By: Rev. Jerry Chiles
Each of us uses patterns to make sense of our lives. Patterns are helpful; however, some patterns can be harmful. Some patterns are our own making, and other patterns are determined by others. Think for a moment about how your time is managed. Look at any single day and discover the patterns you follow. Which patterns flow in your life from day to day? When you start your day how often do you follow the same patterns? I began to observe patterns in my own life. For example, when I prepare my cereal for breakfast, I cut a banana in half and take out my cereal bowl and glass, retrieve the cereal from the pantry along with pecans, put the cereal in the bowl with pecans on top then add fruit. Finally, I pour the milk. Later every morning after doing my devotions, I open my computer to check my emails and delete or respond appropriately. Then I open Facebook to check the messages, open marketplace, scroll, then click on home and respond to birthdays. I know it seems silly, but I do these patterns every day.
You may respond, I do not follow patterns. I live in chaos. If you have chosen to live life in chaos you have chosen a pattern. We want to think we are creative and do not follow the same patterns, but if we are honest, we are creatures of habit. Patterns give us a sense of control in a messy world.
Churches are also pattern driven. One example is when churches are organized by councils, committees, or teams that are supposed to follow specific patterns. Another example is that some churches follow the Lectionary. A third example is when churches use worship bulletins that follow a pattern week after week.
Even nature follows patterns. The Fibonacci Sequence in Nature is a mathematical pattern where each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. In nature this sequence dictates highly efficient growth. This helps organisms optimize space, sunlight exposure, and structural integrity. It is nature’s path of least resistance and represents the most efficient way for matter to grow pack and distribute itself in a three-dimensional environment. It is nature’s path of least resistance and represents the most efficient way for matter to grow back and distribute itself in a three-dimensional environment.
Key Examples in Nature:
- Sunflowers: Seeds grow in crossing spirals that pack tightly together so every seed gets equal room.
- Pinecones and Pineapples: Small outer plates form matching spiral rows that count to numbers in this sequence.
- Leaf arrangement (Phyllotaxis): Leaves grow around a stem at specific turning angles (like 137.5 degrees) so upper leaves do not block sunlight from the lower leaves.
- Seashells: The outer shell of a nautilus curves outward in a constant ratio, keeping its shape strong and balanced as it gets bigger. “(AI)
If we believe that God is the God of change, how do we allow him to interrupt our patterns? Remember change cannot take place until we break the patterns.
In their book “The Adaptation Advantage,” on the future of work, Heather E. McGowan and Chris Shipley write, “We are in the greatest velocity of change in human history, and somehow, we’ve got to keep up. The thing is, we will never keep pace by doing the same things faster. “
Dr. Chris Aho says in ‘It’s Time to Reclaim Creativity’, “I got so busy designing that I left behind many of the Christian spiritual practices that can make space for our creative God. This doesn’t mean rejecting the idea of traditioned innovation; creativity invites us to make room for God to do what only God can do. Everything we do could be made better through attention to the Spirit. And that means we play our role in cooperation with our God who exists to create. When we rely on only the things we know how to do, we cling to what once worked. We look back with nostalgia and forward with confusion. The hard part about embracing God’s creative presence is that it means also embracing uncertainty. When we plan, imagine and experiment beyond our own design, we don’t know how things will turn out. We can’t control the outcome. And we have to open ourselves to places of holy discomfort.”
I encourage you to explore some new patterns.
Some Questions to ponder:
- What were Jesus’ patterns?
- Are you aware of God, through the Spirit, wanting to interrupt your patterns?
- Do you allow time to bask in the pleasure of God?
- Are you making space for rest and time with God?
- Are you willing to experience “Holy Discomfort”?
Below are also two songs that may be of help:
I’ll Be Somewhere Listening by Bill Anderson
These thoughts above are from Rev. Jerry Chiles, one of our guest writers this year, who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has served many years in various churches across the Southeast as an associate minister. If you want to comment on his thoughts, feel free to contact him.