Spanish fly on the wall

(March 14, 2006)

Hi!

Do you remember Tom* from the article called "Improbable Quiet Time" from my trip to Costa Rica? Click here to read the Costa Rica report again. He was the Harvard grad doing time with God in the San Sebastian prison. He reported back to Carlos, the prison chaplain, that for the last month his cell church as been using the process of doing the corporate Quiet Time sharing and the men all are really getting allot from this new process.

Remember that Tom had shared with me his struggle of being a 6 month old Believer trying to lead his 15 man cell church in a unified spiritual direction. All these men had different views of what church is so things often went 15 different directions. I shared with Tom the Quiet Time roll up model that we use in our family and said that it would allow him to step back and just be a unskilled facilitator. The Spirit will take the lead via the sharing of the men's Quiet Times. The Word is living and powerful. Jesus will visit your cell church and give His sermon through the shared diverse Quiet Times. Have the men look for the common theme in His message. Tom, replied, "that is what I need!". From this report it looks like the Spirit is leading and Jesus is speaking! Awesome.

In the same phone call, Carlos said that he and Sa-uuul (his chaplain side kick) talk with each other often about the implications that God has made them to be Believer Priests to impact the world around them.. in their relationships with family, church and prison.

What is God saying personally to each man as they come each morning to actively listen to Him with notebook and pen in hand? How are these men's hearts being made valiant in faith as they hear God speak in clarity and unity in their corporate sharing of Quiet Times? How will the sense of abandonment and failure in life slide from their shoulders as they hear God the Father minister the words to their spirit ... "you are my mine."?

Boy I would like to be a Spanish fly on the wall in those daily services. :o)

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Bob Achgill

PS. I encourage you to try the Quiet Time roll up process with fellow dorm mates, with your class mates, with lunch partners at work, walking partner, golf partner, with your family. You will see Jesus visit and speak. He doesn't just speak at prisons. :) The process I shared with Tom is ...

Separately

Read a chapter (Anywhere in the Bible. Possibly the next chapter in your Bible reading schedule. It is better if you don't all read the same chapter. Randomness makes it more clear that it is God who is speaking when you all start to look for the common theme.)
Pick a verse that impresses you
Write that verse at the top on your small notebook page along with the date
write the Question: How does this impress me?
Write stream of conscious to fill the page your thoughts stemming from that verse. (1 page only!)
Leave one line blank at the bottom of the page. This is where you write your response to God... He as been talking to you now write your response to Him. Just as any friends communicate bi-directionaly.

Jointly

Each read your page.
Look for the common theme Jesus is speaking!
Write down what each other says.
Pray one sentence prayers around the circle your responses to God.

It does not take a Harvard MBA to facilitate this process and you don't need to wait till God puts you in prison to get time with you! As is Tom's testimony. :o) Everyone around the circle can read what they wrote. Every Believer (person who places their trust in Jesus to take away their sin) around the circle is a Priest... young to old, learned to simple. Listen carefully to what God is going to say through each one and take note.

Encourage me with your report of how it goes. :-)

BobAchgill@hotmail.com