SPIRITUAL FITNESS BASICS – SELAH PART 2
I wanted to write on the idea of “Selah” today, but the topic felt familiar so I checked back in my files and found a previous “Selah” message dated April 2013. Well, to keep my message fresh, yet keep my intentions for today’s message intact, I added “Part 2” to spice things up!
Selah is a word found in some of the Psalms of the Old Testament. I first noticed it in one of my favorites, Psalm 46. There have been many debates and studies about what the word means, but the general consensus is that the word is not directly translatable and doesn’t have a clear definition. But one generally accepted idea is that the word indicates a pause in the verse, a time of instruction possibly saying, hear this. The interpretation of the word that I like best came from a musician friend of mine; to pause and consider….
So I write to you today to join me in a Fit Spirit Exercise of Selah. I’m going to take some time this summer to pause and consider some changes in my ministry work. After 10 years of providing spiritual care to cops, firefighters and medics throughout Minnesota, I’ve decided to bring my work closer to home. I’m going to narrow my scope of services and start focusing on agencies within Hennepin County. That also includes more direct care work in the Excelsior area.
Part of the ministry I’m going to spend some time considering is the idea of this spiritual fitness exercise. I currently use a pretty random approach to writing these exercises. I’ve given a lot of consideration to creating a more systematic approach to spiritual exercise, and with the help of one of my pastoral mentors, I think I’ve got a good plan. But I want to work out the kinks over the summer. So, I’m going to take the next couple months off from my random Fit Spirit writing, and be back in the fall. Enjoy your summer and don’t forget to Selah!
Take Care,
Pastor Dan Carlson