1960s edition of Game of the States (Who Sells the Most from Coast to Coast?)
“Be the song I sing, / be my guiding light. / Savior of my soul, / be the Lord of my life. / Every step I take, /always by my side. / I am yours, you are mine, / be the Lord of my life.”- Matt Maher
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”- Psalm 19:14 (NIV)
Most of the board games stored in my bedroom closet consisted of history or social studies formats. One of those stress-free, teaching games was Game of the States. Before play started, each player chose their preferred color of truck and four matching Product Discs. Nest, you drew four state cards and placed one disc in each of the corresponding states.
Then, you picked an opponent’s state to move towards. Once there, you selected a product to purchase and spun the Money Dial. The seller could either accept the price or ask you to spin again – in hopes of making more money. Finally, the seller drew a state card to determine your destination. Upon arrival, you sold the product to the banker. In the process of playing, you learned about geography, state capitals, and unique state products. Without even realizing it!
In The Jesus Way (2007), Eugene Peterson underscores that the sacred way of Jesus denotes more than a path, route, or meandering line on a road. Above all, Eugene states, Jesus = our guiding light:
“The Way that is Jesus is not only the roads that Jesus walked to Galilee and Jerusalem but also the way he acted, felt, talked, gestured, prayer, healed, taught, and died. And the way of his resurrection. The Way that is Jesus cannot be reduced to information and instruction. The Way is a person whom we believe and follow as God-with-us.”
Furthermore, as Ann Voskamp observes in her latest book, WayMaker, our love liturgies form our foundation for navigating life. Also, our daily life bears witness to the way we put on Christ. Or not. And rhythms build roads, while a lack of rhythms leaves us lost. Therefore, Ann advocates the spiritual practice of SACRED as the soul’s very real and directing compass to keep company with God.
Stillness – as you still yourself before God, you live into tender surrender. To keep following Jesus, let go of where you are.
Attentiveness – attend to who you attest God is, your place in relation to Him, and what you truly desire.
Cruciformity – with arms stretched wide-open, formed cruciform, reach out to God and people.
Revelation – view deserts as trust greenhouses, where the Word reveals Himself to you in the present moment.
Examine – allow everything to loosen into trust, binding your being to Jesus.
Doxology – divine dialogue takes place in sacred desert places. Give thanks for even the hard gifts.
In conclusion, Mark Batterson exhorts, daily spiritual disciplines function as the only ceiling on your intimacy with God and your impact on the world. Thus, Mark’s seedbed of faith, his guiding light is his Bible reading plan. However, while reading gets you into God’s Word, meditation gets God’s Word into you. So, Mark asks:
“Where do you meet with God? When do you meet with God? If you can’t answer these questions, it’s time to make an appointment. And you won’t find time; you have to make time. We need rhythms and routines. We need systems and structures. That said, we also need to leave room for some spontaneity! . . . But we dare not box God in by boxing God out! The Holy Spirit can show up anytime, anywhere. And He can do it in some strange and mysterious ways.”
