We live in a culture bound by busyness — held hostage by hurry.

Hurry: A chronic state of urgency driven by anxious striving

In our culture, busyness is considered a badge of honor.

Hurry has infiltrated the church.

Hurry is one of the biggest threats we are facing as a church right now.‍

"Followers of Jesus have assimilated to a culture of busyness, hurry and overload—which leads to a deteriorating relationship with God and causes Christians to become more vulnerable to adopting secular assumptions about how to live."
— Michael Zigarelli

"An over-busy, hurried life of speed is the new normal in the Western world, and it’s toxic."
— John Mark Comer

Ten symptoms of hurry sickness

1. Irritability
2. Hypersensitivity
3. Restlessness
4. Workaholism
5. Emotional Numbness
6. Out-of-order Priorities
7. Lack of care for your body
8. Escapist Behaviors
9. Slippage of Spiritual Disciplines
10. Isolation

Key Question: If I were to keep living at this pace for the next 10-20, what kind of person will I become?

"Hurry is not just a disordered schedule. Hurry is a disordered heart."
— John Ortberg

Hurry compromises our relational connections.

Hurry is toxic to our relationship with God.

Hurry is toxic to relationship with ourselves.

Hurry is toxic to our relationships with others.

Bottom Line

Practicing presence requires exchanging striving for abiding.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing
John 15:4-5

Jesus walked at the pace of God’s grace.

Jesus met with the Father no matter how full life got.

When life picks up pace, time with God needs to become an even higher priority.

Jesus practiced presence by welcoming interruptions.

Action Steps

Prayerful Reflection

• How fast am I moving through life right now?
• What does the pace of my life reveal about the state of my heart & my priorities?
• How is God inviting me to slow down and simplify my life around rhythms of abiding?

Practice

1. Take the Hurry Sickness Assessment
2. Block of specific times to connect with Jesus
3. Befriend a person with a disability

Hurry Sickness Assessment

1. Irritability
   Do I get mad, frustrated, or annoyed easily?
2. Hypersensitivity
   Do minor things quickly escalate into major emotional events?
3. Restlessness
   Do I have a hard time slowing down and relaxing?
4. Workaholism
   Do I have limits around and know when to stop working?
5. Emotional Numbness
   Do I have the capacity to feel another’s pain & time to care?
6. Out-of-order Priorities
   Do I feel disconnected from your identity and calling?
7. Lack of care for your body
   Do I have time for self-care (sleep, exercise, etc)?
8. Escapist Behaviors
   Am I turning to distractions on a regular basis (screens)?
9. Slippage of Spiritual Disciplines
   Do I create regular time for prayer, reading the Scriptures, practicing Sabbath, attending church, or engaging in community?
10. Isolation
    Do I feel disconnected from God, others, and my own soul?