The Power of Presence Over Performance

​A ding on my phone reminds me: I need to write a reflection for the Friday Log. That ding--one of many I will hear today--is more than just information. It carries expectation. Time to produce. Time to perform. Time to be useful.
 
I could quickly cobble something together; I have plenty of old sermons and articles. I could pull out a quote from Bonhoeffer or Berry or Brueggemann and send it away in email, triumphantly crossing off a to-do list item. Instead, I am giving myself some freedom to reflect.
 
That kind of grace is not automatic. The dings and deadlines of modern life tempt us to hurry forward under the illusion that faster means better. That more means faithful. But what is the quality of what we are producing--and who are we becoming
in the process? Do we pretend that “faster” and “more” have some intrinsic value of their own?
 
​I think of the youth I see and know. They are remarkable, kind, and curious. Many are also exhausted. Their calendars are full. Their lives are high-performance machines, tuned for college apps, scholarships, and résumé lines. It’s easy to believe that this is just how things are now. And yes, parents, I know what month it is--is someone paying each of you to shake your head and say, “May is a crazy month?” But I wonder: What space remains for rest? For play? For unstructured joy that leaves room for the Spirit?
 
Please hear me: I don’t want to add on to a pile of guilt. Parenting and pastoring already come with enough of that. Much of the busyness of our culture is a societal issue that you won’t solve by rethinking your week. I just want to remind you (and myself) that grace is available, and that presence matters more than performance.
 
We schedule because we must; there are classes, jobs, worship services to lead. Not every moment can be free. Yet flexibility is often filled with fear or guilt: If we slow down, what might catch up with us?
 
In Christian theology, the calendar and schedule are key because Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God fully human, entered time not to rush through it, but to redeem it. He lived with holy purpose, not with panic. He freely gave his presence, and that presence healed, restored, and transformed.
 
There is no achievement, program, strategic plan, or class that will make us whole. There is no amount of money I can pay a tutor, counselor, or teacher that will redeem my children. Only Christ does that. Often, true healing comes in unexpected, quiet moments rather than planned appointments.
 
We parent and we pastor (shepherding souls) to create space for grace, freedom, and for one another, teaching children how to truly live, not just succeed. Like Jesus, let us find power in presence.
 
In Christ,

Rev. Josh McDaniel
Pastor of Students & Missions