Earlier this month, I spent a week at The Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Ga., where I received instruction on contemplative, or centering, prayer. We participants remained silent except for during daily worship and class times. 

Eating meals silently allowed us to focus on God’s generosity and appreciate the food's flavor. The scripture “Taste and see that the Lord is good” took on new meaning. Walking silently, we focused on the wonder, beauty and countless intricacies of God’s creation. The scripture, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” took on new meaning. Silently watching Canada geese, chipmunks, squirrels, birds and bugs provided a new sense of wonder at the many creatures over which God watches and cares. The scripture, “Not a sparrow falls to the ground that your heavenly Father does not know about it” took on new meaning.

In this world of many noises and distractions, spending time in silence and in prayer is a challenge.

Yet, the benefits were many. God never ceases to speak, reveal himself or provide life in us and around us.

May I suggest you allow yourself some time to be still and quiet, just focusing on God’s presence, his love and his grace that is given to you?

When you can do this, you will also learn to find God wherever you are.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Silence, meditation can increase your spiritual focus

Do you live in the past, thinking nothing today will be as good as it used to be? Do you rehash mistakes, wondering if painful memories will ever go away? Do you harbor regrets, wishing things could have been different?

If so, I dare say you will hurt those around you, as they will never measure up to the imaginary utopia of your mind. I dare say you will remain stuck in the past and miss opportunities for happiness that await you today.

Everyone did the best they could when decisions had to be made, so learn from the past; but don’t repeat it. Jesus Christ makes all things new. Let Christ move in your heart as you move forward in his love and grace.

Revelation 21:1 states, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared.”  

Here are some thoughts to ponder:

•It's easy to make a mountain out of a molehill. Just add dirt.

•If an issue or argument isn’t bad enough to suit your taste, add a sprinkle of sarcasm and a splash of exaggeration. Toss in a modicum of meanness. Stir in scorn. Mix well. Add more heat, more volume and voila! You have a mountain instead of a molehill.

Easy, yes? Dumb, too.

Proverbs 17:14 states, “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.” 

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Here's how to make a mountain out of a molehill

I've heard that sheep are not the smartest animals around. I don’t know whether it's true, but it seems they can do some pretty dumb things.

For example, sheep can nibble their way lost. Their eyesight allows them to see just 10-15 feet in front of them; so when out in the field, they will eat a little clump of grass here, and then see another one a short distance away, walk over to it and eat it. The process repeats and, before they know it, they're lost.

People do the same thing.

One little act leads them a step away from their faith, followed by another, and then another. Before they know it, they have gotten away from the practice of faith all together. One little sin, then another, followed by another. And they are lost.

Temptations entice us to give in to small things that defy God. It can be much easier to resist big temptations. But the little ones, the ones that seem relatively harmless, pack much more danger to our faith because they are so subtle.

Like sheep, we nibble our way lost.

However, though sheep cannot find their way back to the flock on their own, they know when they are in trouble, and they're smart enough to call for help. They bleat until a shepherd finds them.

We can do that, too. We can call out to our Lord, our Shepherd, and acknowledge we have strayed so far that we cannot find our own way back.

When we call out to him, he comes. He finds us, cleans us up, and welcomes us back into the fold.

Sounds smart to me.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: We, like sheep, need our shepherd

In history, there has been a number of inventions and ideas that people initially said “couldn’t be done.”

But many of those larger-than-life ideas — much like naysayers' criticisms — succeeded.

Consider this:

•New Jersey farmers rejected the first cast-iron plow, invented in the United States in 1797, under the theory that cast iron poisoned the land and stimulated weed growth.

•An eloquent authority in the United States declared that the railroad's introduction would require building many insane asylums. After all, the sight of locomotives rushing across the country would drive people mad with terror.

•In Germany, so-called experts proved that, if trains went at the frightful speed of 15 miles per hour, blood would spurt from travelers’ noses, and passengers would suffocate when passing through tunnels.

•Commodore Vanderbilt dismissed Westinghouse and his new air brakes for trains, stating, “I have no time to waste on fools.”

•Those who loaned Robert Fulton money for his steamboat project stipulated that their names be withheld. They feared ridicule if people knew they supported anything so “foolhardy.”

•In 1881, when the New York Y.W.C.A. announced it would offer women's typing lessons, protestors said the female constitution would break down under the strain.

•Men insisted iron ships would not float; that they would damage more easily than wooden ships when grounding; that it would be difficult to preserve the iron bottom from rust; and that iron would deflect the compass.

•Joshua Coppersmith was arrested in Boston for trying to sell stock in the telephone. The reason he was cited for fraud? “All well-informed people know that it is impossible to transmit the human voice over a wire."

•The Springfield Republican's editor refused an invitation to ride in an early automobile, claiming that it was incompatible with his position's dignity.  

•The disciple Thomas and many others doubted that Jesus's resurrection actually took place.

About that last one: Jesus' resurrection did take place over 2,000 years ago. And the tremendous ramifications have been echoing throughout the world ever since.

Don’t scoff at something simply because it cannot be proven.

That is where faith comes in.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: When proof is nowhere in sight, have faith

Recently, I walked out of a local store wearing a bright green T-shirt with The Grinch's face on it.

A man waiting in a parked car said, “Hey! It’s the Grinch!” and laughed. I didn’t know if I knew the man, but reached into his car and shook hands with him. His face was familiar, but I couldn’t place him. I still can’t. (Sorry, sir!)

Have you seen someone out of context and racked your memory trying to determine how you knew the person?

You're not alone.

When Jesus came back to life, he joined two disciples down the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). They were his students; his followers — and they didn’t recognize him.

Maybe it was because of their grief and they were too wrapped up in their own concerns.

This happens today. Jesus is present with his disciples all the time, but they don’t necessarily see him.

Do you ever wonder if you have seen Jesus? Think about circumstances that challenged you. Amid your trying time, did you feel a sudden — if brief — sense of peace or relief?

Perhaps you received a hug from a child, saw a beautiful sight or received a friend's comforting touch. Perhaps you thought of previous good times. Perhaps you heard soothing music.

Those occasions would have been Jesus' presence manifesting itself in a way he knew would provide comfort.

Reflect on other times. You will understand even more how he was present to you — and still is.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Jesus is present even if we don't see him

Sunday, we celebrated Easter, but did we contemplate each step of Christ's journey and what it means for us as Christians?

Picture it: Thursday night. Darkness. Jesus prays alone in the garden. His disciples sleep.

Armed men suddenly appear. They arrest Jesus, who experiences betrayal, fear, desertion and denial.

Friday, 6 a.m.: Jesus is tried on blasphemy and sedition charges, he's found guilty and sentenced to death on a cross.

Friday, 9 a.m.: Jesus receives 39 lashes with a cat-o'-nine-tails and a crown of thorns jammed on His head. He is forced to carry His own implement of death, the cross. Soldiers drive nails into His hands and feet to secure him to the cross. They unceremoniously drop the cross into a hole in the ground to keep it erect.

Friday, 12 p.m.: The sky fills with dark, boiling, threatening clouds as Jesus suffers.

Friday, 3 p.m.: After asking forgiveness for His persecutors, after ensuring His mother would be taken care of, after crying out in agony, He declares, “It is finished" and dies.

Friday 6 p.m.: Jesus’ body is removed from the cross, wrapped in burial cloths, laid in a borrowed tomb, and he is left for dead.

Saturday all day.: The disciples huddle in fear and drown in sorrow.

Sunday 6 a.m.: Women prepare Jesus’ body for burial — but then discover the tomb is empty … and they realize … Jesus had come back to life just as He said He would!

This is what separates Christianity from all other religions. We worship a risen savior. Not even death could keep Jesus in its bonds.

Easter's deep meaning gives Christians the kind of hope, joy and peace to live this life knowing that the best is yet to come.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Easter reminds Christians what lies ahead

On Palm Sunday, Christians around the world remembered how Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem.

Crowds lined the roadway and gave him their version of the “red carpet treatment.” They laid garments and tree branches on the road in front of him. They cheered him on. They declared he was the one sent to free them from the domination of Rome.

What a fantastic day it was.

Coming in peace

However, there was a little confusion. Jesus was riding a donkey, not a horse.

Why would that be confusing? Because of the symbolism.

In that day, whenever a king rode into someone else’s territory on a horse — in this case, Jesus was entering Roman-dominated territory — it meant the king was coming to engage in war to overthrow current ruling powers.

If a king rode into someone else’s territory on a donkey, it symbolized the king was arriving in peace. There was no intention to engage in hostilities.

On that day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, declaring he was arriving in peace, not with the intent to engage in war.

Still, many people expected him to rally everyone and overthrow Rome. Their expectations were high — and incorrect.

Your expectations

What expectations do you have of Jesus that actually don’t measure up to who he is and what he is attempting to do in your life?

Do you find yourself asking questions like:

•Why didn’t he let my team win?

•Why didn’t he heal so-and-so like I asked?

•Why doesn’t he end world hunger and eradicate diseases?

It can be difficult to remember that Jesus came into this world to do God’s will, not yours or mine.

Just a few days after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, people realized that Jesus was not going to do for them what they expected and even demanded. He was going to do his Father’s will.

How did they respond?

In anger. They nailed him to a cross and watched him die.

How many different ways do we still crucify Jesus today? One is by turning away from him. Pouting when we don’t get our way. Ignoring him six out of seven days a week. Claiming to belong to him but do nothing to show it.

Celebrating the 'prince of peace'

On Palm Sunday, Christians rejoiceed at how Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on a donkey to proclaim God’s peace.

On Thursday, we remembered how a just, holy man was condemned to death by people he loved, but who were threatened by his diligence in obeying God’s, not humanity’s, desires.

Between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, get to the foot of the cross on which Jesus was nailed, so you will truly understand what it means when Jesus is declared King of kings and Lord of lords.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Jesus works according to God's, not people's, will

For an action to become a habit, statistics show that the practice must be done every day for at least 30 days.

It takes about 45 days take to break a habit if the habit doesn't deal with physical addiction.

Some people express a desire to get into the habit of daily Bible reading, and things start off well; they read every day for a short period.

Five days pass. Twenty days pass. Things are going well.

Then one day, an interruption comes into play and the Bible is not read.

That’s okay. Just pick it up again tomorrow, right?

Maybe.

Many will pick up right where they left off. Some may say they will get to it again later on.

The thing is, later never comes.

What about attending worship? Some people attend worship for years. Then, for some unknown reason they stop. The reason many give? “I got out of the habit.”

For many, “getting out of the habit” of attending worship or being involved in church life can happen as quickly as missing two consecutive Sundays.

So, if it can happen that quickly, is attending worship truly a habit? Not according to the statistics of starting and stopping habits. Those take much longer.

So what is attending worship? A habit? A practice? Or something deeper?

Attending worship is a way of life lived in gratitude for what God has done for you in Jesus Christ. Worship is a time to focus on God, Jesus Christ and God’s Holy Spirit. It is a time to give your whole self to God and focus only on God.

Please do not attend worship with the mindset of wanting to get something out of it.

Don’t look for that “special feeling,” which may only be fleeting or fickle.

Attend worship as a way of life, with the heart-set of what you can put into it to glorify God. Attention must be on God, giving yourself completely to him, worshiping him and loving him.

Don’t glorify the preacher, the worship leader, the musicians or the technicians.

Glorify God.

Don’t make yourself the object of your worship, believing you should get something out of it.

Worship is not about you. It is about God and what God gets out of it.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Attend worship services as a way of life

Are your prayers like a long laundry list of things you want God to take care of for you?

For instance, "God, please do this … heal so-and-so, take this problem away from me, let my team win, let me win the lottery."

And how often does God answer your prayers exactly the way you want?

Some prayers are answered beautifully. But some people think that no matter how something is prayed, God is not listening, or at least not understanding what is being petitioned.

When this happens, those people get peeved.

A growing segment of the population cannot accept "no" as an answer to anything, even if it's a petition put before God. If a person hears "no," reactions can range from mere grumbling on one end of the spectrum, to an avowed statement that God must not exist at the other end of the spectrum.

Just because we believe something should happen a certain way, or that we should be granted a particular favor, doesn’t mean it is the most appropriate and beneficial way God should answer.

Even Jesus did not have all his prayers answered as desired. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he asked God to spare him the agonizing death on the cross he knew was coming. He wanted to be spared so desperately that the Bible says that sweat, like large drops of blood, fell to the ground.

God knew that the cross was a necessary step for people’s sins to be wiped clean. So did Jesus. But that did not make the cross any easier to face. God said "no" to this prayer.

Just because we desire something and pray for it does not mean it is the best for us. God knows what is best. We must trust God’s judgment and wisdom.

Just as Jesus said, "not my will but yours be done," so must we — even if we don’t like it. In love, God knows what is best, and that is how God will respond to our prayers.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: With prayers, hearing 'no' may be best

For some people, winters of life offer little hope or anticipation for a future that holds anything good. When all seems bleak, it is hard to imagine anything good can come.

But spring reminds us of new life, hope and anticipation. In the days ahead, we will observe the budding of trees, blooming of flowers, and greening and growing of grass.

Often, for transitions to take place in our lives, we must go through challenging situations. To transition from a bleak period when all seems lost, we must struggle with feelings and emotions that we would rather leave alone.

This Lent, let's reflect on why God chose to come to us in Jesus Christ. He came because of the sinful nature we carry in our hearts, and the need for our sin to be wiped clean.

 Deep personal reflection is like storms that come with the transition between winter and spring. Memories of past sins, missed opportunities, past aches and pains foisted upon innocent victims or on us come to the surface. Most would rather avoid the pain of going through this period of reflection, believing ignorance is bliss.

Yet, it is only by going through deep reflection and acknowledging past mistakes that one can have those sins knocked free and then be filled with the Living Water of Jesus Christ.

My friends, let this Lenten season bring you freedom from the pressure of the sins and mistakes. Our God wants nothing more than to wash you clean and hold you in his embrace. This he proved in Jesus Christ.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Transition, hope come with spring