A non-stop world has a non-stop mum In a non-stop queue in a non-stop shop And it’s non-stop buying, and it’s not stop crying ‘Cos it’s non-stop wanting and it’s just non-stop.
A non-stop world has a non stop dad Working non-stop hours in his non stop job And it’s non-stop overtime, for non-stop Christmas time It’s non stop pantomime, and it’s just non-stop.
A non-stop world has
We live in a non stop world….
We have mobile phones so people can get hold of us at any time and in any place. We have smart phones and we now walk around town walking into each other because our heads are down texting or e-mailing. How many televisions do you have, one, two? We are surrounded by sound, all the time…..noise! You can even buy clothing now that is ready to connect to Bluetooth.
And is there such a thing as visual noise? Visual overload….all our senses bombarded. I saw some humorous signposts outside churches over the last year:
Don’t let your worries kill you / let the church help.
Do you want to know what hell is like? / Come listen to our vicar this Sunday.
Visual noise is a thing. All our senses are being bombarded.
A non-stop world has…
Such a manic pace of life. GOD WHY ARE YOU SO DISTANT? God if you are real, speak louder. Is there a connection between the pace of our lives, the noise of our lives and our ability to hear God??
A non-stop world has….
It’s from Thomas Hardy’s poem, “The Oxen,” that we get the idea of an old legend that, at midnight on Christmas Eve, the animals all kneel down in memory of Christ’s birth. It’s an old tradition. But you do kind of feel it! In one way or another at Christmas time everything stands still for a moment, as if just for that moment, everything is at rest.
That’s what Christians believe about Christmas, the moment when Jesus Christ is born on earth is the high point of all history; it’s the moment that everything has been leading up to. And everything stops, listening to hear the voice of God in that new babies cry.
A non-stop world has…
So many things to do
Deut 27:9 All Israel and the Levites were silentbefore the Lord
Working and shopping and cooking and wrapping
Psalm 4:4 Search your heart and be silent
So many worries, so much anxiety,
Hab 2:20 The Lord is holy, be silent before him
Why am I tired all the time
Matthew 11 Come before me, be still and I will give you rest.
If I am not still, how will Jesus give me rest
I don’t know if you’ve heard the story of Elijah escaping from Jezebel, it’s in the first book of Kings (ch19). Elijah is hiding in a cave and God is going to speak to him. The Bible says, there is a mighty wind, but God is not in the wind, and then an earthquake, but God is not in the earthquake, and then a fire, but God is not in the fire. And then the Bible says there was a “still small voice” and God was in the still small voice. But it’s not the best translation. The original says, “God was in the sound of silence!” And maybe we’re not still enough to hear God … or maybe we’re afraid that if we are silent for long enough we will hear God.
But for now. Wherever you are. Maybe it’s time to stop. Just fir a moment. And in the sound of silence, hear God.
A non-stop world has non-stop kids Watching non-stop telly with their non-stop sales Selling non-stop garbage, telling non-stop lies In it’s non-stop fashion and it’s just not stopped.
A non-stop world has non-stop people Under non-stop pressure at their non-stop parties With their non-stop flirting at their non-stop hurting Causing non-stop parting which will just not stop.
