “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?”

Stuck in Place?

Is God trying to give you a fresh start, a new beginning? Are you stuck on the stick of tradition, unbelief, or any other thing that keeps you from perceiving the fresh things God wants to do in your life? I believe most of us truly want to know what God desires for our lives, but often we are simply too busy to listen.

Our society contributes to this problem as the social network generation loses its concept of intimate relationships. That, in turn, erodes our ability to have a closer relationship with God. Here’s what I mean. Internet, social media, text messaging, and instant communication have relegated us to a society with many friends and followers but few confidantes. Friends are a dime a dozen on the social media outlets, but quality, close relationships are few and far between. We become satisfied with a tweet, an update, or a text. Relationships become trivial, and conversations are limited by a character count. We have exchanged intimacy for immediacy.

A friend’s mother died the other day, and the social media produced a flurry of condolences and prayers. This is a good thing, but I can’t help but wonder how many of her “friends” actually called to ask “How are you doing?” or “May we pray together?” My guess is very few.

Encounter the Holy

New Beginnings always spring from an encounter with the Holy. When was the last time you had a real encounter with the Holy? I’m not talking about a 15-minute quiet time squeezed between busy events of the day, or petitions tossed toward God when in need. When is the last time you set aside time, blocked out the pressure of the day, and locked yourself in a place where you could hear from the Holy? How long since you visited a place where no one can get in but the Holy—a place where even the busyness of doing the Father’s work does not interfere.

An encounter with the Holy that results in a new beginning requires a return to old-fashioned spiritual disciplines such as silence, solitude, Scripture reading, and contemplative prayer.

Silence means just that. Turn off the radio, shut the laptop, pull the plug on the television and listen to the quiet. God, the great God who spoke creation into being, whispers! A whisper is intimate, and God desires intimacy with his children. One of the most intimate things you can do for your spouse is to listen to him or her—with your heart as well as your ears. God wants us to listen to Him, but we can’t listen to Him if we are not listening for Him, if we can’t hear Him above the din of our lives. We must seek solitude, time alone with Him.

What God speaks to you will always be confirmed in Scripture. The immutable God does not change his character or His message as already outlined in the Bible. However, He may bring to mind new ideas or new methods for your circumstance.

Contemplative prayer goes beyond a wish list of petitions and intercessions. Contemplative prayer requires an open heart and unclinched hand. After a session of contemplative prayer, it is easier to accept God’s reply of wait or no because I have allowed Him to be part of the conversation of my prayer. I can honestly say, “Nevertheless, thy will be done.” I am also reassured that God has only the best in mind for my situation, and the best may not be what I am praying for.

Please know that an encounter with the Holy cannot be fabricated or forced. God cannot be conjured. Practicing spiritual disciplines does not guarantee an encounter with the Holy, but it does soften the soil of the heart to be receptive when God chooses to speak.

Want a fresh start, a new beginning? Want to clear your vision? Want your life freshened? Want to get off the stick and return to soaring? Get alone with God, practice the spiritual disciplines, and encounter the holy!

About the Writer: Lieutenant Colonel Timothy M. Sturgill is chaplain for the 436 Airlift Wing, stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. To learn more about the Free Will Baptist chaplaincy, visit www.homemissions.net.