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Redford
Aldersgate
United Methodist Church
Sermon
Cure for "Hurry Sickness"
March 12, 2006
Mark 6:30-52
Discussion and Reflection Questions
The following are questions that were used during the small group sessions after viewing the video by John Ortberg. Even if you couldn't come to the small group, it might be helpful to your spiritual growth to discuss these questions with another person, or at least ponder them in your own mind. We encourage you to come to the small groups next week.
Discussion Questions
What things add to your “hurry sickness”?
Take the “Hurry Survey” on the reverse side of this sheet. Share with
the group what you think this says about your life.
Why is “Hurry Sickness” so harmful to our spiritual growth?
Is there a difference between being busy and being hurried? Is it
possible to live a fast-paced life without being hurried?
What are some things that you can do to eliminate hurry from your life?
How can you use interruptions to draw you closer to God and to slow you
down?
How do you feel about solitude? Is there anything about solitude that
makes you uncomfortable? Is there anything about solitude that causes
you to resist it?
Ortberg makes the following suggestions as ways to practice the
Spiritual Discipline of Slowing Down. Which one/ones seem possible for
you to do? What ones will you commit to doing for one week?
- Drive in the slow lane for a week
and say a prayer for each person who passes you.
∙- Eat your meals slowly (not in a car or on the fly) and be sure to
chew each bite fifteen times in order to actually taste the food.
-∙ Don’t wear a watch for a day.
- Commit to a day of extended
solitude... or a certain amount of time each day.
Pray that God’s Spirit of peace will fill your hearts, homes,
work-places and thought patterns. Ask God to teach you the life-giving
discipline of slowing down.
Hurry Survey
❑Yes ❑No Do you live with a daily sense that there is not enough time to
get done with everything you need to accomplish?
❑Yes ❑No Do you find yourself talking faster because there is so much to
say?
❑Yes ❑No Do you nod a lot when a person is talking slowly in an effort
to keep them moving along?
❑Yes ❑No When people are talking too slowly, do you ever find yourself
wanting to (or actually) finishing their sentences?
❑Yes ❑No Do you ever drive faster than is safe (even sometimes when you
are not in a hurry)?
❑Yes ❑No When you stop at a red light with two or more lanes with cars
in them, do you ever try to anticipate which car looks faster so you can
get behind that car and save a few seconds when the light turns green?
❑Yes ❑No Do you ever try to gauge which line at the grocery store will
be the quickest and get in that line? And, if it turns out you picked
the slower line, does it bother you?
❑Yes ❑No Do you multiple-task and try to get more than one thing done at
a time on a regular basis?
❑Yes ❑No Do you have a big pile of magazines, newspapers, and books that
you hope to read “someday”
❑Yes ❑No Do you live your life driven by schedules, organizers and to-do
lists?
❑Yes ❑No Do you find it difficult to say no when others ask you to do
things that will add one more item to your schedule?
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