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Transcript

Absorb vs. Harbor · The Holy Pause

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: A reading from Scripture, Philippians 4, verses 4-9.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Rejoice in the Lord always.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: I will say it again.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Rejoice.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: Let your gentleness be evident to all.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord is near.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Do not be anxious about anything.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: And the peace of God Finally,
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: brothers and sisters,
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: whatever is true,
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: whatever is noble,
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: whatever is right,
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: whatever is pure,
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: whatever is lovely,
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: whatever is admirable,
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me,
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: Put into practice, and the God of Peace will be with you all.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard to say, be careful what media you consume, without sounding like a prude.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: We all know the villain in Footloose is the crotchety old pastor, played by John Lithgow.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: He forbids dancing in his small Kansas town because it might cause the youths to get unruly.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Every pastor I know does their level best trying not to sound like the minister
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: in every teen movie.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because they never come off looking good.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: But that doesn't change the reality of the situation,
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: which is that our influences,
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: whether media, songs, people,
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: life circumstances,
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: magazines, or flyers in the mailbox, shape how we view and see the world.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: I could quote an endless number of studies,
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: but there's one from Penn State which found more than half of U.S.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: adults are receiving their news from outlets,
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: That filter information through algorithms designed to increase engagement.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Another 30% get their news from channels and written sources who utilize the power
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: of agenda setting and framing to filter the news they share.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: While the media did not tell you what to think specifically, it did influence what you thought.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: And how the information is framed does impact and influence your judgment of the topic.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: When you have a conversation with a friend on any given topic,
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: it's more likely than not you both have not only different opinions,
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: but completely different sets of information.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: What we put in our minds does change how we experience the world.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: And it shapes everything else, too, from grocery shopping to friendships to politics.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: This means we have to be intentional about the windows through which we view
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: the world and how the things we consume shift that window.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: If you find yourself moving farther and farther away from the way Paul asks us
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: to experience God's creation,
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: then maybe it's time to evaluate where and how you interact with it.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: If you find yourself most days more angry than appreciative, maybe take a break from the TV.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: If you find yourself less certain of what is true and righteous,
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: maybe it's time to intentionally recenter yourself in the reality
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: of your lived experience.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you find yourself more exhausted than pleased, Maybe it's time to change the music station.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: You have control of your experience and you have the power
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: to choose different influences to help shape it.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's your choice.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: But I would suggest on either path that you don't give up dancing.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's one of life's purest joys.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: What are the major influences on your worldview?
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: What are the major influences on your worldview?
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Sit down and make a list of what media you consume on a daily basis
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: and notice how you feel and experience the world differently after you consume it.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Is there one particular influence which you might change in order
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: to shift your outlook closer to what Paul asked you to appreciate?
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: Moving God.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: This podcast was written and recorded by Reverend Elizabeth Troyer
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: with audio engineering and editing assistance from Jermaine Taylor.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: These podcasts will always be free,
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: but if you would like to support our online ministry,
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: you can donate using the link in the bio or at wakeforestpres.org.