This past weekend at Lutheran Church of Hope http://www.hopewdm.org/ we tried something. Not something new or amazingly creative. it wasn’t birthed out of a 3 hour creative brainstorming session. We didn’t see another church do it and decide that we should copy or mimic their lead.

We simply decided that at the close of the service, we would invite people to stick around for a bit and worship. We invited them to linger.

You may be thinking, “well that doesn’t sound too profound!” You are right - like I said it wasn’t a light bulb moment. In fact, we have been in great discussion about doing and have had the engines revving and in neutral for a while. It was all about timing. And the time was right.

We opened the service with a solo piano version of Crowder’s “Come And Listen” that set the first bookend up, leaving the rest of the worship set and sermon in the middle. As Pastor Mike concluded (a very heavy sermon by the way) I went back to the piano and simply played How Great Is Our God as people left.

There was the typical exodus of people, parents picking up their kids from KQ and the nursery. Several people gathered in groups as usual to exchange pleasantries. But as the crow dissipated, it panned out those who stuck around to see what God was up to - they lingered. Some sat quietly, others stood and sang along, and even some kneeled in reverence.

I think it was a much needed break for many people. Not everyone stayed, which is fine. but I think it has begun something in our church that is shifting.

When we take time to linger - to ignore for a moment the business of life - it is like God can look at us and say “listen to me for a change”. When my son acts up or is throwing a tantrum, Carrie and I make a point to get him to look at us. “Look at me Ace, look me in the eye” - then we have his attention and can talk to him and calm him down.

I picture us, as we linger, as we “be still”, as Psalm 46 tells us, God can hold our face in our hands and then he has our full attention.

How does that work for you? The still moments? Do you find yourself always in a hurry with God? Do you take time to linger? I know it is a challenge for me with job, family, building a house, keeping up with friends….time gets away. Bill Hybels at the Leadership Summit recently admitted he had a hard time finding that time alone, and made some big changes to his daily routine. I fell like I am there too.

So I am going to stop writing now and linger a bit - give it a try!